We live in a time when no part of the natural environment is untouched by human activities. Great strides have been made in addressing many of the natural resources and environmental problems caused by human activities; however, population growth and rising standards of living continue to stress the natural environment and generate a spectrum of environmental problems that need to be solved.

Environmental engineers are called upon to understand, arrange and manipulate biological, chemical, ecological, economic, hydrological, physical and social processes to balance our material needs with our impacts on the environment. Such are the challenges of sustainability, while global climate makes these tasks all the more important.

At Cornell, environmental engineering majors pursue these challenges in a joint program of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and College of Engineering.

Environmental Engineering News

A wide aerial view of a calm lake surrounded by rolling hills in autumn colors. Golden trees line the shoreline in the foreground, and the sky above is filled with dramatic clouds reflecting on the water’s surface.

News

Environmental DNA breakthrough will aid conservation efforts

Researchers developed a new model that can predict where a sampled particle of eDNA likely originated in a water body.

  • Cornell Atkinson
  • Biological and Environmental Engineering
  • Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
Car submerged under flooding waters

News

Physics-based models should be supplemented with AI hydrological models rather than relying on site-specific estimates, researchers find.

  • Biological and Environmental Engineering
  • Climate Change
  • Water
Students holding hands crossing a creek

News

International summer experiences sent groups of students abroad to pursue their personal and professional goals. At the Nov. 19 International Research Showcase, they'll share their work with the Cornell community.

  • Biological and Environmental Engineering