MIT CEE

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…

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...

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.

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...

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…

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...

How South Asia Can Adapt to Extreme Heat Extreme heat waves could soon make conditions in large parts of our planet extremely dangerous.

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...

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…

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...

People seated on steps outside, surrounded by modern buildings featuring geometric designs and colorful facades. Clear blue sky and green trees frame the scene.

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...

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…

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...

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…

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...

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…

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...

Their study shows that standard compartmental mathematical models such as the SIR model can miss the mark when data from multiple outbreak waves are unknowingly combined. To address this, they created new methods that help assess potential biases.

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/...

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,…

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...

From left, Brian Roehrich, Nicholas Diaco, and Giorgio Rizzo received 2025 Kavanaugh Fellowship awards to commercialize their research. The yearlong program gives fellows time to focus on developing entrepreneurial and business-planning skills.

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...

Extending the life of America's aging bridges with technology UMass and MIT are testing out a cold spray technique to restore local bridges.

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...

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.

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...

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…

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...

Congrats to postdoc Maya Anjur-Dietrich on receiving a Career Award at the Scientific Interface from the Burroughs-Wellcome Fund. This honor supports early-career researchers at the intersection of biology and the physical, computational & mathematical sciences. www.bwfund.org/news/bwf-ann...

Study shows how a common fertilizer ingredient benefits plants MIT researchers found fertilizer additives called lanthanides can increase plant resilience to UV stress and enhance seedling growth. Until now, little has been known about how these rare earth…

A study from the Marelli Lab shows how a common fertilizer ingredient could enable new ways to increase plants’ resilience to UV stress and enhance seedling growth. news.mit.edu/2025/study-s...

Nth Cycle is bringing critical metals refining to the U.S. Nth Cycle, co-founded by MIT Associate Professor Desirée Plata, aims to recover critical metals from industrial waste and ores using a patented technology known as electro-extraction.

Nth Cycle, co-founded by Prof. Desirée Plata, is advancing critical metals refining in the U.S. by producing nickel and cobalt from battery scrap in Ohio. news.mit.edu/2025/nth-cyc...

Image generated from ChatGPT.

A new study by @mancusosci.bsky.social and @contaminatedsci.bsky.social shows that intraspecies microbial conflict can block new strains from settling in. If we want long-lasting probiotics, we must account for battles within species, not just between them. www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Congratulations to Prof. David Simchi-Levi on being awarded the Harold Larnder Prize from the Canadian Operational Research Society. The award recognizes an individual who has achieved international distinction in operational research.

CEE graduate student Ernie Lee awarded Croucher Scholarship for Doctoral Study - cee.mit.edu Graduate student Ernie (In Him) Lee has been awarded the prestigious Croucher Scholarship for Doctoral Study from the Croucher Foundation in Hong Kong. This award provides financial support for…

Congrats to Ernie Lee on being awarded a Croucher Scholarship for Doctoral Study. This award will support Lee’s research exploring the impacts of spatial heterogeneity and seasonal variations on the salt marsh wave attenuation performances.

“Each of us holds a piece of the solution” Hundreds of students, faculty, and staff turned out on May 6 for a community gathering hosted by Evelyn Wang, vice president for energy and climate, to learn about the Climate Project at MIT, make…

Community members gathered with Vice President for Energy and Climate Evelyn Wang to explore the Climate Project at MIT, make connections, and exchange ideas. news.mit.edu/2025/each-of...

Unpacking the bias of large language models MIT researchers discovered the underlying cause of position bias, a phenomenon that causes large language models to overemphasize the beginning or end of a document or conversation, while neglecting…

In a new study, researchers in IDSS, LIDS, EECS and CEE collaborate to discover the root cause of a type of bias in LLMs, paving the way for more accurate and reliable AI systems. news.mit.edu/2025/unpacki...

MIT Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate students awarded U.S. Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship - cee.mit.edu Isabella Stewart and Skylar Gering were among thirty students selected for the 2025 U.S. Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF) program. The fellowship supports…

Isabella Stewart and Skylar Gering were named 2025 DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellows! 🎉 Their research, on AI-driven materials design and offshore wind modeling, uses high-performance computing to tackle complex environmental challenges. cee.mit.edu/mit-civil-an...

CEE announces new leadership for Parsons and Pierce Laboratories - cee.mit.edu The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at MIT has announced new leadership appointments for its two research laboratories. Effective July 1, Professor John Ochsendorf, will serve…

We are pleased to announce new leadership for our two research laboratories. Effective July 1, Prof. John Ochsendorf will serve as the Director of the Pierce Laboratory, and Prof. Desirée Plata as Director of the Parsons Laboratory. cee.mit.edu/cee-announce...

AI stirs up the recipe for concrete in MIT study A new artificial intelligence framework has identified cement alternatives to enhance concrete environmental and cost performance. The work was led by Soroush Mahjoubi, a postdoc in the MIT Concrete…

A team led by Soroush Mahjoubi, a postdoc in CEE, built a machine-learning framework that evaluates and sorts candidate materials for cleaner concrete based on their physical and chemical properties. news.mit.edu/2025/ai-stir...

Drivers and impacts of global seed disperser decline Nature Reviews Biodiversity - Many plants rely on animals to disperse their seeds, but some groups of these seed-dispersing animals are facing severe declines. This Review summarizes evidence of...

A review paper led by Evan Fricke, a research scientist in the Terrer Lab, highlights seed disperser decline and what it means for biodiversity, climate resilience, and ecosystem recovery. rdcu.be/emz6t

Upward view of trees with green foliage, sunlight filtering through the sky overhead.

A new study from a team of researchers including Prof. César Terrer and research scientist Evan Fricke maps out where tree restoring can have the biggest impact, without interfering with food, water, or wildlife. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Study helps pinpoint areas where microplastics will accumulate An MIT study finds microparticles are less likely to accumulate in sediment infused with biofilms, such as sandy riverbeds or seashores. The work may guide people studying impacts of microplastics or…

A study from the Nepf Lab helps pinpoint areas where microplastics are likely to build up, revealing that biofilms deposited by living organisms reduce the accumulation of small particles, while areas of bare sand can be hotspots. news.mit.edu/2025/study-h...