Carnegie Mellon University
May 01, 2013

Press Release: Carnegie Mellon Selected David A. Dzombak To Head Civil and Environmental Engineering Department

Contact: Chriss Swaney / 412-268-5776 / swaney@andrew.cmu.edu

David DzombakPITTSBURGH—Carnegie Mellon University has named David A. Dzombak to head its Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), effective Aug. 1. He succeeds James H. Garrett, Jr., who in December 2012 was named dean of CMU’s top-ranked College of Engineering. CEE acting head Irving Oppenheim will continue to lead the department until Dzombak assumes his duties.

“I’m pleased and honored to be named head of such a dynamic and pioneering department, and look forward to working with CEE’s talented and innovative faculty, staff and students on bringing new solutions to global infrastructure challenges through education and research,” said Dzombak, the Walter J. Blenko, Sr. University Professor at CMU.

Since Nov. 1, 2012, Dzombak has been serving as interim vice provost of Sponsored Programs at CMU, and will be helping with the transition to the soon-to-be-announced permanent appointee for that position. His experience with sponsored programs and research compliance will be helpful in forging new collaborative relationships between the College of Engineering and these important administrative units.

“Professor Dzombak is an internationally recognized expert in environmental engineering, and his experience in both professional and public service will be an asset as he joins the college leadership team as the new department head of Civil and Environmental Engineering,” said Garrett, the Thomas Lord Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. “His reputation for high quality research, passion for teaching undergrads and graduates, commitment to professional service and collegiality make him an excellent choice for this position.”

An accomplished researcher and educator, Dzombak is in his 25th year as a member of the CEE faculty, starting as an assistant professor in 1989 and advancing through the academic ranks to full professor. In 2010, Dzombak was elected a University Professor, the highest academic distinction a faculty member can achieve at CMU. He served as associate dean for Graduate and Faculty Affairs in the College of Engineering from 2006-2010. Since 2007, he also has served as faculty director of the Steinbrenner Institute for Environmental Education and Research. He was Faculty Senate Chair for the 2006-2007 academic year and the College of Engineering Faculty Chair for the 2002-2003 school year.

He has published more than 100 articles in leading environmental engineering and science journals, book chapters, newspaper and magazine articles, op-ed pieces and three books. He is a registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania and a board certified environmental engineer by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers. He has a wide range of consulting experience with both public and private organizations.

Dzombak currently is a member of the EPA Science Advisory Board, and chair of the board of directors of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors Foundation. He’s been a member of various EPA Science Advisory Board committees since 2002, and a member or chair of several National Research Council committees since 2000. He has served on editorial boards for three journals, and as a member or chair of numerous other professional societies, state and local committees. He has served in various advisory roles for Saint Vincent College since 1990, and was elected to its board of directors in 2012.

A recipient of numerous honors and awards, Dzombak was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2008. He is a fellow of the Water Environment Federation and the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Dzombak holds a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Saint Vincent College (1980), bachelor’s (1980) and master’s (1981) degrees in civil engineering from CMU, and a Ph.D. (1986) in civil engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He is married to Carolyn Menard and they have three grown children.    
          
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An accomplished researcher and educator, David Dzombak (pictured above) is in his 25th year as a member of the CEE faculty, starting as an assistant professor in 1989 and advancing through the academic ranks to full professor. In 2010, Dzombak was elected a University Professor, the highest academic distinction a faculty member can achieve at CMU.