Civil Engineer Week (Photo credit: U.S. Army Korea (Historical Image Archive))
Gene E. Phillips holds a BS in Civil engineering from the University of Oklahoma. Civil engineering is deemed the oldest discipline in engineering. It helps to develop our societies by designing and building rigid infrastructure. This helps to enhance people’s life including sewage systems, drainage systems, water supply, bridges, colleges and schools. In addition, it helps to provide transportation system, provides safe and reliable structures that have the capacity of resisting the effects of the natural calamities such as earthquake, floods etc. Therefore, civil engineering is very important for the development of societies.
Sub-disciplines of civil engineering
Traditionally, civil engineering is broken down into several sub-disciplines that include water resources engineering, urban or municipal engineering, forensic engineering, atmospheric sciences, earth science, transportation engineering, nanotechnology, biomechanics, structural engineering, control engineering, geodesy, geophysics, geotechnical engineering and environmental engineering. Therefore, civil engineering occurs on every level in both the private and public sector.
- Hydraulic engineering
The water resources engineering also referred to as hydraulic engineering is a sub-division of civil engineering. Hydraulic engineering is concerned with principally sewage and water and the conveyance and flow of fluids. One of the main features of these systems includes the extensive usage of gravity as the major force that causes the movement of fluids. This sub-discipline of civil engineering ultimately relate to the design of dams, bridges, levees, canals and channels.
- Urban or municipal engineering
Municipal engineering is involved with municipal infrastructure. It is concerned with specifying, constructing, designing and maintaining sidewalks, streets, water supply networks, sewers, solid waste management & disposal, street lighting and public works. Some of the other discipline may seem to overlap with municipal engineering; however, municipal/urban engineering is concerned with the coordination of infrastructure services and networks considering they are built simultaneously.
- Forensic engineering
Forensic engineering is concerned with the investigation of structures, materials, components or products that fail and do not function as intended often damaging property or causing personal injury. The effects of failure are handled by the laws of product liability. The discipline is also concerned with retracing procedures and processes resulting in accidents of machinery or vehicles.
Work experience
Gene E. Phillips is a professional engineer. Mr. Phillips experiences include potable water systems; site development; drainage & storm water management systems; municipal engineering programs; transportation & bridges; and utilities. He is the co-chair School of Civil Engineering & Environmental Science of the Visiting Council from the University of Oklahoma. In addition, he has served in the capacity of Oklahoma State president. Moreover, Mr. Phillips has served in the position of the Executive Committee of the OU College of Engineering Board.
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