Rate My Professor Crist Khachikian

Crist Khachikian is a Professor of Civil Engineering and Construction Management in the Engineering faculty at California State University, Northridge. He earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1995, an M.Eng. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1996, and a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from UCLA in 1999. Prior to joining CSUN in 2013, he served on the faculty at California State University, Los Angeles, where he directed the Center for Energy and Sustainability and research in engineering. At CSUN, Khachikian has held administrative roles including Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies and Graduate Dean. He is a Principal Investigator for the NIH-funded BUILD PODER program, a $22 million initiative aimed at diversifying the biomedical research workforce by providing undergraduate research training opportunities in health-related projects to sophomores, juniors, and seniors working directly with faculty.

Khachikian's research specializations include environmental engineering, climate justice, and student success. His work addresses sustainable energy solutions, biomedical workforce diversification, and undergraduate research experiences informed by critical race theory. Key publications comprise "Physicochemical Transport Processes Affecting the Removal of Nonaqueous Phase Liquids from Porous Media" (Environmental Science & Technology, 1996), "Laboratory Investigations of Weathering of Soils from Mammoth Mountain, CA, a Naturally CO2-Impacted Field Site" (Environmental Science & Technology, 2014), "Science Identity among Latinx Students in the Biomedical Sciences: The Role of a Critical Race Theory–Informed Undergraduate Research Experience" (CBE—Life Sciences Education, 2021), and "‘I Definitely Feel Like a Scientist’: Exploring Science Identity Trajectories among Latinx Students in a Critical Race Theory-Informed Undergraduate Research Experience" (Infant and Child Development, 2023). He was selected as an ACE Fellow for the 2015-16 class, acknowledging his contributions to higher education leadership. Currently, he serves as Principal Investigator for CSUN's Urban Forestry Program and has led NSF-funded efforts on innovation ecosystems at comprehensive universities.