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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240410T120000
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DTSTAMP:20260424T214546
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SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Dr. Jodie Lutkenhaus
DESCRIPTION:Organic Batteries for a More Sustainable Future \nCobalt\, nickel\, and lithium are essential ingredients in today’s lithium-ion batteries (LIBs)\, but their continued use presents economic\, ethical\, and environmental challenges. Society must now begin to consider the implications of a LIB’s full life cycle\, including the carbon footprint\, the economic and environmental costs\, and material access. These challenges motivate the case for degradable or recyclable batteries sourced from earth-abundant materials whose life cycle bears minimal impact on the environment. This presentation considers organic polymer-based batteries\, which have the potential to address many of these issues. Redox-active polymers form the positive and negative electrodes\, storing charge through a reversible redox mechanism. We demonstrate polypeptide radical batteries that degrade on command into amino acids and by-products as a first step toward circular organic batteries. Further\, we show the recycling of redox-active polymer electrodes using a solvent-based approach. Polymer-air batteries are examined as high-capacity alternatives to metal-air batteries. The molecular mechanism for each case is investigated\, revealing pathways forward for improving each polymer’s performance. Taken together\, organic batteries offer the promise of a circular platform free of critical elements. \n\nJodie L. Lutkenhaus is a Professor\, Associated Department Head\, and holder of the Axalta Chair in the Artie McFerrin Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University. Lutkenhaus received her B.S. in 2002 from The University of Texas at Austin and her Ph.D in 2007 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Current research areas include polyelectrolytes\, redox-active polymers\, energy storage\, and composites. She has received recognitions including World Economic Forum Young Scientist\, Kavli Fellow\, NSF CAREER\, AFOSR Young Investigator\, and the 3M Non-tenured Faculty Award. She is the past-Chair of the AICHE Materials Engineering & Sciences Division. Lutkenhaus is the Deputy Editor of ACS Applied Polymer Materials and a member of the U.S. National Academies Board of Chemical Sciences & Technology.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-dr-jodie-lutkenhaus/
LOCATION:103 Churchill\, 103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240403T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240403T130000
DTSTAMP:20260424T214546
CREATED:20240326T142857Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240326T142857Z
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SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Dr. Sindia M. Rivera Jiménez
DESCRIPTION:Professional Organizations and Social Responsibility in Chemical Engineering Education \nProfessional organizations (POs) are established communities that significantly influence the competencies and values of engineers\, but the impact of their interaction with academia on undergraduate education is not fully understood. This study addresses this gap by exploring how engineering faculty in POs strategically incorporate social responsibility into their teaching. Relying on Paulo Freire’s critical consciousness and the Transformational Agency framework\, it examines faculty reflections on societal and power dynamics for curriculum change. \nConducted over eight months\, the study focuses on a Community of Practice (CoP) within the American Institute of Chemical Engineering’s Education Division\, engaging faculty from multiple institutions. We employed qualitative methods\, analyzing interview data through thematic analysis with In-Vivo and Axial coding. Preliminary results highlight how the CoP influences faculty’s reflective practices and understanding of societal structures\, suggesting it enhances educators’ critical awareness and ability to integrate social responsibility into their teaching. \nThe findings deepen our understanding of POs’ role in evolving engineering education. They showcase how educators’ involvement in POs can shape socially responsible engineers\, addressing the complex societal roles engineers face. This seminar aims to inspire educators with strategies for creating transformative learning environments. \n\nDr. Rivera-Jiménez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering Education at the University of Florida and is affiliated with the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Institute of Higher Education. Her research group focuses on community-driven methods to improve practices and policies that enhance the professional formation of engineers and impact the success of diverse engineering communities\, including faculty\, undergraduate and graduate students\, and transfer students. Current projects include faculty support via professional societies\, student motivation and emotions in blended learning\, and studying diverse transfer student success within organizational contexts. \nAdditionally\, she hosts “The Engineering Professor Speaks Education Podcast\,” a bilingual series exploring the nuances of being an effective engineering educator. Her most recent accolades include the AIChE IDEAL Star Award (2021)\, the AIChE Education Division Service Award (2022)\, and the ASEE Education Research Methods Apprentice Faculty Grantee Award (2023).
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-dr-sindia-m-rivera-jimenez/
LOCATION:103 Churchill\, 103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240327T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240327T130000
DTSTAMP:20260424T214546
CREATED:20240307T180833Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240307T180901Z
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SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Dr. Christina Chan
DESCRIPTION:Role of microenvironment on mediating diseases\, DNA repair\, and lipid alterations \nOur group incorporates metabolic engineering and systems biology approaches in combination with biochemical and molecular biology measurements to identify targets and disease biomarkers. To modulate these targets and pathway we are concomitantly developing polymeric-based drug delivery systems. \nWe apply a multifaceted approach in investigating the role of soluble cues (e.g.\, elevated fatty acid levels\, PFAS) in the microenvironment on modulating the signaling and regulatory pathways that contribute to diseases. These extracellular signals are mainly in the form of soluble factors that activate intracellular signaling cascades that drive changes in the cell. Our group has identified that saturated fatty acids (i.e.\, palmitate)\, which are well studied for their roles in metabolism\, can also activate signaling pathways that affect proteostasis. Through biochemical and biophysical studies\, we found that palmitate binds directly to proteins involved in proteostasis to modulate their activity and downstream signaling to alter DNA repair\, which has implications on chemotolerance\, lipid profile\, and heart disease. \n\nChristina Chan is a University Distinguished Professor and Interim Chairperson of Chemical Engineering at Michigan State University (MSU). She also has appointments in the Departments of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology\, Biomedical Engineering\, and Computer Science and Engineering. Prior to joining MSU in 2002\, she was a post-doctoral fellow at the Center for Engineering in Medicine at the Harvard Medical School. Chan earned her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Columbia University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical and Biochemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania. She spent 8 years in DuPont prior to returning to academia. Her laboratory applies a multifaceted approach in investigating the role of soluble cues in the microenvironment on modulating the signaling and regulatory pathways that contribute to diseases. To modulate these targets and pathways\, her laboratory is developing polymeric-based drug delivery systems as well as tissue engineering platforms that capitalize on how scaffolds\, cells\, and biologically active molecules interact to form functional tissues. Her group has published more than 165 journal articles\, reviews\, book chapters and reviewed conference papers. She was elected Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)\, AIChE\, and AAAS.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-dr-christina-chan/
LOCATION:103 Churchill\, 103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240313T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240313T130000
DTSTAMP:20260424T214546
CREATED:20240229T165457Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240229T165457Z
UID:42589-1710331200-1710334800@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Dr. Michael Murrell
DESCRIPTION:Energetic Constraints on Biological Assembly and Motion \nOn small length-scales\, the mechanics of soft materials may be dominated by their interfacial properties as opposed to their bulk properties. These effects are described by equilibrium models of elasto-capillarity and wetting. In these models\, interfacial energies and bulk material properties are held constant. However\, in biological materials\, including living cells and tissues\, these properties are not constant\, but are ‘actively’ regulated and driven far from thermodynamic equilibrium. As a result\, the constraints on work produced during the various physical behaviors of the cell are unknown. Here\, by measurement of elasto-capillary effects during cell adhesion\, growth\, and motion\, we demonstrate that interfacial and bulk parameters violate equilibrium constraints and exhibit anomalous effects\, which depend upon a distance from equilibrium. However\, their anomalous properties are reciprocal\, and thus in combination reliably define energetic constraints on the production of work arbitrarily far from equilibrium. These results provide basic principles that govern biological assembly and behavior. \n\nMichael Murrell received his BS at Johns Hopkins University and his PhD at MIT. He then had a joint postdoctoral fellowship between the Institute for Biophysical Dynamics at the University of Chicago\, and the Institut Curie\, in Paris\, France. He now runs the Laboratory for Living Matter within the Systems Biology Institute at the Yale West Campus\, as part of the Biomedical Engineering and Physics Departments. His laboratory studies the non-equilibrium properties of biological systems\, as well as designs and engineers novel bio-inspired materials. His group comprises a diverse group of experimentalists\, computational scientists\, and theorists all driven to understand some of the most fundamental questions in biophysics.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-dr-michael-murrell/
LOCATION:103 Churchill\, 103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240221T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240221T130000
DTSTAMP:20260424T214546
CREATED:20240205T205516Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240205T205516Z
UID:41968-1708516800-1708520400@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Prashun Gorai
DESCRIPTION:A Journey from Atoms to Materials: Designing Functional Materials for Energy and Microelectronics \nTechnological developments often rely on specifically designed materials and molecules. The increasing pace of technology development\, coupled with rising energy needs and climate challenges\, requires faster approaches for materials discovery. Historically\, materials have been discovered by trial-and-error approaches that rely on chemical intuition. Designing materials with tailored properties is challenging because of the astronomical number of possible compounds and structures\, and materials behaviors that do not adhere to standard chemical intuition. \nComputations have made great strides in accelerating materials development\, but many challenges remain. We are addressing some of these challenges\, including inverse materials design and bridging the gap between theoretical predictions and real materials. In this talk\, I will share examples from our work on the computational discovery and design of functional materials\, as well as modeling of defect and doping properties of semiconductors. \n\nDr. Prashun Gorai is a research assistant professor at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM) with a joint appointment at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras (India)\, and his PhD\, also in Chemical Engineering\, from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He was a postdoctoral fellow at CSM and NREL between 2014-2017. His research team uses quantum-chemical calculations\, high-throughput computing\, and machine learning to discover and design functional materials for energy conversion and storage\, and next-generation microelectronics. The International Thermoelectric Society awarded him the Young Investigator Award in 2022 and the Royal Society of Chemistry (Materials Horizons) recognized him as an Emerging Investigator in 2020. He is a recipient of the Chemistry of Materials Lectureship and Best Paper Award 2023.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-prashun-gorai/
LOCATION:103 Churchill\, 103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240214T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240214T130000
DTSTAMP:20260424T214546
CREATED:20240129T164302Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240129T164327Z
UID:41772-1707912000-1707915600@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Angela Chen
DESCRIPTION:Engineering Microbial Communication for Sustainable Agriculture \nAgriculture and the global food system accounts for ~30% of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore\, developing sustainable agricultural technologies is essential for combating and mitigating the effects of climate change. Microbes like bacteria and fungi play pivotal roles in agriculture and food security through complex interactions with plant hosts\, other microorganisms\, and their surroundings. Consequently\, my research aims to investigate how these inter-species and cross-kingdom relationships could be ideal engineering targets for addressing current agricultural challenges. In this seminar\, I will present my work showcasing the power of RNA and nanotechnology in manipulating microbial interactions with the environment and plant hosts. In the first part of my talk\, I will examine how microbes respond to environmental stresses and the use of regulatory RNAs as a genetic platform to manipulate bacterial metal reduction capabilities for the biosynthesis of nanoparticles with unique and enhanced functionality. Following this\, I will then discuss host-microbe interactions and how exploiting RNA-based communication between fungal pathogens and plant hosts can inform next-generation\, nanoparticle-based strategies for plant disease control. Together\, these studies illustrate how understanding and controlling microbial communication will pave the way for new sustainable strategies for reducing agricultural chemical dependence\, improving plant health\, and enabling bioremediation technologies. \n\nAngela Chen is a USDA-NIFA AFRI Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology at UC Riverside. Under Prof. Hailing Jin\, she investigates the mechanisms of cross-kingdom RNA trafficking between plants and fungal pathogens to develop nanomaterials for RNAi-based disease control. Prior to UC Riverside\, she received her B.S. in chemical engineering from the Ohio State University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. As an NSF Graduate Research Fellow with Profs. Lydia Contreras and Benjamin Keitz\, she focused on engineering regulatory RNAs in extremophilic bacteria to control bacterial stress response for materials science applications. Outside of research\, Angela is passionate about educating and empowering the next generation of engineers\, having earned a Graduate Certification in Engineering Education. She is also the President of the Riverside Postdoctoral Association\, where she leads initiatives focused on supporting postdocs and broadening STEM access through the creation of diverse and inclusive academic environments.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-angela-chen/
LOCATION:103 Churchill\, 103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
GEO:42.3387735;-71.0889235
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240207T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240207T130000
DTSTAMP:20260424T214546
CREATED:20240129T190149Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240129T190149Z
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SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Benjamin Decardi-Nelson
DESCRIPTION:Optimal Control as a Catalyst for Smart and Sustainable Systems \nSustainability is crucial in modern engineering\, particularly in chemical and biological systems. It involves the use of sustainable resources and the development of environmentally friendly\, smart\, and efficient systems that minimize waste and optimize resource use. Central to engineering smart\, sustainable systems is optimal control. However\, integrating optimal control technologies into these systems is challenging due to the complexity of managing large-scale\, constrained\, nonlinear\, and interconnected subsystems\, particularly under uncertain conditions. In this talk\, I will introduce a series of optimal control technologies that contribute to smarter and more efficient systems\, enhancing their sustainability. Specifically\, I will discuss the development and application of (1) model predictive control and (2) reinforcement learning\, which are instrumental in engineering systems that use minimal resources and generate less waste. I will also demonstrate how optimal control is pivotal in advancing sustainable food production in urban areas through the integration of renewable energy and efficient resource management. These advances in optimal control are critical in developing smart\, sustainable systems and are essential for a sustainable future. \n\nBenjamin Decardi-Nelson is an Eric and Wendy Schmidt AI in Science Postdoctoral Fellow in Systems Engineering at Cornell University. Benjamin’s research interest in Process Systems Engineering centers around developing novel computational tools to improve the analysis\, design and control of complex processes and systems\, with the overarching goal of sustainability. Prior to joining Cornell\, he earned his PhD in Process Control from the University of Alberta\, where he developed efficient algorithms and large-scale optimization models for integrated real-time economic optimization and advanced process control of nonlinear process systems. At Cornell\, Benjamin integrates biology-informed AI with optimization to decarbonize future food systems through implicit learning of plant-environment interactions\, and renewable energy integration. His work has been recognized by the Schmidt AI in Science postdoctoral fellowship\, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) postdoctoral fellowship\, among others.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-benjamin-decardi-nelson/
LOCATION:103 Churchill\, 103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240131T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240131T130000
DTSTAMP:20260424T214546
CREATED:20240123T152555Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240123T152555Z
UID:41623-1706702400-1706706000@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Professor Bryan James
DESCRIPTION:Design strategies to minimize the environmental impacts of plastic products \nCombatting the existential threats of climate change and pollution requires circularizing and decarbonizing material lifecycles\, reducing persistence\, and eliminating the toxicity of products and processes. Plastics\, the combination of polymer and chemical additives\, contribute significantly to both threats. Despite these harms\, plastics are crucial materials for modern society. In their recent report\, the U.S. National Academies of Sciences\, Engineering\, and Medicine identified material and product design as one of six key interventions to tackle plastic pollution. With this charge\, I will demonstrate how combining concepts learned from the last decade of plastic pollution research with established material selection practices resulted in a quantitative\, multi-dimensional framework for use during product design to minimize the environmental impacts of plastic. By taking this approach\, a sustainability metric was developed for the design of plastic products with low environmental persistence and uncompromised performance. Applying this methodology to commonly littered plastic products (drinking straws and coffee cup lids) demonstrated that accounting for persistence in product design could reduce the societal impacts of plastic pollution by hundreds of millions of dollars for a single product. My findings identify the materials and their properties that deserve development\, adoption\, and investment to create functional and less environmentally impactful plastic products. \n\nDr. Bryan D. James is a Postdoctoral Investigator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). As part of an interdisciplinary team of scientists and engineers within WHOI’s Microplastics Initiative\, his postdoctoral research focuses on understanding the fate\, persistence\, and toxicity of plastic in the ocean to inform the rational design of next-generation materials that are safe for people and the planet. Through this work\, Bryan has collaborated globally with academic colleagues\, NGOs\, and industrial partners and regularly engages with K-12 educators\, mentors community college students\, and advises policymakers. Bryan received his B.A.Sc. in materials engineering from the University of Toronto and his Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of Florida (UF). At UF\, as an NIH F31 Predoctoral Fellow under the mentorship of Prof. Josephine Allen\, Bryan pioneered the use of nucleic acid-collagen complexes for hard and soft tissue engineering and championed investigating sex as a biological variable in biomaterials research\, identifying mechanobiological sex differences in vascular cells. Bryan has been recognized with multiple early career honors and awards\, including being named a Rising Star in Engineering in Health\, a CAS Future Leader\, a DYSS speaker\, and an ACS PMSE Future Faculty Scholar.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-professor-bryan-james/
LOCATION:103 Churchill\, 103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
GEO:42.3387735;-71.0889235
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20240117T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20240117T130000
DTSTAMP:20260424T214546
CREATED:20240116T153558Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20240116T153558Z
UID:41272-1705492800-1705496400@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Chemical Engineering Spring Seminar Series: Professor Hongfei Lin
DESCRIPTION:Towards Holistic Approach for Decarbonizing Energy System \nDecarbonizing the energy system is essential for mitigating climate change by replacing fossil fuels with alternative sources emitting significantly less carbon dioxide. Recognizing that no single alternative energy source can meet global demand\, our approach involves utilizing multiple sources for a future carbon-neutral energy system. We focus on developing highly selective and efficient catalytic processes to convert diverse carbon feedstocks\, including renewable and waste carbons. In this seminar\, I will showcase our groundbreaking biphasic tandem catalytic processes\, achieving exceptional carbon-atom efficiencies in converting renewable biomass into biofuels. Additionally\, our innovative sequential catalytic process enables highly selective deconstruction of mixed waste plastics into valuable monomers and fuels. The presentation will also delve into the synergy of integrating direct air capture of CO2 for its utilization in producing value-added carbon-neutral products. Ultimately\, our research aims to implement a holistic approach\, decarbonizing the energy system\, and establishing a sustainable supply of low-carbon intensity chemicals\, materials\, and fuels from renewable and waste carbon resources. \n\nDr. Hongfei Lin is a Professor at the Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering at Washington State University and Chief Scientist in the Energy and Environment Directorate at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. He earned his B.E. and M.S. degrees from Tsinghua University\, completed his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at Louisiana State University\, and further honed his expertise as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California\, Santa Barbara. With nearly two decades of multidisciplinary research experience\, Dr. Lin focuses on catalysis and sustainability\, particularly in developing novel catalytic processes to derive value-added fuels and chemicals from renewable and waste carbon resources. His commitment to a sustainable\, low-carbon\, circular economy is evident through his numerous publications\, multiple patents\, and extensive support from entities such as DOE\, NSF\, and USDA. Dr. Lin actively contributes to the academic community\, serving on the international advisory board of Energy Technology\, the editorial board of Advanced Composites and Hybrid Materials\, and previously as the Program Chair of the Energy and Fuels Division of the American Chemical Society.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/chemical-engineering-spring-seminar-series-professor-hongfei-lin/
LOCATION:103 Churchill\, 103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
CATEGORIES:use the department, audience, and topic lists
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20220204T170000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20220204T180000
DTSTAMP:20260424T214546
CREATED:20220202T152348Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20220202T152348Z
UID:30112-1643994000-1643997600@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Engineering at NERF - First Year Engineering Speaker Series
DESCRIPTION:When: Friday February 4th 5pm-6pm \nWhere: Churchill 103 \nWho: Justin Saccone\, Sr. Engineer @ Nerf (under Hasbro)
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/engineering-at-nerf-first-year-engineering-speaker-series/
LOCATION:103 Churchill\, 103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
GEO:42.3387735;-71.0889235
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191205T150000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191205T160000
DTSTAMP:20260424T214546
CREATED:20191114T192948Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191202T151224Z
UID:18398-1575558000-1575561600@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Planned and Unintended Consequences of  Environmental Change: COE Distinguished Seminar
DESCRIPTION:Planned and Unintended Consequences of Environmental Change\nSeizing Science to Meet 21st Century Engineering Challenges\nThe 2019 Northeastern University College of Engineering \nDistinguished Seminar\nHosted by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering \nwith Dr. Ana Barros\, Edmund T. Pratt Jr. School Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering\, Duke University \n  \nABSTRACT: On the 50th anniversary of the National Environmental Policy Act\, we revisit the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process in the light of recent advances in our understanding of complex environmental systems. \nIn  particular\, research will be presented that investigates the emergent space-time organization of water cycle processes by climate\, topography\, landform\, and  land-cover in the Andes and in the Amazon basin which in turn determines regional freshwater supplies\, material fluxes\, and extreme events. The results show that small-scale anthropocentric land-use change (mining\, agriculture\, and others) can impact the viability of macro-engineering projects (e.g. dam construction) and lead to continental-scale environmental change. Examples of engineering projects over CONUS will be reviewed emphasizing the differences between evidence of impacts (planned consequences) and evidence of feedbacks including long–range dependencies (unintended consequences). Finally\, we argue that EIA tools need to be expanded and updated to incorporate the most recent science and modeling capabilities (e.g. Earth System Models). \nFurther\, the case is made to link the EIA and the engineering project development processes is necessary to achieve adaptation\, sustainability and resilience needs of coupled human-natural systems in a changing climate. \nBio: Dr. Ana P. Barros is the Edmund T. Pratt\, Jr. School Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke University. Her primary research interests are in Hydrology\, Hydrometeorology and Environmental Physics with a focus on water-cycle processes in regions of complex terrain\, remote sensing of the environment\, and predictability and risk assessment of extreme events. Her research relies on intensive field and laboratory experiments\, large–scale computational modeling\, nonlinear data analysis and environmental informatics. Prof. Barros has served in multiple national committees over the years\, such as the Space Studies Board of the National Research Council\, the Water Science and Technology Board\, the Board of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate\, and the US National Committee for the International Hydrology Program (IHP) of the UNESCO. She was a Senior Fellow at the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) 2011-2015\, and she is a founding member of the ASCE committee on Climate Change and Adaptation. Currently\, Dr. Barros is Chair of Atmospheric and Hydrospheric Sciences at AAAS\, and President-Elect of the Hydrology Section of AGU. \nPlease arrive early for seating.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/planned-and-unintended-consequences-of-environmental-change-coe-distinguished-seminar/
LOCATION:103 Churchill\, 103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="Civil & Environmental Engineering":MAILTO:civilinfo@coe.neu.edu
GEO:42.3387735;-71.0889235
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=103 Churchill 103 Churchill Hall 360 Huntington Ave Boston MA 02115 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave:geo:-71.0889235,42.3387735
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20191114T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20191114T130000
DTSTAMP:20260424T214546
CREATED:20191106T190744Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20191106T190753Z
UID:18248-1573732800-1573736400@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Molecular Tools to Provide Insights into the Fate of Organic Contaminants in Aquatic Systems
DESCRIPTION:Please join the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering for a seminar with Dr. Allison MacKay\, Professor and Chair of Civil\, Environmental\, and Geodetic Engineering at Ohio State University. \nMolecular Tools to Provide Insights into the Fate of Organic Contaminants in Aquatic Systems\nABSTRACT: Environmental engineers have long been concerned with the fate of organic contaminants in aquatic systems\, including both natural systems such as lakes and engineered systems such as drinking water treatment plants.  Existing fate prediction models tend to fail for so-called ‘emerging’ contaminants (recently quantified\, unregulated contaminants with suspected toxic activity) because these contaminants undergo more complicated processes in the environment.  We have been exploring how advances in molecular level characterization tools from the pharmaceutical and biochemical sciences may offer new opportunities to understand the underlying mechanisms of contaminant fate processes for contaminants with complex chemical structures.  This presentation will focus on: (i) our applications of computational chemistry tools to obtain insights into the role of electron distributions in positively-charged organic contaminant binding to clays and organic matter in environmental systems\, and (ii) our recent use of high-resolution mass spectrometry to probe alterations of complex organic matter following drinking water treatment processes.  Insights gained from these approaches can lead to refinements of contaminant fate models and ultimately\, better management of aquatic systems. \nBIO: Dr. Allison MacKay is Professor and Chair of Civil\, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering at Ohio State University. Her research program is directed toward the fate of contaminants in engineered and natural aquatic systems. Current project examples include developing better guidance for drinking water plant operators to manage the treatment of toxins from algae in reservoirs\, and integrating advanced molecular computation tools to identify the binding mechanisms of contaminants in sediments and soils. \nShe currently serves on the Board of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors. Dr. MacKay holds Doctoral and Master degrees in Environmental Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She received a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Engineering Science (Chemical Option) from the University of Toronto.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/molecular-tools-to-provide-insights-into-the-fate-of-organic-contaminants-in-aquatic-systems/
LOCATION:103 Churchill\, 103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
ORGANIZER;CN="Civil & Environmental Engineering":MAILTO:civilinfo@coe.neu.edu
GEO:42.3387735;-71.0889235
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=103 Churchill 103 Churchill Hall 360 Huntington Ave Boston MA 02115 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave:geo:-71.0889235,42.3387735
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20190930T120000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20190930T130000
DTSTAMP:20260424T214546
CREATED:20190924T200041Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20190924T200041Z
UID:17517-1569844800-1569848400@coe.northeastern.edu
SUMMARY:Traffic-Based Framework for Measuring the Resilience of Ground Transportation Systems under Normal and Extreme Conditions
DESCRIPTION:Please join the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering for the first Distinguished Seminar of the semester with Dr. Jesus de la Garza of Clemson University. \nABSTRACT: Ground transportation systems are essential for the mobility of people\, goods and services. Thus\, making sure these systems are resilient to the impact of natural and man-made disasters has become a top priority for engineers and policy makers. One of the major obstacles for increasing the resilience of ground transportation systems is the lack of a measuring framework. Such measuring framework is critical for identifying needs\, monitoring changes\, assessing improvements\, and performing cost-benefit analysis. This research addresses this problem by developing a traffic-based framework for measuring the resilience of ground transportation systems under normal and extreme conditions. The research methodology consisted of: (1) creating a microscopic traffic model of the road under study\, (2) simulating different intrusions and interventions\, and (3) measuring the resilience of the system under the different scenarios using the framework developed. This research expanded the current definition of infrastructure resilience\, which includes the assessment of system performance versus time\, to add a third dimension of resilience for ground transportation system’s applications\, namely: location. This third dimension considers how the system changes along the different locations in the network\, which reflects more accurately the continuous behavior of a ground transportation network. The framework was tested in a 24 km segment of Interstate 95 in Virginia\, near Washington\, D.C. Four hazard conditions were simulated: inadequate base capacity\, traffic incidents\, work zones\, and weather events. Intervention strategies tested include ramp meters and the use of the shoulder lane during extreme events. Public policy was also considered as a powerful intervention strategy. The findings of this research shed light over the current and future resilience of ground transportation systems when subject to multiple hazards\, and the effects of implementing potential interventions. \nBio: Dr. Jesús M. de la Garza is Professor and Chair of the Glenn Department of Civil Engineering at Clemson University.  Prior to joining Clemson\, he was the holder of the Vecellio Endowed Professorship in Construction Engineering and Management at Virginia Tech.  Dr. de la Garza has been inducted into the National Academy of Construction.  He has received the Faculty of the Year award from the ASCE’s student chapter\, ASCE’s Peurifoy Construction Research Award\, ASCE’s Thomas Fitch Rowland Prize\, ASCE’s Best Paper Award from the Technical Council on Computer Practices\, and has been elected to the grade of Distinguished Member of ASCE.  Dr. de la Garza has received CII’s Outstanding Researcher Award\, CII’s Distinguished Professor Award\, CII’s Outstanding Instructor Award and CII’s Richard L. Tucker Award for Leadership and Service.  Dr. de la Garza is a Fellow of the Construction Management Association of America and a Fellow of the Project Management College of Scheduling.
URL:https://coe.northeastern.edu/event/traffic-based-framework-for-measuring-the-resilience-of-ground-transportation-systems-under-normal-and-extreme-conditions/
LOCATION:103 Churchill\, 103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave\, Boston\, MA\, 02115\, United States
CATEGORIES:use the department, audience, and topic lists
ORGANIZER;CN="Civil & Environmental Engineering":MAILTO:civilinfo@coe.neu.edu
GEO:42.3387735;-71.0889235
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=103 Churchill 103 Churchill Hall 360 Huntington Ave Boston MA 02115 United States;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=103 Churchill Hall\, 360 Huntington Ave:geo:-71.0889235,42.3387735
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END:VCALENDAR