Indian American sustainability scholar Vikas Khanna has taken over as chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering. A Punjab University alumnus Khanna, who has served as interim chair since July 1, 2025, took over his new role on Sept 1.
“He understands the department, has strengthened its operations and planning, and has a clear sense of where CEE can grow in education, research and engagement,” said Michele V. Manuel, the U. S. Steel Dean of Engineering.
As chair, Khanna plans to build on the interdisciplinary nature of civil and environmental engineering, according to a university release. His priorities include integrating artificial intelligence more fully into the curricula and developing graduate pathways with public health and computing. He also plans to expand IRISE and its partnerships in resilient and intelligent infrastructure while strengthening research at the intersection of water, the environment and public health.
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“Civil and environmental engineering shapes the systems people rely on every day,” Khanna said. “I look forward to working with our faculty, staff, students and partners to strengthen those systems through interdisciplinary education and research.”
Khanna joined Pitt in 2010 and was promoted to professor in 2023. From 2017 to 2022, he served as CEE’s associate chair for graduate studies, leading graduate recruitment, admissions, orientation, academic requirements and program development. He has also chaired faculty searches and served on School and University committees.
He earned his BE in chemical engineering from Punjab University and three graduate degrees from The Ohio State University: a master’s in applied statistics and a master’s and PhD in chemical engineering.
A scholar in sustainability science and engineering, Khanna uses systems analysis, life-cycle assessment, optimization and data-driven modeling to examine the environmental effects of emerging technologies and complex systems.
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His research addresses water and resource recovery, the circular economy, resilient infrastructure, and emerging energy and water technologies.
Khanna has published more than 75 peer-reviewed articles and served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator on nearly $10 million in externally supported collaborative research.
Since 2017, he has served as an editor of Resources, Conservation and Recycling. He has held leadership roles within the American Institute of Chemical Engineers’ Sustainable Engineering Forum and participated in the National Academy of Engineering’s Frontiers of Engineering Education Symposium.