The School of Engineering at the University of Mississippi is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Srinivas Pulugurtha as the new Chair of the Department of Civil Engineering. Pulugurtha joins the School of Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where he served as the Research Director and Professor in the Civil & Environmental Engineering Department.
Pulugurtha brings a wealth of experience in transportation engineering, having directed the Infrastructure, Design, Environment, and Sustainability (IDEAS) Center at UNC Charlotte for a decade. His career also includes serving as the Civil & Environmental Engineering Graduate Program Director and holding leadership roles in various transportation research centers.
“The opportunity to work with a diverse range of faculty and contribute to transportation research at an R1 institution is very exciting,” said Pulugurtha. “The University has a very vibrant and friendly campus, and there are so many cross-disciplinary opportunities to explore.”
Pulugurtha’s research interests include transportation planning, traffic safety, and the impact of automation on transportation infrastructure. He aims to leverage his extensive background to address the unique challenges faced by Mississippi’s transportation systems. “The challenges in Mississippi are distinct due to its less inhabited areas, providing a different set of research challenges and related opportunities,” he noted. “I look forward to collaborating with faculty across disciplines to advance transportation safety and develop innovative solutions.”
Pulugurtha has an impressive record of academic achievements, with 3,299 citations of his work and a Google Scholar h-index of 27. He has served as the principal investigator or co-investigator on over 100 funded projects, totaling approximately $12.4 million in research funding. His prolific contributions include authoring/co-authoring 263 peer-reviewed papers and numerous conference presentations.
As Chair, Pulugurtha envisions further growth for the Department of Civil Engineering, including the potential establishment of a transportation or data analytics center and increasing both graduate and undergraduate enrollments. His goal is to elevate the department’s research expenditures and take the department to the next level.
“The School of Engineering enthusiastically welcomes Dr. Pulugurtha,” remarked Dean Viola L. Acoff. “He is a leader in the field of transportation engineering, which includes research on infrastructure for autonomous vehicles. His research is well aligned with the School of Engineering’s expansion into additional areas of research that will contribute to advancing emerging technologies in Mississippi. We are looking forward to Dr. Pulugurtha executing his vision for the Department of Civil Engineering.”
Dr. Pulugurtha holds a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and has a robust track record of scholarly publications, grants, and presentations. He is a registered Professional Engineer in North Carolina and a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. We eagerly anticipate his contributions beginning this fall.