{"id":153162,"date":"2026-05-13T15:42:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T19:42:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=153162"},"modified":"2026-05-15T12:05:06","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T16:05:06","slug":"ucf-to-launch-nations-first-forensic-engineering-course-in-fall","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-to-launch-nations-first-forensic-engineering-course-in-fall\/","title":{"rendered":"UCF to Launch Nation\u2019s First Forensic Engineering Course in Fall 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"
Civil engineers learn to build infrastructure according to local, state and federal codes, but what happens when that infrastructure fails to uphold? When a bridge or building collapses, forensic engineers step in to investigate the cause and determine who may be liable, particularly in case of a trial.<\/p>\n
Starting this fall, UCF students enrolled in an undergraduate engineering program can take CGN 4120: Forensic Investigation for Engineering<\/em>, a new technical elective focused on the forensic investigation process. This course is the first of its kind in the nation and will be taught by Dennis Filler, a senior lecturer in the College of Engineering and Computer Science<\/a>\u2019s Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering.<\/p>\n Filler has written a forthcoming book on the subject and says that the topic is critical to the future of engineering.<\/p>\n \u201cThe frequency of engineering disasters, engineering failures, has not reduced in 100 years,\u201d Filler says. \u201cDuring that time, we’ve been improving our design codes. That\u2019s not working though, and engineering judgment, I believe, is at the core to why the frequency of failures continues.\u201d<\/p>\n Filler cites the pedestrian bridge collapse at Florida International University in 2018 as an example of bad engineering judgment. The event, which resulted in six deaths and multiple injuries, was caused by engineering design errors and inadequate peer review, as determined by the National Transportation Safety Board after a forensic investigation.<\/p>\n