Dear friends and colleagues,
Welcome to our winter newsletter. I think we have all turned the page on 2020 with hope and anticipation for a return to “normal” in 2021. Most students are back on campus and the COVID-19 infection rate continues to be very low, thanks to everyone’s careful behavior.
As you will read below, the pandemic is not dampening CEE creativity and accomplishments. Read about methods to assess infection risks by monitoring the SARS-CoV-2 virus shed in wastewaters. Listen to a discussion about how life in large cities may or may not change post-pandemic. Share in our delight that one of our recent graduates, Claire Petersen (’20), was undeterred by COVID-19 and won a Marshall Scholarship to study carbon management next year in the UK.
Speaking of carbon, Professor Ludmilla Aristilde and her students recently published exciting findings in PNAS about the metabolic machinery used by soil bacteria to process carbon. Professor Sinan Keten and his students discovered counterintuitive phenomena involving biological interactions that act as molecular-scale seat belts and become stronger under tension. Finally, we are very pleased to announce that Professor Hani Mahmassani was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in recognition of his important contributions to transportation engineering.
We are saddened by the passing of Professor Emeritus Leon M. Keer, a giant in the fields of mechanics and tribology, and alumnus Richard Pepper (’53), a leader in the construction industry and a generous benefactor to CEE and Northwestern.
As always, we thank you for your support, and hope that you remain safe and healthy this winter.
