D. Vaughan Griffiths named department head for Civil and Environmental Engineering
Griffiths previously served as associate department head
D. Vaughan Griffiths has been named department head for Civil and Environmental Engineering at Colorado School of Mines.
Griffiths is a professor of civil and environmental engineering and previously served as associate department head. He began the new role on July 1.
The Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department currently offers three undergraduate degree programs – civil engineering, environmental engineering and construction engineering – as well as Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in civil and environmental engineering and environmental engineering science.
Griffiths noted that “graduates from CEE will be in great demand due to Mines’ stellar reputation and the overall shortage of qualified engineers in the workforce. We expect to continue our growth in what we can offer students and I look forward to leading the department to further success.”
The department is also home to several research centers: the Center for Underground Construction & Tunneling, University Transportation Center for Underground Transportation Infrastructure, Advanced Water Technology Center, Center for Environmental Risk Assessment, Center for Experimental Study of Subsurface Environmental Processes and ConocoPhillips Center for a Sustainable WE2ST.
Recent successes include top honors for the ASCE student chapter at the ASCE Timber-Strong Design Build Competition, advancement of processes to remove and destroy PFAS and development of earthquake-proof lateral system for tall wood buildings.
Griffiths said he plans to focus on the department’s growth in enrollment, especially in the new construction engineering degree program and the department’s master’s degree programs.
Griffiths is a professionally licensed civil engineer in the state of Colorado and a distinguished member of the American Society of Civil Engineers. He has won numerous awards and honors, including a Fulbright Distinguished Chair award in 2023 for research in Australia. Griffiths holds three degrees (BSc, PhD and DSc) from the University of Manchester, UK and an MS degree from University of California, Berkeley, where he was recently inducted into their Academy of Distinguished Alumni.
About Mines
Colorado School of Mines is a public R1 research university focused on applied science and engineering, producing the talent, knowledge and innovations to serve industry and benefit society – all to create a more prosperous future.
