Major: Civil Engineering
Dr. Frank Mahuta, MSOE associate professor and civil engineering program director, has a passion for civil engineering. "It's essential to the functioning of modern society," said Mahuta. "We need clean water, roads, bridges and buildings. Also, there's an environmental stewardship element to civil engineering that you don't have in most other disciplines."
So it only makes sense that Mahuta spearheaded the development of MSOE's first-ever civil engineering degree, which started in Fall 2011.
 |
| VIDEO: Dr. Mahuta discusses the Civil Engineering program at MSOE |
The five-year, freshman-to-master's program is unique in the state of Wisconsin, and already proving popular among prospective students. "The forecasted demand for civil engineers in the next ten years is substantial," said Mahuta. "By reducing the time required to achieve a master's degree, and by focusing on professional practice, MSOE's civil engineering program will allow students to save money and hit the ground running when they graduate."
Mahuta received his bachelor's degree from UW-Milwaukee, and after graduation worked for ExxonMobil at refineries in Baton Rouge, La., and Singapore, where he gained valuable international experience. "I strongly encourage students to study abroad or participate in overseas programs like Engineers Without Borders. We don't have a stud-abroad component for the civil program yet, but I'd like to see us offer one in the near future."
After finishing his work in Singapore, he earned his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in civil engineering from Marquette University and UW-Madison, respectively. He came to MSOE in 1998 to teach part time, and eventually full time. "I love teaching at MSOE," said Mahuta. "I particularly enjoy working with young people and assisting them in a small way to grow both personally and professionally."
In his free time Mahuta enjoys distance running and spending time with his wife Deb and four grown daughters. He especially can relate to the pressures faced by many MSOE students, because three of his daughters attend MSOE.