New Mexico State University’s Department of Civil Engineering has changed its name to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The new title reflects the department’s focus on environmental issues, academic strengths, and research priorities.
The decision was made through the university’s academic governance process. It aligns with current degree programs and areas of expertise developed over several decades.
“This change is about accurately representing who we already are and the work we have been doing for many years,” said department head Craig Newtson. “Environmental engineering has been a critical part of our teaching and research mission, and the updated name better communicates that to students, employers and our partners.”
NMSU has included environmental engineering in its curriculum since introducing a graduate program in this field in the late 1980s. Runwei Li, assistant professor of environmental and civil engineering, said, “From water quality and treatment to waste management and emerging technologies, our faculty have been actively engaged in environmental engineering research for decades. The new name highlights the breadth of expertise that already exists and reinforces environmental engineering as a core pillar of our program.”
Faculty involved in teaching these courses include Pei Xu, PESCO Endowed Professor in Industrial Water Quality and Reclamation Research, and Yanyan Zhang, John Clark Associate Professor.
Currently, NMSU offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering as well as a master’s degree specifically in environmental engineering. The Master of Science in Environmental Engineering provides advanced training on topics such as water quality, aquatic chemistry, wastewater treatment, solid waste management, air pollution control, groundwater remediation, contaminant transport, membrane processes like desalination, nanotechnology applications for environmental systems and more.
Courses are designed to teach fundamental principles alongside practical design skills for addressing complex challenges with engineering-based solutions.
Newtson noted that adding “environmental” to the department name should also foster interdisciplinary collaboration across campus. “By formally incorporating environmental engineering into our department name, we are creating clearer pathways for collaboration with related disciplines while maintaining the engineering focus of our programs,” he said.
This update enhances alignment with other academic units such as plant sciences, geography/environmental studies and geological sciences at NMSU by supporting joint coursework or shared initiatives.
Nationally there is a trend among peer institutions to update their civil engineering departments’ names to reflect growing attention toward environmental issues; both University of New Mexico and New Mexico Institute of Technology have adopted similar changes.
David Jáuregui, interim dean of NMSU’s College of Engineering commented: “The transition to the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering reflects not only the academic strengths of the program but also the national-scale research leadership that supports NMSU’s R1 mission. Our environmental engineering faculty play central roles in major initiatives such as ReNUWIt, the National Alliance for Water Innovation and the New Mexico Produced Water Research Consortium. These efforts elevate NMSU’s research profile while advancing solutions in water reuse, desalination,and produced-water management that are essential to New Mexico,the southwest,and thenation.”
From an employment perspective,the revised name matches workforce classifications used by employers,national organizations,and licensing agencies.This makes it easier for graduates’ qualifications to be recognized professionally,either as civil or environmental engineers.
According to Newtson,data show that including an explicit focus on environmental engineering may help attract a more diverse student population.“We see this as an opportunity to broaden interest in engineering while continuing our commitment to inclusive excellence,” he said.
No administrative or structural changes accompany this transition.The goal is better communication about departmental strengths,honoring history,and positioning for continued growth at all levels.
New Mexico State University operates as a public land-grant research university serving diverse communities across New Mexico through education,research,and outreach programs.Its main campus covers 900 acres in Las Cruces,with additional campuses,statewide extension offices,research centers,and collaborations with national organizations such as Sandia National Laboratories,NASA,and Los Alamos National Laboratory.NMSU enrolls over 14,000 students from all 50 statesand nearly 90 countries.It offers more than 180 degree programs and maintains specialized accreditationsfor various disciplines.
