Engineering and Design for Sustainability
With expertise in energy and water conservation, sustainable natural resource use, and adaptation to environmental variability and change, the UA is known around the world for its work in engineering, architecture, and planning. UA faculty specializing in these fields are advancing the development of technical and design solutions for many current and future environmental problems that loom in the U.S. Southwest and other semiarid and arid regions of the globe. The UA has exceptionally strong engineering skills in water supply, wastewater reclamation and water reuse, and water resource management. The UA’s internationally respected Center for Environmentally Benign Semiconductor Manufacturing provides national leadership in green engineering. UA architecture, landscape architecture, and planning combine new technologies with cultural traditions, innovative design principles, and leading-edge environmental research to envision sustainable arid communities of the future. Drawing upon its vast pool of talent, the UA is fast becoming a national green campus leader.
As the frequency, severity, and duration of flood and drought regimes change, engineering practices and innovative solutions must effectively adapt to and address climate risks. UA civil engineers have developed dynamic simulation models that allow decision makers and concerned citizens to examine the implications of changing populations, water use, and climate factors, and are also at the forefront of research to develop methods, designs, and practices to help water and emergency managers cope with environmental changes that will affect water resources.
UA chemical and environmental engineering research is leading the field in studying emerging contaminant substances, how they affect human health, and the development of new wastewater treatments and technologies that allow urban and municipal planners to anticipate public safety needs and adapt to changing climate and environmental conditions. Other UA research is focused on finding technological solutions to address the reciprocal effects of the built environment and climate change.
Research
