News
Mar 30, 2026
2026 Udall Scholarship Nominees
Melissa Bernardin, E’27, chemical engineering and environmental engineering, and Caleb Hagner, E’27, environmental engineering and chemical engineering, are two of four students nominated for the Udall Scholarship by Northeastern University.
Mar 25, 2026
Plans to Fill the Sky with Satellites May Have Disastrous Consequences
SpaceX and Reflect Orbital have plans to send up a vast quantity of satellites to space, aiming to increase the number of data centers or use sunlight reflecting space mirrors. CSSH/CEE Assistant Professor Tiffany Nichols helps weigh in on the drastic effects of these endeavors, warning that the disruption of the day-night cycle will affect all life on Earth in potentially disastrous ways.
Mar 12, 2026
Concern Rises Over the Danger to Desalination Plants in Iran
As the war in Iran continues, CEE Distinguished Professor Auroop Ganguly and other Northeastern faculty discuss the dangers of damaging the regions desalination plants. These plants provide most of the freshwater to Iran and other countries in the region.
Mar 12, 2026
New Research Offers Insight on Barriers and Developments to Reduce Car Emissions in California
CSSH/CEE Associate Professor Serena Alexander co-authored a new study exploring how to make environmentally conscious transit decisions across five regional metropolitan areas in California. The study reveals the necessity of cooperation between state, regional, and local entities and the barriers they come across when coordinating new plans.
Mar 10, 2026
Wastewater Spills into the Potomac: Clean up Requires Manmade and Natural Teamwork
At the end of January, a major sewage pipeline collapsed into the Potomac River, spilling 243 million gallons of raw sewage into the water. CEE Chair and Professor Edward Beighley and Associate Teaching Professor Annalisa Onnis-Hayden explain the environmental risks as well as the processes that will clear the spill.
Mar 06, 2026
SDS Lab and AI4CaS Drive Global Climate Policy Impact
Researchers from the Sustainability and Data Sciences Laboratory (SDS Lab) and the AI for Climate and Sustainability (AI4CaS) group at the Institute for Experiential AI are driving global impact through expert features on the Muni Lowdown and What AI means for Sustainability podcasts and high-level policy presentations to U.S. and Indian officials.
Feb 20, 2026
Using Mobile Data to Map Real Time Pollution Risks
CEE Associate Professor Qi “Ryan” Wang and Distinguished Professor Yang Zhang published their research on “Integrating mobility data into air pollution research for public health” in Nature Health.
Feb 10, 2026
Varshavsky Named Frontiers of Science Fellow for PFAS and Microplastic Contaminants Research
Bouvé/CEE Assistant Professor Julia Varshavsky has been named a 2026 Frontiers of Science Fellow by the National Academy of Sciences for her research on how exposure to chemical mixtures like PFAS and microplastics affects maternal and child health.