Dear CEE Community and Friends,

This month’s newsletter highlights a new cement alternative developed by CEE alumnus Rouzbeh Savary, and a new effort organized by Prof. Haruko Wainwright to help scientists better communicate information about nuclear waste disposal. Prof. Desirée Plata discusses greenhouse gas and methane emissions on the TILclimate Podcast, and graduate student Rob Fetell joins ESI as a research assistant. A seed grant awarded to Prof. Markus Buehler will explore AI for rigorous bio-inspired design, and Prof. Jesse Kroll is recognized for excellence in postdoctoral mentoring. We congratulate Prof. Ruben Juanes on being elected as an AGU Fellow and research scientist Paul Berube on receiving the MIT Open Data Prize. 

New research from the Cohen Mechanics Group and colleagues at Yale investigates how mechanical confinement influences the growth of bacterial biofilm. Prof. Cesar Terrer highlights the importance of understanding soil carbon loss and a new study from the Kroll Group finds that germicidal UV lights could be producing indoor air pollutants. Prof. Desirée Plata is profiled by MIT News. Lastly, we highlight the Course 1-12 Climate System Science and Engineering launch symposium and share details about the C.C. Mei Distinguished Speaker Series and the Innovation at the Food-Logistics-Materials Nexus webinar featuring three CEE faculty.

Sincerely,

Ali Jadbabaie

JR East Professor

Department Head, MIT Civil and Environmental Engineering

Core Faculty, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society

C-Crete, founded by CEE alumnus Rouzbeh Savary PhD ’11, has created a cement alternative that could significantly reduce the industry’s carbon dioxide emissions.

3 Questions: What should scientists and the public know about nuclear waste?

Prof. Haruko Wainwright describes a new effort to communicate information about managing and disposing of spent fuel from nuclear reactors.

TILclimate Podcast with Desirée Plata

Prof. Desirée Plata joins the TILclimate Podcast for two episodes to discuss how greenhouse gas and methane emissions contribute to climate change.

Rob Fetell joins ESI as a Research Assistant

Graduate student Rob Fetell joins MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative as a Research Assistant for the program on Mining and the Circular Economy. Rob’s research seeks to utilize remote sensing data to monitor the safety of tailings dams and provide downstream communities with early warning systems for dam failure.

National Academies Workshop on Atmospheric Methane Removal

Prof. Desirée Plata attended the National Academies Workshop on Atmospheric Methane Removal in Washington DC with a group of her graduate students, Will Sawyer, Audrey Parker and Elijah Martin. The workshop centered around the need for atmospheric methane removal; the potential, risks, and co-benefits of viable technological options; and research gaps that could improve understanding.

MIT scholars awarded seed grants to probe the social implications of generative AI

Prof. Markus Buehler has been awarded a seed grant to explore the social implications of AI. The Buehler Lab will investigate the impacts and opportunities of generative AI for learning from nature to achieve material sustainability for rigorous bio-inspired design.

Jesse Kroll recognized for excellence in postdoctoral mentoring

Prof. Jesse Kroll received the second annual Award for Excellence in Postdoctoral Mentoring from the MIT Postdoctoral Association. Nominated by current and former postdocs, the award recognizes his commitment to fostering an inclusive environment and supporting postdocs’ advancement in research and professional development.

Ruben Juanes elected as an AGU Fellow

Prof. Ruben Juanes has been elected as an AGU Fellow for his contributions to multiphase flow and geomechanics in porous media, combining advanced modeling and innovative observational methods.

Paul Berube awarded MIT Open Data Prize

Paul Berube, a research scientist in the Chisholm Lab, was awarded the MIT Open Data Prize for his research on ocean microbes. The Open Data Prize highlights the value of open data at MIT and encourages the next generation of researchers.

A new study from Prof. Jesse Kroll, doctoral student Matthew Goss, recent postdoc Victoria Barber and others finds germicidal UV lights could be producing indoor air pollutants. While useful for killing pathogens including SARS-CoV-2, the lights may cause unwanted chemical reactions and should be used with ventilation, researchers say.

Soil carbon storage capacity of drylands under altered fire regimes

New research led by a team of scientists including Prof. César Terrer reveals an often-overlooked aspect of wildfires—the loss of soil organic carbon. Understanding soil carbon loss is crucial to climate change mitigation and highlights an urgent need to reconsider current fire management practices, especially in areas prone to wildfires.

Biofilms as self-shaping growing nematics

The Cohen Mechanics Group and colleagues from Yale investigate how mechanical confinement influences the growth of bacterial biofilm, and how the growth of biofilm generates large deformations and even failure of the surrounding material. Understanding how biofilm evolve is central to understanding various processes in nature and human health.

Bringing the environment to the forefront of engineering

Prof. Desirée Plata’s research seeks to make sustainability a bigger factor in design decisions. At MIT, her focus on methane emissions has led her to directing the MIT Methane Network and exploring ways to convert methane into less harmful carbon dioxide.

Guest speakers and panelists inaugurate new MIT climate major

Last month, CEE and EAPS organized the 1-12 Climate System Science and Engineering degree half-day symposium to introduce the new climate major to the MIT community. Guest speakers included Administrator Richard Revesz, who leads the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs at The White House Office of Management and Budget, and Marcia McNutt, president of the National Academy of Sciences.

C.C. Mei Distinguished Speaker Series 2023-24

Tuesday, November 9 | 4pm | 1-190

Prof. Oded Shoseyov, the Hebrew University of Jerusalem: "The Plant Age: Materials for the Future."

Innovation at the Food-Logistics-Materials Nexus Webinar

As challenges related to sustainability, efficiency, and security arise, innovation in infrastructure becomes even more crucial. This webinar brings together CEE faculty members to discuss cutting-edge research and developments in three intertwined areas: Food, Logistics, and Materials.

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