Vision
Faculty and staff in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering are committed to fostering an inclusive environment. We strive to recruit and retain a high quality, diverse community of students, faculty, and staff.
Mission
The Department will collaborate with the College of Engineering and the University in developing and implementing activities and policies designed to recruit and assist underrepresented faculty, staff, and students in their personal development and academic/professional achievements.
Overarching Goals:
– Increase the population within the Department of historically underrepresented groups in civil and environmental engineering by:
-Promoting educational/professional opportunities and enrichment activities to disseminate best practices in diversity and inclusion of students, faculty, and staff through organized activities and collaborative efforts.
-Creating programs that provide access and establish connections departmentally and across campus for students, faculty, and staff, in traditionally underrepresented groups.
-Exposing individuals from historically excluded groups to research opportunities.
-Mentoring students, faculty, and staff, from traditionally underrepresented groups/at-risk individuals, to provide guidance needed to help ensure their environment for work, research and/or study is welcoming and positive, to identify university resources when needed for retention, and to serve as transformative role models for those who may not yet understand their real potential in a university environment.
– Enrich the departmental environment through exposure to new perspectives on cultures, beliefs, practices, tolerance, acceptance, and a welcoming climate.
– Provide leadership in any capacity that tangibly promotes an environment where diversity is welcomed, fostered, and celebrated.
Zach Boykin Camden, SC Construction Engineering and Management “Participating in the New Horizons program has enabled me to become a better writer. With some of the other scholars within the program, we have established a weekly writing group, which helps me set goals.” 
Emily Jannace Long Island, NY Transportation Infrastructure and Systems Engineering “New Horizons has been a beneficial part of my graduate career. It has offered multiple personal and professional experiences, as well as, mentorship.” 
Wendell Grinton Harmony, North Carolina Construction Engineering and Mangaement “Being a member of NHGS has helped me to improve my reading methods, writing skills, expand my network, increase my professional development, and grow as a leader.” 
Kathryn Lopez Miami, FL Environmental and Water Resources “Through workshops and seminars, this program has enhanced my professional development as well as expanded my professional network.” 
Kaleigh Yost Princeton, NJ Geotechnical Engineering “Participating in the New Horizon program has allowed me to make connections with students in other disciplines and has helped me develop the skills necessary to be successful as a graduate student and future academic.”
2018/2019 CEE Diversity Committee:
Please feel free to contact any committee members about departmental diversity initiatives.
Gerardo Flintsch – Chair, flintsch@vt.edu
Lindy Cranwell, lindycra@vt.edu
Madeleine Flint, mflint@vt.edu
Susan Hotle, shotle3@vt.edu
Roberto Leon, rleon@vt.edu
Sunil Sinha, ssinha@vt.edu
Nina Stark, ninas@vt.edu