Environmental engineering science

Focuses of EES

Just as in every other job force as well as other given topics –everything from business to engineering– has various forms of specialization for different tasks, EES is the same in that there are many different concentrations in their work:

1. Water Quality and Resources:
   1. In essence, its water quality largely refers to the fact that there is so much to the chemical, physical and biological makeup of water itself, even though it might not seem like it. And each aspect of that is included in water is held to a certain standard that allows it to be labeled as "safe" and whether it goes to water reserves for drinking or is used for other purposes such as agriculture. It is the job of the people in EES to make sure that the water is up to the specific and designated quality that it needs to be, and when it is not, oftentimes this is the cause of a contaminant or a pollutant, it is their job to figure out what the issue with the water quality is and fix it.
2. Air Quality and Pollution Control:
   1. Air quality and pollution control is very similar to the previous branch of water quality. That said, this branch is majorly involved with the monitoring and modeling and mitigating of atmospheric contaminants, especially that of pollution. It aims at protecting public health and the ecosystems surrounding us by reducing emissions, fighting climate change, and by certifying the air quality is within regulatory compliance.
3. Waste Management and Remediation:
   1. This sub-category is exactly as is sounds – waste management. When it comes to solid waste, and more importantly, hazardous waste this sector is in charge of its removal as well as the remediation of the site or area as well, just to make sure that all of the hazardous contaminant is removed. All of this to make the area safer and healthier for humans as well as animals that live in the areas. Although this is the major aspect of the process, it can also include the cleaning and removal in areas like groundwater, rocks, and even the air, in addition to the soil.
4. Sustainability and Environmental Impact:
   1. In short, this branch of EES manages our relationship with the planet, making sure that we are using our resources responsibly, hoping that the consumption and use of resources is good for both humans and our environment. It aims to avoid the depletion of natural resources and leave the planet better than we found it for the future generations that have yet to come. They promote the construction of green buildings, and develop new methods of renewable energy, in addition to fixing the old ways that we already have in place.
5. Systems Modeling and Analysis:
   1. This area of EES uses collected data to analyze issues that our surroundings and environment might have, and simultaneously developing new methods for environmental improvement.

Description at universities

Stanford University

Stanford University describes the EES major and related activities below:

The Civil and Environmental Engineering department at Stanford University provides the following description for their program in Environmental Engineering and Science: The Environmental Engineering and Science (EES) program focuses on the chemical and biological processes involved in water quality engineering, water and air pollution, remediation and hazardous substance control, human exposure to pollutants, environmental biotechnology, and environmental protection.

UC Berkeley

The College of Engineering at UC Berkeley defines Environmental Engineering Science, including the following:

This is a multidisciplinary field requiring an integration of physical, chemical and biological principles with engineering analysis for environmental protection and restoration. The program incorporates courses from many departments on campus to create a discipline that is rigorously based in science and engineering, while addressing a wide variety of environmental issues. Although an environmental engineering option exists within the civil engineering major, the engineering science curriculum provides a more broadly based foundation in the sciences than is possible in civil engineering

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

At MIT, the major is described in their curriculum, including the following:

The Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering Science emphasizes the fundamental physical, chemical, and biological processes necessary for understanding the interactions between man and the environment. Issues considered include the provision of clean and reliable water supplies, flood forecasting and protection, development of renewable and nonrenewable energy sources, causes and implications of climate change, and the impact of human activities on natural cycles

University of Florida

The College of Engineering at UF defines Environmental Engineering Science as follows:

The broad undergraduate environmental engineering curriculum of EES has earned the department a ranking as a leading undergraduate program. The ABET accredited engineering bachelor's degree is comprehensively based on physical, chemical, and biological principles to solve environmental problems affecting air, land, and water resources. An advising scheme including select faculty, led by the undergraduate coordinator, guides each student through the program.

The program educational objectives of the EES program at the University of Florida are to produce engineering practitioners and graduate students who 3-5 years after graduation:

Continue to learn, develop and apply their knowledge and skills to identify, prevent, and solve environmental problems. Have careers that benefit society as a result of their educational experiences in science, engineering analysis and design, as well as in their social and cultural studies.

Communicate and work effectively in all work settings including those that are multidisciplinary.

Lower division coursework

Lower division coursework in this field requires the student to take several laboratory-based classes in calculus-based physics, physics (the most important of sub-categories being mechanics and electromagnetism), chemistry, biology, programming and analysis. This is intended to give the student background information in order to introduce them to the engineering fields and to prepare them for more technical information in their upper division coursework. These courses play an important role in helping the people who decide to study or work in the EES category get a better understanding of physical and chemical properties that underlie the environmental systems around us, especially when attempting to understand the various forms of quality that the world around us might have.

Upper division coursework

The upper division classes in Environmental Engineering Science prepares the student for work in the fields of engineering and science with coursework in subjects including the following:

• Fluid mechanics
• Mechanics of materials
• Thermodynamics
• Environmental engineering
• Advanced math and statistics
• Geology
• Physical, organic and atmospheric chemistry
• Biochemistry
• Microbiology
• Ecology

Electives

Process engineering

On this track, students are introduced to the fundamental reaction mechanisms in the field of chemical and biochemical engineering. It is largely related to that of EES because these classes teach students to develop methods of synthesizing and purifying desired chemical products and they learn to analyze the chemical makeup of various ingredients, determining how they would interact with each other. This is the bare essence of what EES students do – analyze chemical levels to make sure water and air quality is intact.

Resource engineering

For this track, students take classes introducing them to ways to conserve natural resources. This can include classes in water chemistry, sanitation, combustion, air pollution and radioactive waste management. Classes that resource engineers take are largely comparable to those of EES, especially its Sustainability and Environmental Impact sector, where they try to avoid the depletion of natural resources and create new methods of making renewable energy sources.

Geo-engineering

To sum it up, geo-engineering is the large scale act of stepping into and aiding the Earth's climate system by attempting to counteract human-caused climate change and other human-caused global impacts. Geo-engineering is related to EES in the sense that it works to mitigate climate change other the world. This examines geo-engineering in further detail.

Ecology

This is a branch of biology that covers the aspects of organisms in a set environment. It prepares the students for using their engineering and scientific knowledge to solve the interactions between plants, animals and the biosphere. In addition, it has common applications in a variety of fields, some of which include, conversation (biology), wetland management, as well as natural resource management, which are some of the biggest factors that are included within the EES learning environment and work force.

Biology

This includes further education about microbial, molecular and cell biology. Classes can include cell biology, virology, microbial and plant biology. This is related to EES on the most basic level, as the student must have a basic understanding of how biology works in order to be successful in this area.

Policy

This covers in more detail ways how the environment can be protected through political means. This is done by introducing students to qualitative and quantitative tools in classes such as economics, sociology, political science and energy and resources.

Fields of work

The multidisciplinary approach in Environmental Engineering Science gives the student expertise in technical fields related to their own personal interest. While some graduates choose to use this major to go to graduate school, students who choose to work often go into the fields of civil and environmental engineering, biotechnology, and research. With an extensive background in sustainability, it is also common to go into the workforce as a Sustainability Manager, or Analysis. And because there is a lesser background in technical math, programming and writing background gives the students opportunities to pursue IT work and technical writing.