Dear CEE Community and Friends,

I hope your early summer is off to a good start. 

This month’s newsletter marks the end of the academic year as we say goodbye to our extraordinary graduates and recognize recipients of the 2022 CEE Awards. New research from PhD candidates Sidhant Pai and Therese Carter, and Professors Heald and Kroll highlights an opportunity to rethink global air quality guidelines. Six faculty members win Seed Awards to develop climate solutions and Assistant Professor Michael Howland talks with USA Today about the real value of wind energy. 

CEE alum, Matt Orosz is profiled by MIT News about his startup OnePower and MIT Spectrum talks with recent alum, Augustine Zvinavashe about his startup Ivu Biologics and the key support he received from MIT Sandbox. We also share an article about the supply chain in Harvard Business Review co-written by Prof. David Simchi-Levi, and a Q&A with CEE Comm Lab Fellow, Sid Pai about the power of peer-to-peer communication tutoring. Lastly, we share photos and shoutouts for CEE grads from commencement and remember former MIT Civil and Engineering Professor, John Christian.

Sincerely,

Ali Jadbabaie

JR East Professor

Department Head, MIT Civil and Environmental Engineering

Core Faculty, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society

CEE alumi Matt Orosz founded OnePower and is building mini-grids to power villages across the small, mountainous country.

New Data Suggests the U.S. Trucking Shortage May Be Ending

Real-time data suggests that one major cause of supply chain headaches in the United States — a shortage of available trucking — is coming to an end. But also signaling the economy could be at an inflection point – co-authored by Prof. David Simchi-Levi. 

Q&A with CEE Comm Lab Fellow Sid Pai

CEE Comm Lab Fellow, Sid Pai discusses his doctoral research and his work as a Fellow, sharing insights on his experiences and the value of peer-to-peer communication tutoring.

In USA Today: Michael Howland

Assistant Prof. Michael Howland talks with USA Today to debunk false claims about the financial costs of wind turbines. 

2022 CEE Awards and Honors

Students, staff, postdocs and faculty were recognized and honored at an awards ceremony banquet held on May 18 for their outstanding work, achievement, and commitment to the mission and values of the department. 

Six faculty members win Seed Awards to develop climate solutions

The MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium (MCSC) awarded 20 projects in its first-ever 2022 MCSC Seed Awards program. Congratulations to Professors Otto Cordero, Desiree Plata, Charles Harvey, César Terrer, Michael Howland and Yossi Sheffi for their winning projects. 

New research from CEE PhD candidates Sidhant Pai and Therese Carter, and Professors Colette Heald and Jesse Kroll highlights opportunity to rethink global air quality guidelines.

Zvinavashe who received his doctoral hood in May co-founded Ivu Biologics while a grad student under Prof. Bendetto Marelli receiving key support from MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund to improve sustainable agriculture.

Commencement

MIT held commencement ceremonies during the week of May 23 for this year and the last two years of graduates who missed in-person celebrations due to the pandemic. Meet some of our class of 2022 (and 2021) graduates.  

John Christian

(1936-2022)

Former MIT Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, John T. Christian passed away on June 5. He served on the department faculty from 1966-1973 before serving as Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Massachusetts Lowell from 2015-2022. Learn more about his life and career.

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