The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education approved today two new majors for Indiana University of Pennsylvania: a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering and a PhD in Business.
“Both of these programs address critical workforce needs for our commonwealth, our nation and our world,” IUP President Michael Driscoll said. “These degrees draw on IUP's established expertise in these disciplines, which includes a cadre of faculty with both research and real-world experience. These high-quality programs offer an affordable opportunity for talented students to enter, and succeed, in these important professions.”
The Environmental Engineering program involves faculty in the departments of Chemistry, Geoscience, and Physics in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics; the Department of Safety Sciences in the College of Health and Human Services; and the Department of Geography and Regional Planning in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Environmental engineers work to minimize the impact of human development and technology on the natural world. IUP's program combines a solid grounding in college-level basic sciences and mathematics with environmental engineering and technical courses.
According to the US Bureau of Labor, employment of environmental engineers is concentrated in five states, with California leading the way followed by Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, and Texas. The 2022 employment projections from the Pennsylvania Center for Workforce Information and Analysis indicate the labor market for environmental engineers is growing and that demand is greater than supply. Industries hiring individuals with environmental engineering training will grow more than 20 percent during this same period.
“This new degree is the logical next step as we continue to build our programs, and leverage the excellence and experience of our faculty,” Deanne Snavely, dean of the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, said. “We also are drawing on the expertise of our alumni who are leaders in this career field to develop a program that truly prepares our graduates for success. Their advice and guidance has been extremely valuable.”
Members of the IUP Environmental Engineering Advisory Board include:
- Charles Bove, a 1985 geology graduate, president of Visita Environmental Consulting in Lafayette, California
- Ellen Cobb, a 1984 chemistry graduate, an environmental engineer with International Paper in Suffolk, Virginia
- Barry Franz, a 1976 geology major with Geology Diversified Consulting LLC, in Maineville, Ohio
- Mary Guinee, a 1984 environmental science major, vice president with Civil and Environmental Consultants Inc. in Pittsburgh
- Nancy Kralik, a 1974 biology graduate, director of HSE Engineering and Sustainably for Fluor in Houston, Texas
- Barbara Kutchko, a 1997 geology graduate, from National Energy Technology Laboratory in Pittsburgh
- Dale Skoff, a 1978 geology graduate, senior project manager, Tetra Tech Inc. in Mars
- David Tourdot, a 1975 safety sciences graduate, vice president for Penn E&R in Pittsburgh
- Steve Zbur, 1985 geology graduate, president and owner, CORE Environmental in Gibsonia
Two certified engineers have joined the IUP faculty to be part of this degree program: Hao Tang, a member of the IUP Department of Chemistry, an environmental engineer; and Sajad Hamidi, a member of the IUP Department of Physics, a civil engineer. Tang's research focus is on water chemistry and water and wastewater treatment. Hamidi's research is environmental fluid dynamics, water resource engineering, physical oceanography, biogeochemical modeling in lakes and coastal areas, and anthropogenic influences on natural resources.
A major component in the curriculum for the environmental engineering program is the culminating engineering project. Unique project problems, created through consultation with members of the Environmental Engineering Advisory Board or other external industrial partners, will be assigned to each student. Through this process, students will gain experience working with “clients” who will assist in developing the project problem, placing constraints on the possible solutions, and evaluating the student's final work.
The program is designed to meet standards for accreditation by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology during the 2022–23 comprehensive review.
The program is open for enrollment in fall 2017. More information is available on the IUP website.
The PhD in Business is designed for experienced business professionals in western Pennsylvania. It is offered in a weekend, part-time, cohort-based format for working professionals in the Pittsburgh region and includes two years of coursework, a comprehensive examination, and a dissertation. Coursework will be offered at IUP's Penn Center in Pittsburgh.
“The IUP PhD in Business is the first one in our region to enable full-time working professionals to complete their doctorate in a convenient and cost effective format, and enable them to transition into doctorally qualified academics in universities for which there is a growing demand,” Robert Camp, dean of the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology, said.
“The goal of the program is to meet the needs of experienced business or management professionals who want to advance their educational credentials with a high-quality, rigorous doctoral program in order to become current in their business discipline, build advanced research and teaching skill sets, and transition to academic careers in universities or advanced research careers in business and industry,” he said.
According to AACSB International, the premier business accrediting body worldwide, there is a shortage of doctorally qualified faculty. Through its innovative format, the new program seeks to alleviate that shortage by enabling more business professionals to transition into an academic career. The PhD in Business is housed in the AACSB-accredited Eberly College.
The central theme of the learning experience in this applied doctoral program is the transformation of the “practicing professional” to a “scholarly practitioner.” The program, courses, and projects will build/update the theoretical developments in their field of expertise while developing rigorous applied research competencies. In addition to senior faculty in the Eberly College, members of the Department of Economics will be part of the teaching team.
Members of the Eberly College Business Advisory Council will continue to be engaged with this program.
The program will begin to enroll its first cohort of students in 2018. After that, new cohorts will enroll biennially during even years. Interested students and employers can find more information about the PhD program on the IUP website.