CEE News October 2020
It is a pleasure and a privilege to write to you for the first time as the new head of the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT. We are now in the midst of a very irregular and challenging semester, but despite the ongoing circumstances brought on by the spread of the pandemic, I feel proud and hopeful when I see the ingenuity and resolve of our community to make the best of our situation and continue on our research and educational mission.
The events of the past 7 months have brought the importance of our mission and vision to the front page. Our department sits at the crossroads that connects the complex infrastructures, systems and operations that are the bedrock of our modern civilization and networked lives - and the planet and environment that is being severely affected by this anthropogenic activity. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought to bear the fragile nature of our supply chain networks, our modern infrastructure, and the impact of our mobility and interconnectedness on how local events lead to global cascades. Our message is clear: If you think the disruptions caused by COVID-19 were bad, wait for the effects of climate change!
 
CEE is also at the forefront of some of the most exciting and diverse research being conducted today in the areas of materials and sustainability. Admir Masic has developed a new methodology for a better understanding of how nacre – a natural material found in shells along the beach – has such strength and versatility, and revealed new information that could potentially aid engineers as they work to develop newer, more sustainable building materials, inspired by nature.
 
Yossi Sheffi’s new book, entitled The New (Ab)Normal takes a look at how businesses and supply chain managers turned to science and technology in the wake of the pandemic, and could change the way business is done forever, and the initiative lead by Otto Cordero called MIT Integrative Microbiology Initiative will stimulate environmental microbiology research in years to come. Last but not least, please join me in congratulating Professor David Simchi-Levi, who was awarded the prestigious Impact Prize by INFORMS, the leading international association of operations research and analytics professionals, and Professor Tami Lieberman, who was the recipient of an NIH Director’s award.
 
See below for more news and insights into the amazing research going on within our department, as well as the people conducting it.
 
Thank you, and please continue to stay safe during this challenging time.
 
Ali Jadbabaie
JR East Professor of Engineering
Department Head, MIT Civil and Environmental Engineering
Core Faculty, Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
NEWS
Top of the class in civil engineering
Newsweek ranks MIT CEE third in the country for its undergraduate program in civil engineering. Read more.
Tami Lieberman honored with prestigious NIH award
The National Institute of Health award is meant to identify up-and-coming researchers and encourage them to take on high-risk challenges. Read more

INFORMS awards Impact Prize to David Simchi-Levi
The Impact Prize is presented every two years to an INFORMS member who has played an integral part in the widespread impact of their work in the practice of operations research. Read more
Sparking new passion for environmental science
Otto X. Cordero is leading the charge to returns Parsons Laboratory to a place of prominence, both at MIT and in the world of environmental sciences. Read more
Staying resilient in the wake of the pandemic
Yossi Sheffi's recently released book, The New (Ab)Normal takes a look at how businesses and supply chain managers turned to science and technology in the wake of the pandemic, and could change the way business is done forever. The book is now available on Amazon. Read more
COVID-19 Updates
What makes 'nacre' such an amazing natural material?
Researchers in the Masic lab have developed an improved methodology to test nacre, a natural material found in beach shells; the results could lead to new possibilities for engineers designing nature-inspired materials. Read more
Research
How smarter packaging could help us limit food waste
Velcro-like food sensors, made from an array of silk microneedles, can pierce through plastic packaging to sample food for signs of spoilage and bacterial contamination. Read more
A break in the dam
Researchers at MIT ran 584 flume experiments to gain a better understanding of how logjams in rivers impact restoration - the new information could lead to improved projection models Read more
CEE Profiles
Building a community for all
CEE senior Luke Bastion is part Navajo, his roots have helped him define his career path and inspired him to be an advocate for change on the MIT campus. Read more