Sustainable Systems Expert Khanna To Lead Univ Of Pitt’s CEE Dept.

India-West Staff Reporter

PITTSBURGH, PA — Vikas Khanna, a nationally recognized expert in sustainable systems and environmental engineering, has been appointed Interim Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at the University of Pittsburgh, effective July 1, 2025. The announcement was made by Michele V. Manuel, U. S. Steel Dean of Engineering. Khanna will step into the role following the 23-year leadership of Radisav Vidic, P.E., who will return to the faculty on June 30.

Khanna, a professor in the department since 2010, has built a distinguished career centered on sustainability, systems modeling, and the environmental impacts of emerging technologies. His work is aimed at creating scalable solutions to pressing environmental challenges, and he is actively involved with the Mascaro Center for Sustainable Innovation and the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory—two of Pitt’s key initiatives focused on advancing ecological resilience and water equity.

In addition to his research, Khanna has been an editor since 2017 for Resources, Conservation and Recycling, a leading international journal that addresses sustainable engineering and circular economy practices. His scholarship and public engagement have been featured by the National Science Foundation, NPR, and Inside Climate News, underscoring his role as a thought leader in environmental systems analysis.

Khanna also brings a strong record of academic leadership, having served as Associate Chair of Graduate Studies in CEE, chaired multiple faculty search committees, and contributed to several initiatives across the Swanson School of Engineering. He earned his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from The Ohio State University, where he was a National Academy of Sciences Graduate Fellow.

His appointment as interim chair comes as the university prepares to launch a national search for the department’s next permanent leader.