The Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering (CME) has a rich history in Kansas City. The University of Kansas City offered a General Engineering degree in the 1950s. The master’s programs in CME were started in 1964 and the undergraduate programs were added in the early 1970s. Since 1977, the undergraduate programs in CME have been independently accredited by ABET. The CME department combined with the Computer Science Electrical Engineering Department to become the School of Computing and Engineering (SCE) in January 2001 and is housed in Flarsheim Hall.

The CME programs have a diverse student population composed of local, national and international students. The Kansas City area has many engineering employment opportunities, so our students and alumni are well-employed in the region.

Civil Engineering (CE) program

The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) defines civil engineering as “the profession in which a knowledge of the mathematical and physical sciences gained by study, experience, and practice is applied with judgment to develop ways to utilize economically, the materials and forces of nature for the progressive well-being of humanity in creating, improving and protecting the environment, in providing facilities for community living, industry and transportation, and in providing structures for the use of humankind.” The CE program aims to prepare students with a breadth and depth in the technical knowledge so that they can work immediately in most areas of the profession including geotechnical engineering; hydraulics, hydrology, water resources; structural engineering; and transportation/traffic engineering.

Mechanical Engineering (ME) program

The ME program is one of the broadest of the engineering disciplines, and, thus, mechanical engineers are the generalists of the engineering profession. Mechanical engineers design, construct, test, and operate many types of mechanical, thermal and biological devices. They are involved in almost every industry, including aerospace, automotive, bioengineering, communications, electronics, energy, food processing, HVAC, manufacturing, power generation and refrigeration, as well as business, government, and academia. The ME program aims to prepare students with a breadth and depth in technical knowledge so they can work immediately in most of the areas of the profession.

Mission Statement

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

Welcome to the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering (CME) at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Kansas City is a world-class engineering city, estimated to be the fourth-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 CME at UMKC unique.

Although our department has quadrupled in size since 2004, 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 continue to add new faculty positions, 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 Mini-Baja, Human Powered Vehicle and the Steel Bridge Competitions.

In addition to our ABET-accredited undergraduate programs, we have active graduate and research programs in hydrology, materials, structures, biomedical and HVAC. Our faculty is currently involved in more than $3 million of research, 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.

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 site 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 and Mechanical Engineering, welcome!

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

Academic Administrators

McClernon, Mark, Ph.D., P.E.
Chair of Civil and Mechanical Engineering Dept
Associate Professor
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Faculty

Becker, Bryan, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor
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Bloemker, Katherine, M.S.
Assistant Teaching Professor
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Chen, ZhiQiang, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
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Guess, Trent, Ph.D.
Director of Graduate Studies for Mechanical Engineering
Associate Professor
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Halmen, Ceki, Ph.D., P.E.
Assistant Professor
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Kevern, John T., Ph.D., LEED AP
Assistant Professor
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King, Gregory, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
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O’Bannon, Deborah, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE
Professor
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Richardson, Jerry, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE
Chair of CME Academic Committee
Associate Professor
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Rychlewski, Walt, Ph.D.
Professor of Entrepreneurship
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Stern, Amber Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
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Thiagarajan, Ganesh, Ph.D., P.E.
Director of Graduate Studies for Civil Engineering
Associate Professor
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Faculty - Visiting

Lowe, Forrest
Associate Professor
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Adjunct Faculty

Baker, Donald E-mail	Kimes, Thomas E-mail
Black, Anthony E-mail	Lambrechts, Robert E-mail
Carlson, Mike E-mail	Mahoney, James E-mail
Christianson, David E-mail	Muleski, Gregory E-mail
Cogan, Craig E-mail	Richardson, Marc E-mail
Dick, Raymond E-mail	Robertson, Gregory E-mail
Drbal, Larry F E-mail	Schmidt, Jon E-mail
Hague, Steven E-mail	Schmitz, Erich E-mail
Hanlin, Robert E-mail	Soltys, Joseph E-mail
Heausler, Thomas E-mail	Yord, William E-mail
Justice, Dan E-mail	Young, Justin E-mail

Staff

Albert, Selena
Administrative Assistant
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Day, Jo Ann
Academic Adviser/Faculty Advising Support
Student Advisor for Ph.D., MSME, MSCiv, BSME and BSCiv.students
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Guess, Thuy
Academic Advisor/Faculty Advising Support
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