University at Albany, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering

About the Department

The Department of Environmental and Sustainable Engineering (ESE) was launched in 2017 with the arrival of its founding chair, Professor Yanna Liang. ESE joined Computer Science and Electrical and Computer Engineering in our growing CEAS family and has taken us in new directions as it expands our academic footprint. The BS in Environmental and Sustainable Engineering was officially approved by New York State Education Department in Spring 2019. The MS and PhD programs are moving through the NYS approval process. Please check back from time to time to see our progress.

The scope of this department examines environmental protection ranging in scale from local to global. Environmental engineers apply scientific and engineering principles to the protection of human populations from adverse environmental factors, as well as the protection of environments from the negative impact of natural disasters and/or human activity, and the general improvement of environmental quality. Focus areas of environmental engineering include waste water management, air pollution control and mitigation, recycling of materials and waste management, radiation protection, industrial hygiene, environmental sustainability (including infrastructure design for sustainability), public health, and environmental law.

Over the 2014-2024 time period, the New York State Department of Labor projects a growth of nearly 21%, and the US Department of Labor projects more than 12%, in environmental engineering positions. The overall employment outlook is classified as “Very Favorable.”

Our department’s scope is rare, if not unique, in that we explicitly include a focus on sustainable use and design of natural and engineered environments. This department aligns with our college’s view that engineering is “science in service to society.” “In order to serve society better, we must embrace the concept of sustainability,” says Dr. Yanna Liang, professor and founding chair.