Matthew J. Eckelman
Professor and Associate Chair for Faculty,
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Affiliated Faculty,
Chemical Engineering
Affiliated Faculty,
Marine and Environmental Sciences
Affiliated Faculty,
School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs
Center Member,
The Plastics Center
Office
- 425 Snell Engineering Center
- 617.373.4256
Research Focus
Life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis, sustainable production and green design, energy systems and emissions modeling, climate change and health, healthcare sustainability
Education
- Ph.D., Environmental Engineering, Yale University, 2010
- M.S., M.Phil., Environmental Engineering, Yale University, 2006
- B.A., Physics and Mathematics, Amherst College, 2000
Honors & Awards
- 2025 Faculty Research Team Award – iSUPER Impact Engine
- 2025 Søren Buus Outstanding Research Award
- 2022 Stanford University World’s Top 2% Scientists
- 2021 Emerging Leaders Forum Presenter, National Academy of Medicine
- 2019 College of Engineering Faculty Fellow
- 2017 Clemens Herschel Award for Civil Engineering Research, Boston Society of Civil Engineering Section
- 2016 National Academy of Engineering Exemplar in Engineering Ethics Education
- 2015 NSF CAREER Award
- 2013 ISIE’s Laudise Young Researcher Prize
- 2008-2010 Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellow, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
- 2007 NSF EAPSI Fellow, Japan
Professional Affiliations
- American Center for Life Cycle Assessment
- American Society for Engineering Education
- Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors
- International Society for Industrial Ecology
Research Overview
Life cycle assessment and techno-economic analysis, sustainable production and green design, energy systems and emissions modeling, climate change and health, healthcare sustainability
Selected Research Projects
- Integrated Modeling of Air Quality, Carbon, and Climate at a City Scale for Co-benefit Mitigation
- – co-PI, NOAA
- 4C2B: Century-scale Carbon-sequestration in Cross-laminated timber Composite Bolted-steel Buildings
- – co-PI, ARPA-E
- Sustainability Tools in Cultural Heritage
- – PI, National Endowment for the Humanities
Research Centers and Institutes
- Global Resilience Institute, affiliated
- iSUPER Impact Engine, co-PI
Selected Publications
- Sherman, J.D., MacNeill, A., Biddinger, P.D., Ergun, O., Salas, R.N., Eckelman, M.J. (2023). Sustainable and Resilient Healthcare in the Face of a Changing Climate. Annual Review of Public Health 44, 255-277. doi: 10.1146/annurev-publhealth-071421-051937
- Namin, A., Eckelman, M.J., Isaacs, J.A. (2023). Technical Feasibility of Powering U.S. Industry with On-site Solar PV. Environmental Research: Infrastructure and Sustainability 3, 011002. doi: 10.1088/2634-4505/acb5bf
- Phillips, R.E., Troup, L.N., Fannon, D.F., Eckelman, M.J. (2022). Dynamic Modeling of Future Climatic and Technological Trends on Life Cycle Global Warming Impacts and Occupant Satisfaction in US Office Buildings. Energy and Buildings 256, 111705. doi: 10.1016/j.enbuild.2021.111705
May 14, 2025
CEE Hosts Annual Cochrane Fellows Luncheon
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering hosted its annual Cochrane Fellows Luncheon to honor founder Jack Cochrane and highlight the research of current PhD students in environmental engineering supported by the prestigious fellowship.
May 12, 2025
Pivoting From Biology to Sustainable Design With an MS in Sustainable Building Systems
Dane Brimmeier, MS’ 24, sustainable building systems, switched his career path from biology to sustainable design through academics, involvement in a professional student club, and co-op which led to a contracted full-time position.
Mar 06, 2025
Sustainable Decontamination of Industrial Waste
CEE Associate Professors Matthew Eckelman, Loretta Fernandez, Amy Mueller, Philip Larese-Casanova, and Professor Akram Alshawabkeh published their research on “Chromium Removal From Concentrated Ammonium-Nitrate Solution: Electrocoagulation With Iron in a Plug-Flow Reactor” in Separation and Purification Technology.
Jan 31, 2025
2024 Stanford University Annual Assessment of Author Citations
The following COE professors are among the top scientists worldwide selected by Stanford University representing the top 2% of the most-cited scientists with single-year impact in various disciplines. The selection is based on the top 100,000 by c-score (with and without self-citations) or a percentile rank of 2% or above. The list below includes those who published a paper in 2024 or later.
Jan 30, 2025
Faculty and Staff Awards 2025
Faculty and staff were recognized at the 27th Annual College of Engineering Faculty and Staff Awards for their exceptional service and dedication in support of students, the COE community, and the university during the 2024-2025 academic year.
Oct 29, 2024
New Study Shows How U.S. Factories Could Dramatically Cut Costs With One Simple Adjustment: ‘This Must Change’
CEE Associate Professor Matthew Eckelman was featured in the MSN article “New Study Shows How U.S. Factories Could Dramatically Cut Costs With One Simple Adjustment: ‘This Must Change.’”
Aug 12, 2024
Northeastern University and SEI Host ‘Towards Zero Carbon’ Workshop
Northeastern and the Structural Engineering Institute (SEI) hosted a conference focused on decarbonization and new design objectives for the structural engineering industry. University Distinguished and CDM Smith Professor and CEE Department Chair Jerome Hajjar, who is also SEI president, led the conference and emphasized concepts of sustainability, equity, and resilience.
Apr 24, 2024
Researching Data for Life-Cycle Assessments and Chemical Sustainability
CEE Associate Professor Matthew Eckelman and Abhijeet Parvatker, PhD’21, chemical engineering, collaborated on research about how the health care industry contributes to national and global emissions. This research later led Parvatker to pursue a consultant managing role at Sphera Solutions.
Jan 18, 2024
Engineers Without Borders Experience Leads to Pursuit of an MS In Engineering and Public Policy
Melanie Marino, MS in engineering and public policy, and PhD in civil and environmental engineering, was drawn to advance her education in public policy after a trip with Engineers Without Borders to Tanzania, which required working with the local government to help a village with an unreliable supply of electricity.
Dec 07, 2023
2023 Stanford University Annual Assessment of Author Citations
The following COE professors are among the top scientists worldwide selected by Stanford University representing the top 2% of the most-cited scientists with single-year impact in various disciplines. The selection is based on the top 100,000 by c-score (with and without self-citations) or a percentile rank of 2% or above.