News

In Memory of Erik VanMarcke (1941–2025) Scholar, Mentor, Parent, Husband, Friend
July 9, 2025

It is with deep sadness and heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of Erik VanMarcke, our dear friend and colleague, who died on July 7.

Erik was born in 1941 in Belgium. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Leuven and a doctorate in Civil Engineering from MIT in 1970. He joined the MIT faculty soon after and…

CEE Researchers Received Project X Award from SEAS on Compliant Concrete By Design
May 6, 2025

Assistant Professor Reza Moini and Associate Research Scholar Aimane Najmeddine have been awarded funding from The School of Engineering and Applied Science at Princeton University for their project "Soft Hard Materials By Design: Engineering Compliance in Brittle Concrete" through the Addy Fund for Excellence in Engineering and…

Material? Robot? It’s a metabot
April 25, 2025

In an experiment reminiscent of the “Transformers” movie franchise, engineers at Princeton University have created a type of material that can expand, assume new shapes, move and follow electromagnetic commands like a remotely controlled robot even though it lacks any motor or internal gears.

Alexander Michalek Receives 2025-2026 Honorific Fellowship
April 24, 2025

CEE graduate student Alexander Michalek has been awarded the Wallace Memorial Fellowship for the 2025-26 academic year.  Founded in 1930 by the bequest of Bonnie Wallace LeClear, this fellowship acknowledges Alexander's distinguished work in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

In his nomination letter, Alexander’s…

Shashank Gupta Receives 2025-2026 Honorific Fellowship
April 24, 2025

CEE graduate student Shashank Gupta has been awarded the Charlotte Elizabeth Procter Fellowship for the 2025-26 academic year.  Established in 1912 in memory of Charlotte Elizabeth Procter by her son, this fellowship acknowledges Shashank's distinguished work in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

In his nomination…

Prof. Moini has receives the Walter P. Moore, Jr., Faculty Achievement Award from ACI, for his teaching in autonomous fabrication and robotics in CEE 374
April 23, 2025

“In recognition of his innovative approach to educating students about emerging developments in concrete construction technology, where his forward-thinking vision inspires the next generation of concrete engineering students” Prof. Moini has received the Walter P. Moore, Jr., Faculty Achievement Award from American Concrete Institute. 

In this engineering and humanities ‘mashup’ course, students learn new ways of thinking from builders of the ancient world. Even Galileo weighs in.
March 6, 2025

By Kirstin Ohrt, Department of Art and Archaeology

The ingenuity of the construction techniques used by Greek builders 2,000 years ago continues to dazzle the world. What did these ancient engineers get right? And how does looking to the past help current engineering students become bolder and more creative in their own work?

Moini Lab study of tough bone-inspired brittle materials made it to the cover of Advanced Materials
Feb. 10, 2025

In a Sept. 10 article in the journal Advanced Materials, the research team led by Reza Moini, an assistant professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and…

Einara Zahn Wins 2023 Lorenz G. Straub Award
Dec. 3, 2024

The Lorenz G. Straub Award, is given annually to a PhD student with an especially meritorious dissertation in the area of hydraulic engineering or a closely related area.

Einara was selected for her 2023 dissertation:

Outstanding G1 Student Award
Nov. 26, 2024

The Graduate School at Princeton University recognizes Caridad Estrada as the ‘Outstanding G1 Student’ awardee. This award recognizes a first-year student who has made an incredible impact in a short amount of time.  

Caridad is now a G2 in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department and is part of the Interfacial Water Group…