New Major Could Stimulate Local Economy

By Kevin Lizarazo

Next year, incoming freshman and other Stony Brook University students interested in engineering now have another major to add to their list of choices: Civil Engineering. Announced for the fall of 2012, the major “will prepare students with a breadth and depth in the technical knowledge” of various engineering fields.

Dr. Fu-Pen Chiang, chairperson of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, said that the major will help job prospects for those in Long Island as well as stimulating the local economy. “We are serving a need to help local civil engineering companies as well as the Department of Transportation,” he said, after noting that such organizations have to hire civil engineers from outside of Long Island.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, civil engineers are responsible for the design and supervision of roads, buildings, airports, tunnels, damns, bridges, and water and sewage systems. It is considered one of the oldest engineering disciplines.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reports that civil engineers have a projected 24 percent employment growth rate over the next 10 years – or an additional 67,600 jobs — due to population growth and the demand for national infrastructure improvement. This growth is “much faster than the average for all occupations,” as stated in the Bureau’s Occupational Outlook Handbook.

The Bachelors of Engineering degree in civil engineering contains four possible tracks: Transportation Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Environmental Engineering and Structural Engineering.

The major, which is part of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, will expect students to complete courses in chemistry, physics, math, and engineering. Senior year civil engineering students will complete a two-semester design project under supervision.

Dr. Chad Korach, the undergraduate program director for the new major, is excited about the new major: “It’s an important major for us to have,” he said, adding that it can open up new possibilities for engineering students.

Matthew Carrara, a 20-year old mechanical engineering student from Rocky Point, felt that the major was long overdue. “Honestly, it’s one of the most fundamental types of engineering,” he said, also expressing that he feels the new major will be a good thing for the university.