Zhe Fu, Ph.D. Candidate in Transportation Engineering and M.S. Candidate in Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, has been named the 2026 Outstanding Graduate Peer Mentor Award recipient. Advised by Professor Alexandre Bayen at the Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research (BAIR) Lab, her work advances intelligent control and modeling for complex cyber-physical systems, with real-world impact in large-scale autonomous vehicle experiments.

Congratulations, Zhe Fu!

The University of California, Berkeley continues to lead at the forefront of innovation and impact, earning the #1 ranking in both Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering graduate programs in the latest rankings released by U.S. News & World Report.

Berkeley CEE is proud to share that Professor Arpad Horvath has been elected a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the nation’s oldest engineering society, with more than 160,000 members across 177 countries. Distinguished Member is the highest honor bestowed on civil engineers, recognizing the most accomplished individuals in the profession who reflect the values of innovation and practice. Each year, only up to 12 new members are elected to this prestigious rank.

A startup emerging from the research group of Kenichi Soga, Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of California, Berkeley, has received a $1.23 million award from the National Science Foundation through its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II program.

We are proud to announce that Assistant Professor Maya Carrasquillo has been named a 2026 recipient of the Graduate Division’s Carol D. Soc Distinguished Graduate Student Mentoring Award, receiving recognition as the Early-Career Faculty Winner. The Carol D. Soc Distinguished Graduate Student Mentoring Awards recognize exceptional mentorship within the Berkeley community.

Assistant Professor Cynthia Gerlein-Safdi has been recognized as one of the “11 Women to Watch in Science” by The Story Exchange. The annual feature honors women scientists whose work is driving innovation and addressing global challenges.

At CEE, Dr. Gerlein-Safdi studies how climate change reshapes the water cycle, integrating field research, satellite data, and ecosystem modeling to better understand and predict environmental change.

The Berkeley CEE ADA selects its Class of 2025, welcoming ten inspiring engineers into its ranks. The CEE Academy of Distinguished Alumni proudly announces its Class of 2025, a cohort of outstanding civil and environmental engineering leaders with strong ties to Berkeley CEE! 

Congratulations to our eight newest members, and in-memoriam of the late Dr. Jim Kelly and Dr. Juan Pestana.