Rising Stars Workshop - cee.mit.edu Rising Stars in Civil and Environmental EngineeringAn Academic Career Workshop for Women Thursday, October 22 and Friday, October 23, 2026 Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT invites top early ...

Applications are open for MIT CEE’s Rising Stars in Civil & Environmental Engineering workshop.
Early-career women in CEE and related fields are invited to apply for two days of research talks, career panels, and networking with MIT faculty. Apply now: cee.mit.edu/community/ri...

QS World University Rankings rates MIT No. 1 in 12 subjects for 2026 QS World University Rankings has rated MIT No. 1 in 12 subjects for 2026. The Institute ranks second in seven subject areas.

QS World University Rankings has placed MIT in the number 1 spot in 12 subject areas for 2026, including Civil and Structural Engineering. news.mit.edu/2026/qs-worl...

Partitioning Parameters of N-Nitrosamines: An Intercomparison of Determination Methods N-Nitrosamines make up a class of carcinogenic industrial pollutants that lack well-characterized physicochemical properties. Classical approaches to determine octanol–water partition coefficient…

Chemical data shapes both public health and policy outcomes. A new study from postdoc Nicolette Bugher, Prof. Desirée Plata, and collaborators finds that even “gold-standard” data on toxic N-nitrosamines can carry hidden bias that affects regulatory decisions. pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10....

Active Surfaces aims to install peel-and-stick solar panels everywhere Active Surfaces, a startup with roots in the MIT Energy Initiative, is developing efficient, lightweight, flexible solar energy films designed for mass production and easy installation on any kind of…

Active Surfaces, a startup co-founded by alumnus Shiv Bhakta, is developing lightweight, flexible, high-efficiency solar energy films designed to be used on roofs, walls, and any curved surface. news.mit.edu/2026/active-...

Machine learning is transforming how we predict and prepare for floods.

Join the Boston Society of Civil Engineers for the 51st Annual John R. Freeman Lecture: “AI for Global Flood Forecasting” with Dr. Grey Nearing.

More info: members.bsces.org/ap/Events/Re...

Role of Atlantic multidecadal variability in modulating Arctic sea ice loss and wetting AMV modulation accelerates Arctic wetting by nearly one-third through enhancing local sea ice loss and evaporation.

Arctic rainfall and snowfall have surged in recent decades, largely driven by sea ice melt. A new study from research scientist Judah Cohen and colleagues finds natural Atlantic ocean cycles are amplifying this trend—and could slow it if they reverse. www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...

AI system learns to keep warehouse robot traffic running smoothly A new system increases throughput in automated warehouses by adaptively determining which robots should go first to avoid congestion and collisions. The work was led by researchers from MIT and…

A new AI system developed by Prof. Cathy Wu and collaborators in LIDS and IDSS adapts to decide which robots should get the right of way at every moment, avoiding congestion and increasing throughput. news.mit.edu/2026/ai-syst...

MIT engineers design proteins by their motion, not just their shape VibeGen is a new generative AI model that designs proteins with dynamic vibration and movement. The model, developed at MIT, opens new possibilities for dynamic biomaterials and adaptive therapeutics.

VibeGen, a new AI model developed in the Buehler Lab, generates novel proteins based on how they vibrate and move, opening new possibilities for dynamic biomaterials and adaptive therapeutics. news.mit.edu/2026/mit-eng...

Ocean bacteria team up to break down biodegradable plastic MIT researchers uncovered the roles of bacteria from the environment as they worked together to break down biodegradable plastic. Understanding how microbes break down plastics could help scientists…

Biodegradable plastic doesn’t break down on its own—it takes a microbial team. New research from the Plata Lab found different ocean bacteria each play a role in degrading plastic, and together they can fully consume it. news.mit.edu/2026/ocean-b...

From Idaho to MIT, on a quest to cut methane emissions Idaho native and MIT PhD candidate Audrey Parker studies methane mitigation strategies in dairy farms and coal mines to help protect the outdoor environment she’s loved since childhood.

PhD student Audrey Parker studies methane mitigation strategies in dairy farms and coal mines, to reduce emissions of the potent greenhouse gas. news.mit.edu/2026/cutting...

Before autonomous vehicles scale up, researchers call for stronger scientific standards - cee.mit.edu A new study finds autonomous mobility-on-demand research must become more transparent and reproducible to guide real-world transportation decisions As cities and companies move towards fleets of…

A new study led by @gioele-zardini.bsky.social, CEE grad student Xinling Li, and EECS grad student Meshal Alharbi finds autonomous mobility-on-demand research must become more transparent and reproducible to guide real-world transportation decisions. cee.mit.edu/before-auton...

The Startup Trying a New Trick to Develop AI For Science Discovery OpenAI and Anthropic have raised tens of billions of dollars on the promise of artificial intelligence that can make new discoveries in fields like medicine, biology and physics. And yet,we’re…

Check out this article in The Information: www.theinformation.com/newsletters/...

Unreasonable Labs, a startup co-founded by CEE Prof. Markus Buehler and Yuan Cao is building AI to connect insights across scientific fields and accelerate discovery. www.unreasonablelabs.ai

Automating Scientific Discovery with MIT Professor Markus J. Buehler Machines and Molecules · Episode

Prof. Markus Buehler joins an episode of “Machines and Molecules” to discuss why adaptability may be the single most important universal principle in materials science. open.spotify.com/episode/18n9...

Nitrous oxide, a product of fertilizer use, may harm some soil bacteria An MIT study suggests the potent greenhouse gas nitrous oxide could be toxic to certain microbes at the plant root, perhaps influencing plant health.

A new study from the McRose Lab finds that nitrous oxide may harm some soil bacteria. While some N2O is produced naturally at plant roots, agricultural practices can increase its levels, potentially disrupting microbes that support plant growth. news.mit.edu/2026/nitrous...

MIT Assistant Professor Michael Howland receives NSF CAREER Award to advance the fluid dynamics of energy harvesting - cee.mit.edu Michael Howland, the Jeffrey Cheah Career Development Professor and Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is recipient of a 2026 Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award…

Prof. Michael Howland has received a NSF CAREER Award to develop computational tools that improve energy harvesting and fluid dynamics of turbomachines. cee.mit.edu/mit-assistan...

Prof. Desirée Plata will be speaking at the 2026 Women in Data Science Cambridge Conference, Friday, March 6, 2026 in Cambridge, Massachusetts at the Microsoft NERD Center. Register now: www.eventbrite.com/e/wids-cambr...

MIT community members elected to the National Academy of Engineering for 2026 Seven MIT faculty members, along with 12 additional alumni, were elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) for significant contributions to engineering research, practice, and education.

Congrats to Prof. Charles Harvey on being elected to the National Academy of Engineering for contributions to hydrogeology regarding groundwater arsenic contamination, transport, and consequences. news.mit.edu/2026/mit-com...

Parking-aware navigation system could prevent frustration and emissions By minimizing the need to drive around looking for a parking spot, this technique can save drivers up to 35 minutes — and give them a realistic estimate of total travel time.

A parking-aware navigation system developed by Prof. Cathy Wu and researchers in IDSS and LIDS helps drivers identify lots offering the optimal balance between proximity to their destination and the likelihood of available spaces. news.mit.edu/2026/parking...

CEE graduate students receive MIT Fellowships for 2025-2026 academic year - cee.mit.edu The following students were recognized in the 2025-2026 academic year: Riccardo Fiorista received the Hugh Hampton Young Fellowship. Riccardo’s research addresses challenges in public transportation…

We’re proud to celebrate six CEE graduate students recognized with prestigious fellowships supporting research that advances sustainability and innovation across the built and natural environment.🎉 cee.mit.edu/cee-graduate...

CEE Alumna Rachel Schaefer receives 2024 Lorenz G. Straub Award - cee.mit.edu Rachel Schaefer, PhD ’24 was selected as the winner of the 2024 Lorenz G. Straub Award for her dissertation entitled, “Exploring connections between seagrass ecosystem services and meadow…

Congrats to CEE alumna Rachel Schaefer on receiving the 2024 Lorenz G. Straub Award for her thesis exploring a range of physical scales to describe how seagrass provides coastal protection and facilitates blue carbon. cee.mit.edu/cee-alumna-r...

Study examines industry influence and efficacy of carbon capture, use, and storage (CCUS) deployment - cee.mit.edu A study published in Environmental Science & Policy by Professor Charles Harvey and climate scientist, Lindsey Gulden reviews federal lobbying disclosures from 2005 to 2024 to understand why carbon…

Who’s shaping U.S. carbon capture policy? A new study from Prof. Charles Harvey finds fossil fuel companies dominate lobbying around carbon capture—spending nearly $1B over 20 years—helping steer climate policy toward solutions that extend fossil fuel use. cee.mit.edu/study-examin...

Jameel Observatory-CREWSnet begins first Adaptation Fortress | Community Jameel The Adaptation Fortress will transform a cyclone shelter and provide protection from heatwaves in Bangladesh for the first time.

The Jameel Observatory–CREWSnet, an initiative led by Prof. Elfatih Eltahir, has begun construction on the first Adaptation Fortress in Bangladesh—protecting communities from both heatwaves and cyclones. #ClimateAdaptation #ClimateResilience #ExtremeHeat www.communityjameel.org/news/jameel-...

Decoding the Arctic to predict winter weather MIT research scientist Judah Cohen is using machine learning and Arctic climate indicators to improve subseasonal weather forecasting. His model won first place in the 2025 AI WeatherQuest…

With the help of AI, MIT Research Scientist Judah Cohen is reshaping subseasonal forecasting, with the goal of extending the lead time for predicting impactful weather. news.mit.edu/2026/decodin...

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...

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…

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...

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...

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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 ...

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/...