Fall 2021
“Our marine ecosystem is under pressure from climate change from our long reliance on fossil fuels and that’s gonna take a lot of work to figure out how to get off those fossil fuels,” said Kristen Davis, associate professor, speaking to a reporter from the Weather Channel, after an estimated 25,000 gallons of crude oil leaked from an offshore pipeline into the ocean near Huntington Beach.
Chair's Message
Climate change has become an undeniable fact and a constant in our daily lives. The raging fires, extreme heat, sea level rise, drought and flash flooding happening all around us call for immediate action. All of us must use our human intelligence to combat the changing climate and save humanity. In this issue of the CEE newsletter, I bring your attention to the various actions of CEE faculty and students in investigating, managing and mitigating the effects of climate change. You will find more stories featuring CEE faculty on the California Climate Crisis and Solutions website. Climate change is everyone’s responsibility; CEE@UCI is committed to doing our part to slow the process and protect our planet. 

Sincerely,
Sunny Jiang
Professor and Chair
NSF Funds UCI Project to Study Post-wildfire Mudslides and Flooding
Wildfires in California can cause immediate, catastrophic damage, but the risk to communities often persists long after the flames have been doused.
Lemnitzer Leads Recon Team to Flood-ravaged Areas in Western Europe
Record rainfall triggered devastating and deadly flooding in Western Europe this past summer.
Banerjee Establishes International ‘Network of Networks’ on Wildfire Research
The National Science Foundation has approved $250,000 in funding for iFireNet, an international network of networks designed to catalyze and accelerate research on the prediction and management of wildland fires.
UCI Environmental Engineers Work to Detect Viruses in Wastewater
UC Irvine environmental engineers are leading a cross-regional, multilaboratory effort to find the best virus monitoring methods in wastewaters that are treated for reuse.
Bhumi Tandel’s Quest for Sustainability
A fourth-year civil and environmental engineering major specializing in hydrology and water resources, Bhumi Tandel is passionate about the environment and sustainability.
Professor Emeritus Gary Guymon Served on Faculty for 20 Years
UC Irvine Professor Emeritus Gary Guymon died Sept. 3, 2021, at his home in Montrose, Colorado, just two months before his 86th birthday.
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering | (949) 824-5333 | [email protected] | Website