About
We prepare leaders who build communities, strengthen infrastructure and protect the environment.
Where Impact Takes Shape
NC State’s Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering is where engineering meets innovation. We offer a modern, hands-on environment for engineers ready to push boundaries and build what matters. As one of the nation’s largest and most respected CCEE programs, we combine world-class facilities and accomplished faculty with a people-centered culture that enables students to chart their own course and create lasting, real-world change from day one.
Our students turn ideas into action — designing resilient infrastructure, protecting natural resources and advancing sustainable solutions in communities near and far. Through cutting-edge labs, fieldwork and strong industry partnerships, they gain the skills to strengthen communities in North Carolina and beyond.
Creating Solutions, Together
At CCEE, engineering is a shared pursuit. We believe no challenge is too big when we approach it with curiosity, collaboration and a commitment to serving our communities. Faculty, students and alumni work closely together, creating a people-first environment where relationships drive learning and innovation — and where every voice matters.
That spirit translates into real results. With more than 120 years of engineering leadership, over 270 research projects underway and FE pass rates that consistently exceed national averages, our department pairs experience with momentum. Backed by strong industry partnerships across North Carolina and a community where most students gain paid co-op or internship experience, CCEE gives future engineers the knowledge, practice and confidence to drive progress that makes a difference.
A 225,000-square-foot
incubator for innovation.
We call it home.
A Brief History of Our Department
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1895: Department of Civil Engineering and Mathematics Established
The university created the Department of Civil Engineering and Mathematics, drawing on mechanics courses first taught in 1889. Civil engineer Wallace C. Riddick, later university president and founding dean of engineering, became the department’s first professor.
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1906-1920: Department of Civil Engineering Formed
The department became the standalone Department of Civil Engineering, awarding its first professional degree to Caroll Lamb Mann, who would later serve as department head. Winston Hall opened in 1910, and in 1920 the State College of Civil Engineering Society was inducted into the North Carolina Society of Civil Engineers.
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1921-1930: A Decade of Growth
Undergraduate specialties expanded, the School of Engineering was created, the first civil engineering master’s degree was awarded and a new civil engineering building opened near the 1911 building. The Associated General Contractors of America granted its first student chapter charter during this period.
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1931-1948: Pre-War, Wartime and Post-War Developments
NC State published the state’s first North Carolina building code in 1931, led by Professor Wilfred George Geile. The civil engineering curriculum earned accreditation in 1936. World War II caused enrollment declines and the temporary suspension of degree specialties, but a consolidated civil engineering curriculum returned in 1947.
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1949-1962: Progress and New Growth
Under department head Ralph Fadum, NC State awarded its first civil engineering degree to a woman, launched the Industrial Extension Program to support North Carolina industry, expanded the civil engineering building (renamed Mann Hall), and awarded its first civil engineering Ph.D.
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1963-1975: An Engine of North Carolina’s Economy
With leaders Charles R. Bramer and Donald L. Dean, the department strengthened its role in state industry. Retired Brig. Gen. Richard Jewett launched a construction extension program in 1964, later expanded by Ray DeBruhl to deliver short courses and studies for construction associations and public agencies, including the North Carolina Department of Transportation.
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1976-1990: Growing Recognition, Continued Expansion
Alumnus Colonel William “Bill” D. Alexander III received the Distinguished Alumni Award in 1976 for his engineering work on the Apollo program. Academic offerings grew, including the return of the construction engineering graduate specialty in 1978 and the creation of the construction management degree in 1985. Paul Zia became department head in 1979, and the annual Zia Lecture now honors his legacy.
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1991-2000: Innovation and Collaboration
Professor Ajaya Gupta founded the Center for Nuclear Power Plant Structures in 1991, later renamed the Center for Nuclear Energy Facilities and Structures, earning global recognition for nuclear safety research. The construction engineering and management degree was established in 1995. In 1996, the department expanded into the Constructed Facilities Laboratory, enabling groundbreaking testing of structural systems under extreme conditions.
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2001-Present: Becoming the Department We Are Today
After 9/11, the department launched new courses and research focused on protecting civil infrastructure and transportation systems. In 2003, it became the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering, reflecting its broadened scope. A new environmental lab opened in 2006, and in 2020 the department moved into Fitts-Woolard Hall, a state-of-the-art hub for collaboration and research. In 2022, Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson was named department head and, as of February 2025, holds the title of Twisdale Family Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering Department Head.
