Message From The Chair

Department of Civil Engineering and Construction Management

Welcome to the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering and Management at The University of Texas at Tyler. I am pleased to welcome you and invite you to explore our department through this website.

Our department is committed to excellence in education, research, and service. We prepare our students for successful careers in civil engineering, construction engineering, and construction management, disciplines that play a vital role in shaping the infrastructure and built environment of our communities. As part of an R2 research university, we emphasize both high-quality teaching and meaningful research that creates impact at the local, regional, and national levels.

Over the past several years, our department has continued to grow and evolve. In addition to our long standing Civil Engineering and Construction Management programs, we launched a Construction Engineering undergraduate degree that strengthens the connection between design and construction practice. We have also introduced a Master’s degree in Engineering Leadership, designed to prepare engineers for leadership and management roles in an increasingly complex and interdisciplinary profession.

Our faculty continue to achieve significant success in externally funded research, securing record levels of new grants and contracts. These efforts support innovation, advance knowledge, and provide our students with opportunities to engage in applied research alongside faculty mentors. A key component of this work is the Texas Rural Transportation Research Center, which serves as a hub for research and collaboration focused on transportation infrastructure, mobility, and safety, with particular attention to the needs of rural and underserved communities.

Most recently, our department formalized a Memorandum of Understanding with the City of Tyler, establishing a long-term collaborative partnership focused on transportation and infrastructure initiatives. This MOU represents a meaningful step forward for both the City and the University. It provides our students with hands-on learning opportunities through internships, course-based projects, and applied research tied directly to real-world challenges faced by the City. At the same time, it allows the City of Tyler to benefit from UT Tyler’s academic and research expertise in areas such as infrastructure assessment, traffic modeling, smart transportation systems, and sustainable pavement design.

This partnership aligns strongly with all three pillars of the UT Tyler Strategic Plan. It advances our mission to serve East Texas by beginning with service to the community that hosts our main campus. It supports student success by offering experiential learning opportunities and encouraging graduates to build their careers locally. It also enhances teaching excellence by giving faculty direct access to real infrastructure challenges, enabling research-driven solutions and the integration of real-world case studies into the classroom.

Our students continue to distinguish themselves through academic and extracurricular excellence. The ASCE Concrete Canoe Team achieved a sixth-place national finish, the highest placement of any Texas institution in the competition’s history. This accomplishment reflects the talent, dedication, and collaborative spirit of our students.

Our alumni remain among the most successful and highest compensated graduates within the University of Texas System. Their achievements speak to the quality of education they received and the strong professional preparation provided by our programs.

These accomplishments reflect the momentum and vitality of our department. We remain dedicated to delivering a world-class education, advancing impactful research, and fostering strong partnerships with industry, government, and our community.

I encourage you to explore our website to learn more about our academic programs, faculty, research initiatives, and student opportunities. Whether you are a prospective student, current student, parent, alum, industry partner, or colleague, we welcome your interest and engagement.

Thank you for visiting the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering and Management at UT Tyler. Please feel free to reach out with any questions. We look forward to continuing to build, innovate, and serve together.

Sincerely,
Mena I. Souliman, Ph.D., P.E., F.IRF.
Chair and Associate Professor

Ronald D. Brazzel Endowed Professor of Civil Engineering
Distinguished Teaching Professor