Chair's Message

Welcome to the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Missouri Kansas City. Kansas City is a world class engineering city, estimated to be the 4th largest engineering community (and the largest per capita engineering community) in the United States. As home and headquarters to engineering giants such as Black & Veatch and Burns & McDonnell, as well as scores of other large and mid-size firms, the area provides a rich environment for engineering education and research. It is our active engagement with Kansas City engineering that makes Civil & Mechanical Engineering at UMKC unique.

Although our department has tripled in size since 2003, reflecting the growth of the engineering community around us, we are still a relatively small department that offers small class sizes, infrequent “class closings”, and a personal relationship with the faculty. We have added three new faculty positions in the last year, and nearly all of our classes are taught by full-time faculty, or Adjunct Faculty composed of some of the top engineering talent in the world. Many of our students actively participate in engineering internships during the regular school year, providing “real-time” reinforcement of their education. Virtually all of our students have the opportunity to actively participate in Student Teams such as Human Powered Vehicle and the Steel Bridge Competitions.

In addition to our ABET accredited undergraduate programs, we have active graduate and research programs in transportation, hydrology, structures, biomedical, power, and HVAC. Our faculty executed over a half million dollars in research in the last year, providing exciting opportunities for our full time graduate students. We also offer an ever increasing number of degree options and classes for working professionals from the Kansas City engineering community. Many of these classes are hosted by area engineering firms, and taught in cooperation with professional organizations such as SEAKM.

As you look through our website, I hope that you will gain a sense of the level of energy that is propelling us through these great times for the engineering profession. We hope that our website is effective in answering your questions, and in encouraging you to learn more about the great career opportunities in professional engineering. Again, on behalf of the faculty, staff, and students of Civil & Mechanical Engineering, Welcome!

Mark F. McClernon, P.E., Ph.D.
Department Chair