Dear CEE Community and Friends,

I hope everyone had an enjoyable winter break and start to the new year.

This month's newsletter shares a feature story about PhD student Nicolette Bugher who is working to identify the toxic materials in our environment. New research from Prof. Admir Masic reveals an ingredient that may be the key to long-lasting ancient Roman concrete, and researchers in the Chisholm Lab share new findings on how Prochlorococcus exchange information. We share a paper by postdoc Johannes Kalliauer that answers the question of whether the terms stiffening and softening structures are mechanically unambiguous, and a new study led by Tess Carter PhD '22 analyses premature deaths caused by small smoke particles in the United States.

The spotlight this month highlights Jay Matthews, CEE's Senior Administrative Assistant in Parsons, who shares his favorite thing about working in CEE. Lastly, we share photos from the CEE Holiday Party and details about the upcoming Research Day: CEE for the 21st Century.

Sincerely,

Ali Jadbabaie

JR East Professor

Department Head, MIT Civil and Environmental Engineering

Core Faculty, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society

As part of the MIT Superfund Research Program, PhD student Nicolette Bugher is working to expose the poisons lurking in our environment and discover what they mean for human health.

A new paper co-authored by Prof. Admir Masic, former grad student Linda Seymour, and colleagues reveals an unexpected ingredient and technique which may hold the key to designing concrete that lasts for millennia.

Scientists discover a new way of sharing genetic information in a common ocean microbe

Researchers in the Chisholm Lab discovered a new way Prochlorococcus exchange genetic information with one another, which may explain the microbe's abundance and diversity.

20,000 premature US deaths caused by human-ignited fires

A new study finds that over 80 percent of premature deaths caused by small smoke particles in the United States are a direct result of human-ignited fires. “Fires not only threaten human lives, infrastructure, and ecosystems, but they are also a major cause for concern in terms of air quality,” says lead author Tess Carter PhD '22.

Are the terms stiffening and softening structures mechanically unambiguous?

In a new paper, postdoc Johannes Kalliauer answers the question of whether the terms "stiffening structures" and "softening structures" are mechanically unambiguous.

Staff Spotlight: Jay Matthews

This month's Staff Spotlight highlights Jay Matthews, the Senior Administrative Assistant in Parsons. Jay has been a member of the CEE community for one year, learn more about him in our Rapid Fire Q&A.

CEE held our holiday party on Friday, December 16 at Sala de Puerto Rico. View and download photos from the celebration in the CEE Flickr album.

CEE Research Day: CEE for the 21st Century

CEE Research Day will take place on February 14 from 2-6pm in the Media Lab, 6th Floor. This year's event provides an opportunity to discuss civil and environmental solutions for the 21st century through lightning-fast research talks and poster presentations by CEE faculty, students, and postdocs.

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