College of

Engineering, Architecture and Technology

 

The School of Civil and Environmental Engineering in Oklahoma State University’s College of Engineering, Architecture and Technology  holds a special place in the heart of Dr. Mark Krzmarzick.   

 

It is where he earned his undergraduate degree and learned the ethics and service to society that civil engineers hold dear. These were ingrained in him by Dr. Gorman Gilbert, former CIVE school head, who played a large role in Krzmarzick’s undergraduate education.   

 

After approval by the Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents in January 2026, Krzmarzick experienced a full-circle moment being named the new CIVE school head, where he will continue to uphold the standards of excellence from previous school heads who helped shape his path to success.   

 

“We have some of the best students, faculty, facilities and alumni in the country,” Krzmarzick said. “It is an honor to be leading the CIVE department here at OSU. I love what we do, as a school and as a discipline, and I look forward to working toward our further success.”  

 

Krzmarzick’s goals as school head include producing more civil and environmental engineering graduates, which Oklahoma’s economy needs.   

 

He also wants to further support students with scholarships; ensure they take advantage of summer internships and have a clear four-year path to graduation.   

In the long term, he wants to continue to build on the strategic investments in research facilities that previous school heads have built up. These facilities are key, providing hands-on learning for students from undergraduates to Ph.D. students.   

 

“This research enterprise produces technical advancements to our field, leading to longer-lasting structures, safer roads, cleaner water, etc., and it also provides a launching pad for entrepreneurship by our graduates which grows our state’s economy,” Krzmarzick said. “In the long term, success includes what research and technology we developed that makes our infrastructure better for society, and how successful our students have become in leading organizations or developing new ones.”  

 

Krzmarzick said the CIVE faculty members are the strength of the department, providing their expertise as great educators in the classroom and laboratory.   

 

“They are spending every ounce of effort on providing the best education possible for our students,” he said. “That high quality of education is an uncompromising pillar of our culture.”  

 

He would like to see even more participation in student groups such as the OSU chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineering (ASCE), Engineers Without

 

Borders and honors societies such as Tau Beta Pi and Chi Epsilon.   

He also would like to see a permanent location for ASCE competition activities, which include the concrete canoe and steel bridge, among others.   

 

He wants CIVE students to be proud of the fact that their work directly impacts the public. Overall, he wants CIVE students to understand that the work they do can impact the lives of entire communities, states and the country.   

 

“Civil engineering is the engineering of civilization,” Krzmarzick said. “Technically, we must have a very broad course of study so that we can build robust systems of infrastructure that society depends on. Professionally, it means upholding ethics and fully considering any negative third-party effects. Our professional code of ethics starts with ‘Engineers shall hold paramount the safety, health and welfare of the public.’ To be a successful civil engineer, this must be a core principle of what calls us into this profession.”  

 

Krzmarzick received his bachelor’s in civil engineering from OSU in 2005, his master’s in civil engineering from the University of Minnesota in 2008 and his Ph.D. in civil engineering from Minnesota in 2011.   

 

He joined CIVE in 2013, became an associate professor in January 2019 and was promoted to professor in July 2025. He was named the interim school head in July 2025 before being confirmed as the new school head of CIVE by the Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents in January 2026.   

 

Krzmarzick received an Environmental Protection Agency Science to Achieve Results Fellowship from 2008-11.   

 

He is also a Fellow of the Theoretical and Practical Molecular Approaches for In Situ Biodegradation Course, sponsored by The United States – European Commission Task Force on Biotechnology Research.   

 

Krzmarzick is also a member of the the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP);  ASCE; the American Society for Engineering Education; Chi Epsilon Civil Engineering Honor Society and Tau Beta Pi National Honor Society.