Dear CEE Community and Friends,

November’s newsletter shares new research from Prof. Markus Buehler and colleagues that finds data collected from mobile phones could help evaluate a bridge’s integrity. Research from Prof. Serguei Saavedra and Lucas Medeiros PhD ’22 presents a new way of determining which species are most threatened by climate change. Prof. Mick Follows expands on previous findings from the Chisholm Lab on how microbes get carbon, and Prof. Lydia Bourouiba's research finds that indoor relative humidity may influence transmission of Covid-19.

Also in this issue, we share a video recording from our Faculty Seminar Series with Prof. Dave Des Marais. This month's spotlights highlight undergraduate student Runako Gentles' experience participating in our UROP and mini-UROP programs, and graduate student Fabio Castro’s research on supply chain innovation and sustainability. Lastly, we share details regarding the upcoming C.C. Mei Distinguished Speaker Seminar with Alan Needleman and a recording from our previous distinguished speaker, Prof. Alan Goriely.

Sincerely,

Ali Jadbabaie

JR East Professor

Department Head, MIT Civil and Environmental Engineering

Core Faculty, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society

Prof. Markus Buehler is part of a team of researchers who have found that mobile data collected while traveling over bridges could help evaluate their integrity. This method could offer a less expensive alternative to stationary sensors and add 15 to 30 percent more years to the structure's lifespan.

A better way to tell which species are vulnerable

Prof. Serguei Saavedra and Lucas Medeiros PhD '22 are part of a team of researchers who developed a new predictive way of evaluating ecosystems to determine which species are most threatened by climate change.

Ocean microbes get their diet through a surprising mix of sources

New research from Prof. Mick Follows expands on previous findings from the Chisholm Lab, discovering that the microbe Prochlorococcus, once thought to rely solely on photosynthesis, may get up to one-third of its carbon by consuming the remains of other dead microbes.

Keeping indoor humidity levels at a “sweet spot” may reduce spread of Covid-19

New research from Prof. Lydia Bourouiba links very dry and very humid indoor environments with worse Covid-19 outcomes.

Prof. David Des Marais spoke at the CEE Faculty Seminar Series discussing "Plant Survival in the Anthropocene: Adaption, Acclimation, and a Little Help From Their Friends."

Undergraduate Spotlight: Runako Gentles

Junior Runako Gentles discusses his undergraduate experiences in CEE and highlights the research experience he gained through our UROP and mini-UROP programs.

Graduate Spotlight: Fabio Castro

Graduate student Fabio Castro shares his research on supply chain innovation and sustainability in developing countries.

C.C Mei Distinguished Speaker Series: Prof. Alain Goriely

Prof. Alain Goriely from the University of Oxford gave a talk on “The Mechanics of Chirality: from Darwin’s Perversion to Feynman’s Obsession.”

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Civil 

and Environmental Engineering

77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 1-290 Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 

(617) 253-7101

CEE.MIT.EDU