Environmental Engineering
Treavor Boyer
About this opportunity
The Environmental Engineering program educates tomorrow’s engineers to solve complex environmental problems and design systems at the human, urban, and planetary scale. Barrett students majoring in Environmental Engineering (EVE) have the opportunity to pursue research in areas such as air quality and air pollution control technology; fate and transport of pollutants; sustainable design principles; solid waste management systems; hazardous waste containment systems; water and wastewater treatment systems; contaminated soil, sediment, and water; and water quality, water conservation, and water reuse. Most upper-division EVE courses are offered for honors credit through the honors contract. Students wishing to receive honors credit should confer with the course instructor at the beginning of the semester in order to develop a mutually acceptable plan for the honors contract activity. Most honors contracts involve either a project that extends the ideas and techniques covered in the course or outside research on topics relevant to the course work. Any Barrett student who is considering majoring in Environmental Engineering should contact the lead FHA.
Thesis
The honors thesis should represent independent research by the student or a small team of students under the guidance of a mentor. Honors thesis research in Environmental Engineering can be lab based, field oriented, computational, or other mode. The honors thesis in Environmental Engineering requires two committee members: the faculty mentor and one additional reader. The mentor will normally be a regular faculty member in Environmental Engineering at ASU, but adjunct faculty, faculty associates, or other qualified professionals including graduate students may serve as reader on the thesis committee. The honors research must be work performed above and beyond the normal coursework required for the Environmental Engineering BSE degree. The senior capstone design project or other projects done as a normal part of a course are not eligible to be used as honors thesis research.
Academic Preparation
Students in Environmental Engineering complete their thesis research and other thesis requirements during their senior year. The scope of the thesis research is agreed upon by the student and faculty mentor. Ideally the student will have prior undergraduate research experience before beginning their thesis research. The Fulton Undergraduate Research Initiative (FURI) is an excellent program for gaining research experience. Students completing the honors thesis in Environmental Engineering will enroll in EVE 492/EVE 493 during their senior year.
Recommended Timeline
Students should use their freshmen and sophomore years to meet and interact with faculty in Environmental Engineering. Completing honors contracts in EVE courses is one way to do this. Students should aim to start an undergraduate research project their junior year in preparation for their thesis research in their senior year. Students should have finalized plans for their honors thesis including faculty mentor, second committee member, and research topic and scope by the end of their junior year and no later than the start of their senior year. The thesis research and other thesis requirements are completed during the senior year including registering for EVE 492/EVE 493.
Other Honors Opportunities
Honors enrichment contracts are available for all EVE courses. Students should talk to their instructor. Most honors contracts involve either a project that extends the ideas and techniques covered in the course or outside research on topics relevant to the course work. Students have the responsibility to apply for the honors contract through the Barrett Honors College. The Honors College contacts the instructor to approve the contract only after the student has initiated the process. Barrett students may use EVE 492 and EVE 493 as technical electives that count towards the BSE degree in Environmental Engineering. Up to six (6) total credits of EVE 492/EVE 493 may be used as Technical Elective credit.