Civil engineering is about community service, development, and improvement -- the planning, design, construction, and operation of facilities essential to modern life, ranging from transit systems to offshore structures to space satellites. Civil engineers are problem solvers, meeting the challenges of pollution, traffic congestion, drinking water and energy needs, urban redevelopment, and community planning. Our future as a nation will be closely tied to space, energy, the environment, and our ability to interact with and compete in the global economy. You, as a civil engineer, will perform a vital role in linking these themes and improving quality of life for the 21st century.