The Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering aims to build the next generation of scholars and researchers exploring solutions to some of today's most pressing civil and environmental engineering issues, such as clean water access, traffic congestion, improving the crash-worthiness of cars and the design of highway bridges. Students can expect to work closely with a faculty advisor in their chosen research area to create a curriculum plan and guidance for the doctoral dissertation. Students be also be expected to teach introductory-level courses to undergraduates, present conference papers and work with faculty on research grant applications. Top research areas of the department: Environmental engineering, Geoenvironmental engineering, Mechanics and materials engineering, Structural engineering, Transportation engineering, Water resources engineering. The Department collaborates with several entities throughout the greater D.C. metropolitan area for research, including: Center for Intelligence Systems Research (CISR), Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay Watershed, National Crash Analysis Center