Amy Mueller
Associate Professor,
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Associate Professor,
Marine and Environmental Sciences
Affiliated Faculty,
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Office
- 459 SN
- 617.373.8131
Research Focus
Biogeochemistry of natural and engineered systems; in-situ sensors and instrumentation for high-resolution process characterization; remediation and sustainability in natural and built coastal environments; sensor-driven closed-loop controls for resource optimization in engineered systems; signal processing and machine learning, embedded systems, and sensor networks
Education
- 2012 PhD in Environmental Chemistry at MIT
- 2003 MEng in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT
Honors & Awards
- Faculty Research Team Award – iSUPER Impact Engine (2025)
- Faculty Fellow Award (2024)
- Northeastern University CEE Excellence in Teaching Award (2021)
- National Science Foundation, Ocean Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (2015-2016)
- MIT-Xerox Fellowship (2009)
- Geological Society of America, Graduate Research Grant (2009)
- National Science Foundation, Graduate Research Fellowship (2004-2007)
Professional Affiliations
- American Geophysical Union
- American Society of Civil Engineers
- Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP)
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
Research Overview
Biogeochemistry of natural and engineered systems; in-situ sensors and instrumentation for high-resolution process characterization; remediation and sustainability in natural and built coastal environments; sensor-driven closed-loop controls for resource optimization in engineered systems; signal processing and machine learning, embedded systems, and sensor networks
Selected Research Projects
- SCC-IRG Track 1: Common SENSES (Standards for ENacting Sensor networks for an Equitable Society): Community-Led, Science-Driven Climate Resilience in Boston, MA
- – Co-Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation
- Ventilation Air Methane Abatement via Catalytic Oxidation (VAMCO) with Machine-Learning Enhanced Sensing and Feedback Controls
- – Co-Principle Investigator, Department of Energy (ARPA-E)
- Latrobe Prize: Common SENSES (Standards for ENacting Sensor networks for an Equitable Society)
- – co-Principal Investigator, American Institute of Architects College of Fellows
- Boston Water and Sewer Commission Monitoring Phosphorous Removal at Harambee Park BMP
- – Principal Investigator, Boston Water and Sewer Commission
- Toxic-Free Footprints to Improve Community Health against Respiratory Hazards
- – Co-Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation
- Implementation of Innovative Biological Nutrient Removal Processes through Improvement of Control Systems and Online Analytical Measurement Reliability and Accuracy
- – Principal Investigator, Northeastern University (Prime: Woodard & Curren), Water Research Foundation
- Printed Multi-sensors for Coastal Nitrate Monitoring and Source Identification,
- – Principal Investigator, Schmidt Marine Technology Partners (Schmidt Foundation)
Research Centers and Institutes
- iSUPER Impact Engine – core faculty
- Institute for Experiential AI – affiliated
- Global Resilience Institute – affiliated
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
- O’Brien, D.T. and Mueller, A.V. In Pursuit of Local Solutions for Climate Resilience: Sensing Microspatial Inequities in Heat and Air Pollution within Urban Neighborhoods in Boston, MA. Sustainability (2023) 15: 2984. https://doi.org/10.3390/su15042984
- Zhang, W., Wei, S. P., Winkler, M. K., & Mueller, A.V. (2022). Design of a Soft Sensor for Monitoring Phosphorous Uptake in an EBPR Process. ACS ES&T Engineering, 2(10), 1847-1856. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestengg.2c00090
- Navato, A. and Mueller, A. (2021). Enabling automatic detection of anomalies in wastewater: a highly simplified approach to defining “normal” in complex chemical mixtures. Frontiers in Water, 3: 170. doi 10.3389/frwa.2021.734361
- Alam, M.M., Srinivasan, V., Mueller, A.V., & Gu, A.Z. (2021). Status and Advances in Technologies for Phosphorus Species Detection and Characterization in Natural Environment-A Comprehensive Review. Talanta, 122458
- Bokade, R., Navato, A., Ouyang, R., Jin, X., Chou, C.A., Ostadabbas, S., & Mueller, A.V. (2020). A Cross-Disciplinary Comparison of Multimodal Data Fusion Approaches and Applications: Accelerating Learning through Trans-Disciplinary Information Sharing. Expert Systems with Applications, 113885
- Zhang, W., Tooker, N.B., & Mueller, A.V. (2020). Enabling Wastewater Treatment Process Automation: Leveraging Innovations in Real-Time Sensing, Data Analysis, and Online Controls. Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology, 6(11), 2973-2992
- Mueller, A.V., Eden, M.J., Oakes, J. M., Bellini, C., & Fernandez, L.A. (2020). Quantitative Method for Comparative Assessment of Particle Removal Efficiency of Fabric Masks as Alternatives to Standard Surgical Masks for PPE. Matter, 3(3), 950-962
- Wang, Z.A., Moustahfid, H., Mueller, A.V., Michel, A.P.M., Mowlem, M., Glazer, B.T, Mooney, T.A., et al. (2019). Advancing Observation of Ocean Biogeochemistry, Biology, and Ecosystems with Cost-Effective in Situ Sensing Technologies. Frontiers in Marine Science 6, 519
- Snauffer, U., Chauhan, K., Cogert, Winkler, M.K.H., Mueller, A.V. (2019). Data Fusion for Environmental Process Control: Maximizing Useful Information Recovery for Process Control under Data Limited Constraints. IEEE Sensors Letters: Special Issue Multimodal Data Fusion, 3(1)
- Chou, C.-A, Xiaoning, J., Mueller, A.V., Ostadabbas, S. (2019). Multimodal Data Fusion-Moving from Domain-Specific Algorithms to Trans-Domain Understanding for Accelerated Solution Development. IEEE Sensors Letters, Special Issue on Multimodal Data Fusion, 3(1), 7100104
- Mueller, A.V., Hemond, H.F. (2016). Statistical Generation of Training Sets for Measuring NO3-, NH4+, and Major Ions in Natural Waters by an Ion Selective Electrode Array. Environmental Science: Processes and Impacts, 18(5), 590-599
- Mueller, A. V., & Hemond, H. F. (2013). Extended Artificial Neural Networks: Incorporation of a Priori Chemical Knowledge Enables use of Ion Selective Electrodes for In-Situ Measurement of Ions at Environmentally Relevant Levels. Talanta, 117, 112-118
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 08, 2025
A New Project Is Helping Chelsea Residents Better Understand Their Air Quality
CEE/MES Associate Professor Amy Mueller was featured in the CommonWealth Beacon article “A New Project Is Helping Chelsea Residents Better Understand Their Air Quality“.
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 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.
Feb 26, 2024
Northeastern Among Top 100 Universities for Utility Patents
Northeastern University, recognized for its excellence in innovation and entrepreneurship, has once again been named one of the top 100 universities worldwide for securing utility patents by the National Academy of Inventors.
Feb 01, 2024
Faculty and Staff Awards 2024
The College of Engineering recognized faculty and staff at the annual faculty and staff awards event and thanked everyone for their hard work and dedication in support of our students, college, and university during the 2023-2024 academic year. View award recipients and photo gallery.
Sep 28, 2023
Patent for Developing a Robotic Aquaculture System
BioE/ECE Affiliated Faculty Joseph Ayers, MES/CEE Professor Mark Patterson, CEE Chair Jerome Hajjar, ECE Professor Milica Stojanovic, and CEE/MES Associate Professor Amy Mueller were awarded a patent for “Robotic aquaculture system and methods.”
Aug 07, 2023
Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU Pathways) Completes 10-Week Boston Program
MIE Professor Ibrahim Zeid and STEM Executive Director Claire Duggan led a 10-week NSF-funded REU program called “REU Pathways,” which mentors community college students in engineering research.
Jul 03, 2023
How Clean Is the Air in Your Neighborhood? This New Northeastern Project Aims To Find Out
CEE Professor Yang Zhang, who leads the interdisciplinary impact engine team iSUPER, is installing over 100 stationary pollution sensors in Brookline and Chelsea and using a mobile lab to measure air quality block-by-block in Greater Boston municipalities. She aims to identify hyperlocal pollutant hotspots and support strategies to reduce air pollution.
Sep 26, 2022
Impact Engines Spur Multidisciplinary Research Innovation To Solve Global Challenges
Northeastern University has selected its first cohort of Impact Engines to ignite measurable change in problem-solving, three of the five of which are led by engineering faculty.