Civil and Environmental Engineering

Civil & Environmental Engineering Office Staff

On behalf of our whole department - we congratulate the Class of 2021! It is amazing that you overcame all the obstacles related to Covid-19, distancing & shelter-in-place rules, and the quarantine requirements and are now among the graduating elite that survived these imposing guidelines. You should be very proud of yourself. You are going into working America with the ability to see through even the most difficult times! We are very proud of you. Enjoy the ride. Cheers to a very successful career!

- Debbie Cortez, Department Analyst and Civil & Environmental Engineering Office Staff

Photo by: Hasan AlbariSarah Greer

In future times of trial and indecision, remember this achievement you have made. You have persevered, sacrificed, and succeeded against adversity. You can do so again. Warmest congratulations to the graduating class of SJSU!

Bassam Kassab Del Agua

Bassam KassabMy name is Bassam Kassab. I am an adjunct faculty at the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at SJSU. Some of you have taken my senior classes CE 154 and 174, whereas others do not know me. This message is addressed to all of you.

Soon you may forget all about Manning’s and Bernoulli’s equations, Froude and Reynolds numbers… You may or may not work in the field of water resources. You may become a consultant, a contractor, a public servant, or an academic. Or, you may end up in a different field than civil or environmental engineering. Wherever your career might take you, I wish you all the best. You earned it. Try to celebrate your achievement and this big milestone, albeit you’re sheltering in place and practicing social distancing.

I have few words to share. Please try to remember five things:

  1. Few years from now, you will start making six figures. You may go to workshops, meetings, or conferences in Las Vegas or Hawaii. Your trip will be all expenses paid, from the flight to the nice hotel and three meals per day. I just want you to remember one thing when you leave that hotel room each morning –leave a good tip on the nightstand. Leaving tips is not only meant for a waiter, waitress, or bartender with whom you have made eye contact. Leave a tip when no one is watching.
  2. Also, donate for a good cause, including SJSU. You’ve received a good education and/or a scholarship from San Jose State. Consider paying it back, little by little, over time, so future students can get an education too.
  3. Remember to enjoy life while working. Life is not only about making money and getting the next promotion. However, when you are at work, whether in the office or working from home, put in your 100 percent effort. If you put in all your effort in your tasks, you will feel better when you are resting on the weekend or taking a well-deserved vacation.
  4. When you become a supervisor or a manager, always celebrate the achievements of your staff. Do not take credit for someone else’s work. Your staff members are not a threat to you. You’re leading the team to success and you want each of them to be the best they can be.
  5. Please be respectful to your coworkers and subordinates. Not just in your emails, but also in your conversations. Being inclusive in your words and actions makes you a good leader. Recognize micro aggressions and do not practice them. If someone is using discriminatory language, consider calling them out if appropriate. Or, better, call them “in”. That is, later, strike a conversation with them and try to figure out where this came from. By having this talk, maybe you can change their heart and mind. Remember, calling in could work wonders more than calling out someone. Calling in is meant to get your peers to change problematic behavior by explaining their misstep with compassion and patience, not by shaming them in front of others.

Having said all of that, now it’s time that you turn your tassel from the right side to the left side, albeit virtually.

You’ve made it. Go build a better world... better than the world that you’ve inherited from my generation and previous generations. Congratulations Class of 2021!

Bassam Kassab

Sam Koosha

Congratulations to Graduating Engineers 2021!

CE172 Class Zoom callDr. Uday Vasant Mandlekar, CE172

Hearty Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2021!!! You came out in flying colors despite the Covid19 Pandemic challenges. We are indeed proud of you !!! Remember, you are the future scientists, innovators, business, and political leaders of this new world of ours. May God Bless All with grand success in all your future endeavors. Dr. Uday Vasant Mandlekar, CE172.

Mohamed Soliman

Congratulations, Class of 2021.

Your hard work, dedication, talent, and integrity has brought you to this day. All of you have much to be proud of and are ready to begin an extraordinary new chapter. SJSU has given you the civil engineering toolkit to shape your future, but eventually you must trust in yourselves and take on the challenges ahead.

Mohamed Soliman