Course One Newsletter | October 2021
Dear CEE community and friends,

This month’s newsletter highlights exciting new scientific achievements of sustainability across scales. We share new research at the nano scale from the Masic Lab that examines the concrete resilience of an ancient Roman tomb. At the planetary scale, the Nepf Lab demonstrates how marsh plants can play a major role in mitigating the damage to coastlines as sea levels rise, and Prof. Lydia Bourouiba’s new study takes a journey through history to show ways we can integrate scientific results into practice for clearer understandings of disease transmission. I also extend a big congratulations to Lydia who was just elected as a 2021 APS Fellow, a prestigious honor for her outstanding contributions to physics.

Also in this issue, two CEE professors are awarded Seed Funding for early-stage energy research and undergraduate, Carene Umubyeyi writes about her summer internship experience. Prof. Charles Harvey is a guest on MIT’s award winning podcast that breaks down the science and technology of climate change, and Prof. Franz-Josef Ulm discusses ways we can address sustainability and resilience in a quantitative way in our CEE Faculty Seminar series. We also held our first faculty retreat to discuss and share ideas and a new vision for the future of CEE.

Lastly, I hope to see you at some of our seminar talks and academic program events this semester, including the new Climate Talk Show Series from the Terrer Lab.

Sincerely,
Ali Jadbabaie
JR East Professor of Engineering
Department Head, MIT Civil and Environmental Engineering
Core Faculty, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
CEE Faculty Retreat in Falmouth
The department held its first full day retreat on October 1 to strategize and prioritize departmental goals with a new unified vision of CEE. The retreat was held at the Sea Crest Beach Hotel in Falmouth.
Planting trees to address climate change

A guest on the MIT TILclimate (Today I learned climate) Podcast, Prof. Charles Harvey gets into the science to answer the question - could we just plant a whole lot of trees to solve our climate problem?
Bourouiba Elected 2021 American Physical Society Fellow

Associate Professor Lydia Bourouiba has been elected a 2021 American Physical Society (APS) Fellow for her outstanding contributions to physics and pioneering a new field of study.
Two CEE professors receive Seed Fund grants for energy research

MIT Energy Initiative awards grants to Asst. Prof. Michael Howland to develop a foundational methodology for wind farm siting and design that accounts for the uncertainty of wind resources resulting from climate change, and Prof. Caitlin Mueller for low-energy thermal comfort for buildings in the Global South.
How marsh grass protects shorelines
As climate change brings greater threats to coastal ecosystems, new research from the Nepf Lab can help planners leverage the wave-damping benefits of marsh plants.
2,050-year-old Roman tomb offers insights on ancient concrete resilience

New research from the Masic Lab and colleagues at the University of Utah shows the quality of the concrete of first-century noblewoman Caecilia Metella’s tomb may exceed that of her male contemporaries’ monuments.
How did we get here: what are droplets and aerosols and how far do they go?

COVID-19 exposed major gaps in our understanding of how viruses spread through the air. Prof. Lydia Bourouiba and colleagues demonstrate through a journey into history ways to integrate scientific results into practice for effective public health policies.
In this CEE Faculty Seminar Series, Prof. Franz-Josef Ulm shows a way to address resilience and sustainability in a quantitative way from the building to the community and city scale.
Interning with LeMessurier
This summer Carene Umubyeyi ’22 put her Course One learnings to action during her internship with structural engineering firm, LeMessurier Consultants. She writes about her experience in the article up on our website.
Our fall semester is full of seminar talks and informational webinars about our academic programs.

November 3, 2021 | 1-2p ET
Speaker Prof. Colette Heald

November 5, 2021 | 12-1p ET 
Speaker: Will Tarpeh, of Stanford University

November 10, 2021 | 1-2p ET
Speakers: Current CEE Students
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Department of Civil
and Environmental Engineering
77 Massachusetts Avenue, Room 1-290 Cambridge, MA 02139-4307
(617) 253-7101