Environmental Engineering Moves Up to #8 in U.S. News Rankings

Not only did the Environmental Engineering program at Yale make it into this year’s top 10 of the U.S. News & World Report’s Graduate Engineering Rankings for the seventh year in a row, it has moved up a spot.

The rankings, which were released today, list the program as 8th best in the U.S. (tied with MIT). 

“Environmental Engineering’s consistently high placement in the ranking reflects the first-tier caliber of research and faculty in this department, as well as the impact they’re having on a worldwide basis,” said Jeffrey Brock, dean of the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science. “In a short time, it has produced deeply impactful and highly cited research crucial to the betterment of our world, on topics including water purification, air quality, and the transmission of illnesses.” 

Drew Gentner, associate professor of chemical & environmental engineering, credited the program’s success in part to the faculty’s diversity of research and their willingness to engage other fields of study.

"The program fosters a dynamic group of researchers that bring creative and multidisciplinary approaches to research in Environmental Engineering, and in forward-looking collaborations across the Yale community to explore timely, emerging topics that impact humans, the environment, and the planet."

John Fortner, associate professor of chemical & environmental engineering, called the distinction “a reflection of the program’s dedication to excellence and impact at all levels.” 

Several of the program’s faculty have leading roles in large centers and initiatives, such as NAWI, NEWT, and SEARCH. They also hold important editorial positions at many of the field’s leading journals. 

And this year, the program is growing, as Lea R. Winter joins the program as assistant professor of chemical & environmental engineering. The program now has seven full-time faculty: Jaehong Kim (department chair), Menachem Elimelech, Julie Zimmerman, Drew Gentner, Jordan Peccia, John Fortner, and Lea R. Winter.

Guided by Yale’s global perspective, the program began in 1998 as an interdisciplinary program within the Department of Chemical Engineering and was designed to focus on areas of major importance to the earth's future and build on institutional strengths in environmental, biological, and engineering sciences. In 2010, the department was renamed the Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering to more accurately reflect the scope of the research and the degree offerings.