Aug 11, 2014 01:00 PM EDT By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will offer a new environmental engineering program this fall, school officials announced.

Through required and elective courses, the new program will expose students to all of the major areas of environmental engineering, including water resources, air resources, and land resources. Environmental engineers design infrastructure, public works, and processes that protect the environment and public health,

"Environmental engineering is a great program to offer at this time because it fits a business and community need and also aligns well with the resources we already have," Nick Jovanovic , an associate professor in the university's Department of Construction Management and Civil and Construction Engineering, said in a statement.

Jovanovic said the program addition makes UALR one of only a handful of universities in the world to offer the entire "family" of civil engineering disciplines under one roof -- civil, architectural, construction, and environmental engineering.

"Engineering design firms, contractors, and government agencies involved in infrastructure and buildings are mostly located right here in Little Rock. Essentially, the metropolitan area serves as a living laboratory for our students," Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost Zulma Toro said in a statement.

According to school officials, numerous area businesses and government agencies wrote letters of support for the new program, stating the benefit of having a workforce prepared for the kind of 21st century jobs that promote the growth and development of the state.

Some business owners even offered to provide continued program support through internships, guest lectures, and possible scholarship funding.

The U.S. Bureau Labor of Statistics indicates the median annual wage for environmental engineers to be $80,890 in May 2012, the most recent date data is available, and job growth is expected to be faster than average.

Two accomplished faculty members with expertise in environmental engineering, Dr. Lashun King Thomas and Dr. Hollis Bray, will join the university on Aug. 16 to help administer the new program.

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