Civil and environmental engineering

3 Questions: Engineering hurricane barriers of the futureOceans at MIT interviews MIT's Chiang C. Mei about the possibility of protecting East Coast cities from future storms.

Three from MIT named Marine Microbiology Initiative investigatorsGordon and Betty Moore Foundation awards given to pursue high-risk research in marine microbial ecology.

The music of the silksResearchers synthesize a new kind of silk fiber — and find that music can help fine-tune the material’s properties.

What can logistics do for you?In a new book, an MIT professor argues that investment in global transportation hubs can spur a ‘feedback loop’ of regional growth.

Size diversity in cement nanoparticles optimizes packing density to give concrete its strength

Sitting still or going hunting: Which works better?If you’re a microbe floating in the ocean, there’s no single best strategy for getting food, MIT research shows.

Department snapshot: Civil and Environmental EngineeringFrom bacteria to bridges, CEE researchers tackle natural and built environments.

Reaching underground resourcesVaporize the rock — no drilling required

MIT Steel Bridge Team takes second place at national competition

Weapon-wielding marine microbes may protect populations from foesIn some populations, natural antibiotics are produced by a few individuals whose closest relatives carry genes conferring resistance.

CEE's Humbyrd wins School of Engineering teaching and mentoring awardAward recognizes and encourages extraordinary teaching and mentoring by a graduate student in the school.

Bringing power to the people — and heat as wellSun-powered system developed by MIT students could provide electricity, heat and cooling to rural schools and clinics.

New model of disease contagion ranks U.S. airports in terms of their spreading influenceAirports in New York, Los Angeles and Honolulu are judged likeliest to play a significant role in the growth of a pandemic.

Matthew Orosz awarded Echoing Green Fellowship to further off-grid energy workNewly minted MIT PhD selected for two-year social entrepreneurship fellowship.

Civil engineers find savings where the rubber meets the roadStudy shows that pavement deflection under vehicle tires makes for a continuous uphill drive that increases fuel consumption.

ESD Interim Director Joseph Sussman discusses the case for complex sociotechnical systems as a new field of studyDelivers annual Charles L. Miller Lecture

Study shows unified process of evolution in bacteria and sexual eukaryotesA single gene mutation can sweep through a population, opening the door for the concept of ‘species’ in bacteria.

Seeing the music in natureFrom spider webs to tangled proteins, Markus Buehler finds the connections between mathematics, molecules and materials.

Buehler to receive Outstanding Young Investigator Award from the Materials Research SocietyHonored for highly innovative and creative work in computational modeling

Buckle inInspired by a toy, the ‘buckliball’ — a collapsible structure fabricated from a single piece of material — represents a new class of 3-D, origami-like structures.

Greenhouse gas can find a home undergroundNew MIT analysis shows there’s enough room to safely store at least a century’s worth of U.S. fossil fuel emissions.

In the World: How rainwater can meet clean-water needsRainfall can provide an alternative to polluted groundwater in developing countries, but systems are needed to keep it clean.

Robert Whitman, longtime CEE professor, dies at 84World-renowned geotechnical engineer and earthquake expert worked at MIT for more than 40 years.

Researchers create first large-scale model of human mobility that incorporates human natureWork is broadly applicable to studies of commuting, migration, freight, even epidemics.

National Engineers Week: A Q&A with Richard de NeufvilleOn engineering design and the book 'Flexibility in Engineering Design'