Via Report 2025
Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Letter from the Department Head:
This fall semester brings a season of tremendous momentum for the Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Together, we continue to strengthen our reputation as one of the nation’s leading programs while preparing the next generation of civil and environmental engineers to address society’s most pressing challenges.
We welcome with great enthusiasm five outstanding new faculty members to our department: Kirin Furst, Rachel Pearson, Christin Salley, Deb Mishra, and Jessica Thangjitham. Our new faculty add to our growing ranks and areas of expertise. Their addition to our department underscores our commitment to excellence in research, teaching, and service, while expanding the opportunities available to our students. New faculty are profiled on pages 7-8 of this report.
Our students’ achievements reflect that same standard of excellence. This year, our ASCE student teams placed among the top ten in the country at the national championship. This is an extraordinary accomplishment that reflects the creativity, teamwork, and dedication of Hokie civil engineers. Student team achievements are highlighted on page 21 of this report.
We are honored by the national recognition of our department in separate categories of civil engineering and environmental engineering at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. These rankings reflect the commitment of our faculty to academic excellence and to provide our students with an exemplary educational experience. Our department is pioneering curriculum innovation, including the application of artificial intelligence in the civil engineering profession, and delivering interdisciplinary topics in our advanced courses. Our department is partnering with industry to provide all students with opportunities for experiential learning within their degree programs.
In this issue of our Annual Via Report, I invite you to read the inspiring profiles of our Via Scholars starting on page 22, which capture the talent, drive, and promise of the next generation of civil and environmental engineers. Their biographies reflect our department’s mission and vision.
This will be my seventh and final year as department head. It has been a high honor to lead this department and serve the university in this capacity. I am excited for the possibilities ahead for our faculty, students, and alumni. This is such a critical time for academia and our profession, yet I am confident and enthusiastic for our future success.
In closing, on behalf of our faculty, staff, and students, thank you for your continued engagement and support of our department. Your investment of time, talent, and resources ensures that the Via Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering remains a national leader in education, research, and service.
With gratitude and Hokie pride,
Mark Widdowson
Department Head, Charles E. Via, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech researchers, backed by a $1.1 million Virginia Housing grant, are using 3D concrete printing and a multidisciplinary collaboration to build affordable homes, train a new workforce, and address Virginia’s housing crisis while laying the foundation for broader adoption nationwide.
Thanks to a gift from Gary Bowman ’80, Virginia Tech’s Bowman Sustainable Land Development Program has launched its first scholarships and fellowships, supporting six students in 2025–26 while advancing national leadership in sustainable land development education.
Farrokh Jazizadeh’s research envisions a future where AI-driven infrastructure uses generative models and human-centered design to create intelligent systems that anticipate, adapt, and optimize for human experience.
Joseph Vantassel is working to address cheaper ways to move power lines underground to reduce outages and wildfire risks from severe weather.
Virginia Tech researchers developed a deep learning framework called LSTM-SAM that uses transfer learning to provide fast, affordable, and accurate predictions of hurricane-driven flooding, offering a life-saving tool for vulnerable coastal communities with limited data or resources.
Monica Arul is leading Virginia’s first targeted efforts to mitigate extreme wind threats, guiding stakeholders in developing new hazard mitigation actions to strengthen infrastructure, warning systems, and community resilience against hurricanes, tornadoes, and straight-line winds.
Virginia Tech civil engineering students earned four top-10 finishes at the 2025 ASCE Civil Engineering Student Championships, highlighted by second place in Concrete Canoe, third in Steel Bridge, fifth in Sustainable Solutions, and ninth in Surveying, showcasing their innovation, teamwork, and real-world engineering skills.
Since 1987, the Via Scholarships have provided more than $20 million in support to top students in Virginia Tech’s civil and environmental engineering and electrical and computer engineering departments, making them among the nation’s most competitive awards.