Dear CEE Community and Friends,



This month, we are pleased to announce the appointment of Prof. David Des Marais as the next Director of the Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory, where he will help advance CEE’s environmental and climate science research, education, and strategic initiatives. We also highlight CEE’s role at the upcoming World Infrastructure Forum. We recognize PhD candidate Zane Schemmer, recipient of the 2026 Graduate Student Extraordinary Teaching and Mentoring Award, as well as four graduate students honored with MIT awards and fellowships for the 2026–27 academic year. 

In research news, a team led by Prof. Admir Masic captured a previously unseen step in the cement-setting process, revealing how carbon dioxide can fundamentally alter cement chemistry. Finally, we congratulate the Class of 2026 and share photos from this year’s commencement celebrations.

Sincerely,

Ali Jadbabaie

JR East Professor

Department Head, MIT Civil and Environmental Engineering

Core Faculty, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society

CEE has appointed Prof. David Des Marais as the next Director of the Ralph M. Parsons Laboratory. In this role, he will help advance CEE’s environmental and climate science research, education, and strategic initiatives.

Co-lead of the World Infrastructure Forum

CEE is proud to serve as a founding academic collaborator and co-lead of the World Infrastructure Forum (WIF). Last month, Department Head Ali Jadbabaie and Prof. Gioele Zardini joined global leaders in Madrid for the WIF Advisory Committee Meeting, helping shape the vision and priorities for WIF 2026. The discussions highlighted the critical role of cross-sector collaboration in addressing emerging infrastructure challenges related to AI, energy, resilience, and digital systems.

Zane Schemmer Receives 2026 Graduate Student Extraordinary Teaching and Mentoring Award

PhD candidate Zane Schemmer is a recipient of the 2026 Graduate Student Extraordinary Teaching and Mentoring Award. The award recognizes graduate students who have demonstrated extraordinary teaching and mentoring efforts as a teaching or research assistant.

CEE graduate students receive MIT awards and fellowships for 2026-2027 academic year

We’re proud to celebrate four graduate students recognized with awards and fellowships for the 2026–27 academic year. Their work spans resilient supply chains, sustainable transportation systems, climate change and soil carbon, and strengthening community through service and leadership.

New research reveals the chemical sequence triggered by CO₂ injection in cement paste, capturing a fleeting intermediate reaction for the first time using real-time Raman spectroscopy.

Congratulations to the Class of 2026! Check out some of our favorite moments from CEE's commencement celebrations.

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Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Civil 

and Environmental Engineering

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