CEE Chief Editor, Author at cee.mit.edu

Timber or steel? Study helps builders reduce carbon footprint of truss structures

November 29, 2021 | News | CEE Chief Editor

New analysis could help identify optimal materials for the crisscrossing struts that bolster bridges, towers, and buildings. Buildings are a big contributor to global warming, not just in their ongoing operations but in the materials used […]

Study: Indoor air cleaners fall short on removing volatile organic compounds

October 29, 2021 | Research | CEE Chief Editor

Comparison of four oxidation-based cleaners suggests the devices produce their own pollutants and vary in effectiveness. Consumer-grade air cleaners that promise to reduce indoor levels of volatile organic compound (VOC) pollutants using chemical oxidation can be […]

How marsh grass protects shorelines

October 18, 2021 | Research | CEE Chief Editor

As climate change brings greater threats to coastal ecosystems, new research can help planners leverage the wave-damping benefits of marsh plants. Marsh plants, which are ubiquitous along the world’s shorelines, can play a major role in […]

Alejandra Ortiz ’15 PhD: Alumni Spotlight

October 12, 2021 | Alumni | CEE Chief Editor

As an enterprising high school student, Alejandra Ortiz cleaned the marine biology research lab at the University of Miami in Florida and was rewarded with opportunities to help with research experiments. It was the springboard that […]

2050 year-old Roman tomb offers insights on ancient concrete resilience

October 8, 2021 | Research | CEE Chief Editor

New research on ancient Roman concrete inspires durable and sustainable modern constructions Adapted from a press release by University of Utah . Find the original here. Concrete often begins to crack and crumble after a few […]

Interning with LeMessurier

September 29, 2021 | Undergraduate Spotlight | CEE Chief Editor

This past summer I had the opportunity to intern with structural engineering firm, LeMessurier Consultants, at their Boston office location. Having completed my junior year in the CEE Mechanics and Materials track, I had taken a […]

Michael Howland: Faculty Spotlight

September 1, 2021 | Faculty Spotlight | CEE Chief Editor

Meet Assistant Professor Michael Howland who joined the CEE community in September of 2021. This fall, he will teach the graduate-level 1.65 Atmospheric Boundary Layer Flows and Wind Energy. The class introduces the flow physics in […]

Consider the spiderweb

August 20, 2021 | Research | CEE Chief Editor

After nearly a decade, an interdisciplinary collaboration to model a 3D spider web leads to many surprising results The spiderweb is an everyday architecture — non-monumental and easily overlooked. Yet artists and scientists are working to […]

A new approach to preventing human-induced earthquakes

July 29, 2021 | Research | CEE Chief Editor

Applied in the field, a new model reduced quakes from oil and gas processes; could help manage seismic events from carbon sequestration. When humans pump large volumes of fluid into the ground, they can set off […]

Engineering seeds to resist drought

July 9, 2021 | Research | CEE Chief Editor

A new seed-coating process could facilitate agriculture on marginal arid lands by enabling the seeds to retain any available water. As the world continues to warm, many arid regions that already have marginal conditions for agriculture […]

Ava Gillikin: Undergraduate Spotlight

July 8, 2021 | Undergraduate Spotlight | CEE Chief Editor

Core program: 23′ Environmental Engineering Science Track How did you first become interested in pursuing a degree in CEE? Growing up in a very rural part of New Jersey, I always had a passion for nature […]

Natalie Northrup: Undergraduate Spotlight

June 16, 2021 | Undergraduate Spotlight | CEE Chief Editor

Core program: 22′ Systems Engineering Track How did you first become interested in CEE? I was always latched to the idea of looking for environmental issues from a broad systems perspective and after hearing about the […]

Visualizing cement hydration on a molecular level

June 7, 2021 | Research | CEE Chief Editor

Imaging technique could enable new pathways for reducing concrete’s hefty carbon footprint, as well as for 3-D printing of concrete. The concrete world that surrounds us owes its shape and durability to chemical reactions that start […]

A new ocean soundscape

May 24, 2021 | CEE Profiles | CEE Chief Editor

MIT-WHOI Joint Program student turns ocean data into tunes When you think of the sounds of the ocean, you might think of waves pounding on the shore or the call of a humpback whale. But can […]

Tackling air pollution in India and the developing world

May 12, 2021 | CEE Profiles | CEE Chief Editor

PhD student Sidhant Pai works on atmospheric chemistry models that may help policymakers improve air quality in their region. “I grew up with asthma as a kid, so bad air quality holds a visceral significance for […]