MIT CEE
@mitcee.bsky.social
Latest news and research from MIT's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
New research led by grad student Kristen Riedinger with the Plata Lab and MIT Superfund Research Program detects low-level N-nitrosamines in drinking water and explores links to other water quality indicators. doi.org/10.1039/D5EW...
December 18, 2025 at 4:00 PM
New research led by grad student Kristen Riedinger with the Plata Lab and MIT Superfund Research Program detects low-level N-nitrosamines in drinking water and explores links to other water quality indicators. doi.org/10.1039/D5EW...
Research Scientist Glen de Vera grew up surrounded by unsafe water and pollution. Now at MIT, he studies water treatment, tackles pollutants, mentors students, and advances technologies that protect public health. cee.mit.edu/from-flooded...
From flooded streets to MIT: Glen de Vera’s lifelong quest to protect global water health - cee.mit.edu
In a small town in the Philippines, environmental issues weren’t newspaper headlines, but daily realities for Research Scientist, Glen de Vera. Floodwaters routinely filled the streets. Rivers ran…
cee.mit.edu
December 15, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Research Scientist Glen de Vera grew up surrounded by unsafe water and pollution. Now at MIT, he studies water treatment, tackles pollutants, mentors students, and advances technologies that protect public health. cee.mit.edu/from-flooded...
Congrats to Prof. César Terrer on being named to Clarivate’s 2025 Highly Cited Researchers list! 🎉 The annual list recognizes researchers whose publications rank in the top 1% by citations in their field. cee.mit.edu/mit-professo...
MIT Professor César Terrer named to Clarivate’s 2025 Highly Cited Researchers List - cee.mit.edu
César Terrer, TianFu Group Career Development Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, has been named to the 2025 Highly Cited Researchers list from Clarivate. The annual list identifies rese...
cee.mit.edu
December 10, 2025 at 2:05 PM
Congrats to Prof. César Terrer on being named to Clarivate’s 2025 Highly Cited Researchers list! 🎉 The annual list recognizes researchers whose publications rank in the top 1% by citations in their field. cee.mit.edu/mit-professo...
A team of researchers led by Prof. Admir Masic analyzed a recently discovered ancient construction site to shed new light on a material that has endured for thousands of years. #concrete #infrastructure #sustainability news.mit.edu/2025/pompeii...
Pompeii offers insights into ancient Roman building technology
MIT researchers analyzed an ancient Pompeii construction site to determine how the ancient Romans produced concrete that endured for thousands of years.
news.mit.edu
December 9, 2025 at 7:13 PM
A team of researchers led by Prof. Admir Masic analyzed a recently discovered ancient construction site to shed new light on a material that has endured for thousands of years. #concrete #infrastructure #sustainability news.mit.edu/2025/pompeii...
A team of researchers including @gioele-zardini.bsky.social have developed a mathematically grounded system that lets soft robots deform, adapt, and interact with people and objects, without violating safety limits. news.mit.edu/2025/new-con...
New control system teaches soft robots the art of staying safe
System developed by researchers at MIT CSAIL and LIDS uses rigorous mathematics to ensure robots flex, adapt, and interact with people and objects in a safe and precise way. It helps robots remain fle...
news.mit.edu
December 8, 2025 at 4:40 PM
A team of researchers including @gioele-zardini.bsky.social have developed a mathematically grounded system that lets soft robots deform, adapt, and interact with people and objects, without violating safety limits. news.mit.edu/2025/new-con...
New research led by graduate student Audrey Parker and co-authors in the Plata Lab and Prof. John Hart’s Mechanosynthesis Group established a framework to evaluate when methane destruction technologies deliver true, net climate benefit. pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Dairy Barn Methane Levels and Feasibility of Thermal Catalytic Oxidation for Net Climate Benefit
Thermal catalytic oxidation has emerged as a promising technique to destroy methane from dilute sources, such as agricultural emissions in engineered indoor environments. The concentration of methane ...
pubs.acs.org
December 5, 2025 at 2:05 PM
New research led by graduate student Audrey Parker and co-authors in the Plata Lab and Prof. John Hart’s Mechanosynthesis Group established a framework to evaluate when methane destruction technologies deliver true, net climate benefit. pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/...
Tehran is approaching “Day Zero.” A @thebulletin.org article by Prof. Elfatih Eltahir and postdoc Yeon-Woo Choi shows how extreme heat and long-term drought have pushed city reservoirs to ~8% capacity, threatening water supplies for 10+ million residents. thebulletin.org/2025/12/shif...
Shifting storms, sweltering summers: Tehran faces future ‘Day Zero’ when the taps run dry
The water crisis in Tehran reflects not only this summer’s extreme heat but also several consecutive years of reduced precipitation and ongoing drought conditions across Iran.
thebulletin.org
December 4, 2025 at 4:00 PM
Tehran is approaching “Day Zero.” A @thebulletin.org article by Prof. Elfatih Eltahir and postdoc Yeon-Woo Choi shows how extreme heat and long-term drought have pushed city reservoirs to ~8% capacity, threatening water supplies for 10+ million residents. thebulletin.org/2025/12/shif...
A new study co-authored by Prof. Saurabh Amin and colleagues in EECS and LIDS shows that more data isn’t always better. Their framework identifies when a minimal dataset can still produce optimal decisions, reducing cost and computational load. #MIT #SystemsEngineering news.mit.edu/2025/bigger-...
Bigger datasets aren’t always better
A new MIT system identifies the smallest possible dataset that can be used to optimally solve a complex problem with many potential solutions. This technique could help engineers or scientists solve p...
news.mit.edu
November 18, 2025 at 6:09 PM
A new study co-authored by Prof. Saurabh Amin and colleagues in EECS and LIDS shows that more data isn’t always better. Their framework identifies when a minimal dataset can still produce optimal decisions, reducing cost and computational load. #MIT #SystemsEngineering news.mit.edu/2025/bigger-...
A new study from Prof. Desirée Plata, graduate student Amélie Lemay, and colleagues at Princeton University found that increasing adoption of electric vehicles was associated with declines of major air pollutants — including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, fine particles, and even summer ozone.
November 10, 2025 at 4:46 PM
A new study from Prof. Desirée Plata, graduate student Amélie Lemay, and colleagues at Princeton University found that increasing adoption of electric vehicles was associated with declines of major air pollutants — including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide, fine particles, and even summer ozone.
In a recent study, Comm Lab Manager Jared Berezin found that simple peer-support activities can strengthen learning and wellbeing—boosting connection, reducing stigma, and improving teamwork. mitcommlab.mit.edu/cee/2025/10/...
Beavers, Care Bears, and the Power of Compassionate Communication : Civil and Environmental Engineering Communication Lab
Helping scientists communicate.
mitcommlab.mit.edu
November 4, 2025 at 7:02 PM
In a recent study, Comm Lab Manager Jared Berezin found that simple peer-support activities can strengthen learning and wellbeing—boosting connection, reducing stigma, and improving teamwork. mitcommlab.mit.edu/cee/2025/10/...
Congratulations to Prof. Darcy McRose on being named a 2025 Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering! 🎉 Her research explores how antibiotics shape ecosystems, agriculture, and health. @packardfdn.bsky.social news.mit.edu/2025/darcy-m...
Darcy McRose and Mehtaab Sawhney ’20, PhD ’24 named 2025 Packard Fellows for Science and Engineering
MIT professor and environmental microbiologist Darcy McRose is named 2025 Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering to pursue her research on secondary metabolites. Her research aims to uncover…
news.mit.edu
October 16, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Congratulations to Prof. Darcy McRose on being named a 2025 Packard Fellow for Science and Engineering! 🎉 Her research explores how antibiotics shape ecosystems, agriculture, and health. @packardfdn.bsky.social news.mit.edu/2025/darcy-m...
A concrete “battery” developed by Professors Admir Masic, Franz-Josef Ulm, and researchers in the MIT CSHub now packs 10 times the power—unlocking the potential to turn the concrete around us into massive energy storage systems.
news.mit.edu/2025/concret...
news.mit.edu/2025/concret...
Concrete “battery” developed at MIT now packs 10 times the power
New concrete and carbon black supercapacitors with optimized electrolytes have 10 times the energy storage of previous designs and can be incorporated into a wide range of architectural forms.
news.mit.edu
October 3, 2025 at 2:04 PM
A concrete “battery” developed by Professors Admir Masic, Franz-Josef Ulm, and researchers in the MIT CSHub now packs 10 times the power—unlocking the potential to turn the concrete around us into massive energy storage systems.
news.mit.edu/2025/concret...
news.mit.edu/2025/concret...
A new framework developed by @gioele-zardini.bsky.social, PhD student Yujun Huang and colleagues could change how engineers design autonomous vehicles, commercial aircraft, or transportation networks to handle real-world unpredictability. news.mit.edu/2025/account...
Accounting for uncertainty to help engineers design complex systems
MIT researchers developed a framework that can help engineers design systems that involve many interconnected parts in a way that explicitly accounts for the uncertainty in each component’s…
news.mit.edu
October 2, 2025 at 3:00 PM
A new framework developed by @gioele-zardini.bsky.social, PhD student Yujun Huang and colleagues could change how engineers design autonomous vehicles, commercial aircraft, or transportation networks to handle real-world unpredictability. news.mit.edu/2025/account...
South Asia is facing record-breaking heatwaves that could put millions at risk of life-threatening conditions. In a TIME op-ed, Prof. Elfatih Eltahir calls for urgent adaptation and aggressive action to curb carbon emissions. time.com/7319322/sout...
How South Asia Can Adapt to Extreme Heat
Extreme heat waves could soon make conditions in large parts of our planet extremely dangerous.
time.com
September 29, 2025 at 6:00 PM
South Asia is facing record-breaking heatwaves that could put millions at risk of life-threatening conditions. In a TIME op-ed, Prof. Elfatih Eltahir calls for urgent adaptation and aggressive action to curb carbon emissions. time.com/7319322/sout...
Prof. Josephine Carstensen and PhD student Hajin Kim-Tackowiak created a new design method that accounts for 3D printer limitations to better control materials’ performance in aerospace, medical, and other applications. news.mit.edu/2025/techniq...
Technique makes complex 3D printed parts more reliable
MIT engineers are incorporating the limitations of 3D printers into computer designs, to better control materials’ performance. The approach helps ensure printed structures perform the way they’re…
news.mit.edu
September 26, 2025 at 1:02 PM
Prof. Josephine Carstensen and PhD student Hajin Kim-Tackowiak created a new design method that accounts for 3D printer limitations to better control materials’ performance in aerospace, medical, and other applications. news.mit.edu/2025/techniq...
Ready to engineer solutions for a sustainable future? Join us Sept. 25 @ 2PM ET for a Graduate Admissions Info session to learn how you can make a global impact through advanced study and research. Ready to apply now? Our grad application portal is open. apply.mit.edu/register/?id...
September 15, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Ready to engineer solutions for a sustainable future? Join us Sept. 25 @ 2PM ET for a Graduate Admissions Info session to learn how you can make a global impact through advanced study and research. Ready to apply now? Our grad application portal is open. apply.mit.edu/register/?id...
Congrats to @gioele-zardini.bsky.social on receiving a 2025 DARPA Young Faculty Award to support his research into scalable, verifiable design of multi-agent autonomous systems. #AutonomousSystems #ScalableDesign #MIT #EngineeringResearch lids.mit.edu/news-and-eve...
Gioele Zardini receives 2025 DARPA Young Faculty Award
The award will support research into scalable, verifiable design of multi-agent autonomous systems Gioele Zardini has been named a 2025 recipient of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency…
lids.mit.edu
September 9, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Congrats to @gioele-zardini.bsky.social on receiving a 2025 DARPA Young Faculty Award to support his research into scalable, verifiable design of multi-agent autonomous systems. #AutonomousSystems #ScalableDesign #MIT #EngineeringResearch lids.mit.edu/news-and-eve...
Prof. César Terrer and Trevor Cambron SM ’25 examine plants under elevated CO2 and their impact on climate models in a new review paper published in @natclimate.nature.com
cee.mit.edu/plant-nutrie...
cee.mit.edu/plant-nutrie...
Plant nutrient strategies could reshape carbon sink predictions - cee.mit.edu
New study examines plants under elevated CO₂ and their impact on climate models Each year, plants and trees absorb roughly one-third of the carbon dioxide (CO₂) that human activities release into the…
cee.mit.edu
August 18, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Prof. César Terrer and Trevor Cambron SM ’25 examine plants under elevated CO2 and their impact on climate models in a new review paper published in @natclimate.nature.com
cee.mit.edu/plant-nutrie...
cee.mit.edu/plant-nutrie...
A new study led by Prof. Cathy Wu and colleagues reveals that eco-driving measures, such as dynamically adjusting vehicle speeds to reduce stopping and excessive acceleration, can cut carbon emissions between 11 and 22 percent. news.mit.edu/2025/eco-dri...
Eco-driving measures could significantly reduce vehicle emissions
Implementing co-driving techniques, like the use of intelligent speed controls to mitigate congestion at traffic lights, can significantly reduce intersection carbon dioxide emissions without…
news.mit.edu
August 11, 2025 at 2:15 PM
A new study led by Prof. Cathy Wu and colleagues reveals that eco-driving measures, such as dynamically adjusting vehicle speeds to reduce stopping and excessive acceleration, can cut carbon emissions between 11 and 22 percent. news.mit.edu/2025/eco-dri...
New research from Prof. Lydia Bourouiba and mentee and postdoc Naijian Shen uncovers a blind spot in how we model epidemic spread: combining data from different regions can skew estimates of contagion. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
August 6, 2025 at 1:45 PM
New research from Prof. Lydia Bourouiba and mentee and postdoc Naijian Shen uncovers a blind spot in how we model epidemic spread: combining data from different regions can skew estimates of contagion. royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/...
A new study led by CEE research scientist Evan Fricke highlights the critical role seed dispersing animals play in forest carbon absorption, showing that when these animals decline, forests recover significantly less carbon—a key factor in climate change mitigation. news.mit.edu/2025/why-ani...
Why animals are a critical part of forest carbon absorption
Following deforestation, tropical forests with healthy populations of seed-dispersing animals can absorb up to four times more carbon than similar forests with fewer seed-dispersing animals,…
news.mit.edu
July 31, 2025 at 1:02 PM
A new study led by CEE research scientist Evan Fricke highlights the critical role seed dispersing animals play in forest carbon absorption, showing that when these animals decline, forests recover significantly less carbon—a key factor in climate change mitigation. news.mit.edu/2025/why-ani...
Congrats to Giorgio Rizzo, postdoc in the Marelli Lab, on receiving a Kavanaugh Fellowship. This award will support his work focused on a seed coating that boosts plant growth and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers.
📸: Jason Sparapani
dmse.mit.edu/news/three-w...
📸: Jason Sparapani
dmse.mit.edu/news/three-w...
July 21, 2025 at 2:01 PM
Congrats to Giorgio Rizzo, postdoc in the Marelli Lab, on receiving a Kavanaugh Fellowship. This award will support his work focused on a seed coating that boosts plant growth and reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers.
📸: Jason Sparapani
dmse.mit.edu/news/three-w...
📸: Jason Sparapani
dmse.mit.edu/news/three-w...
Prof. John Ochsendorf is reimagining how we build and preserve America’s bridges—by looking to the past. “How do we build bridges that are cost effective, have lower environmental impact, and are also beautiful to look at?" he asks. www.wcvb.com/article/exte...
Extending the life of America's aging bridges with technology
UMass and MIT are testing out a cold spray technique to restore local bridges.
www.wcvb.com
July 17, 2025 at 2:15 PM
Prof. John Ochsendorf is reimagining how we build and preserve America’s bridges—by looking to the past. “How do we build bridges that are cost effective, have lower environmental impact, and are also beautiful to look at?" he asks. www.wcvb.com/article/exte...
Prof. Elfatih Eltahir joins The Joy of Why podcast to explain why we need more local and social data, like disease spread and population growth, to better predict and address climate-related challenges. www.quantamagazine.org/how-can-regi...
How Can Regional Models Advance Climate Science? | Quanta Magazine
Elfatih Eltahir explains why we need more local and social data, like disease spread and population growth, to better predict and address climate-related challenges.
www.quantamagazine.org
July 15, 2025 at 5:50 PM
Prof. Elfatih Eltahir joins The Joy of Why podcast to explain why we need more local and social data, like disease spread and population growth, to better predict and address climate-related challenges. www.quantamagazine.org/how-can-regi...
Prof. Saurabh Amin has received a 2025 MIT Energy Initiative Seed Fund to develop DecarbAI—an AI-powered tool using LLMs and ML to help plan clean energy grids as data center electricity demand surges. energy.mit.edu/news/mit-ene...
MIT Energy Initiative funds seven early-stage energy research projects
This spring, the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI) awarded more than $1.2 million in grants to support seven novel energy research projects as part of its Seed Fund program. Each project will receive…
energy.mit.edu
July 14, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Prof. Saurabh Amin has received a 2025 MIT Energy Initiative Seed Fund to develop DecarbAI—an AI-powered tool using LLMs and ML to help plan clean energy grids as data center electricity demand surges. energy.mit.edu/news/mit-ene...