Research Opportunities for Students
The Earth and Environmental Engineering Department encourages students to participate in our interdisciplinary research programs associated with our multitude of research centers.
MOREResearch Areas
Problems addressed by the EEE curriculum cover an impressive range of scientific disciplines and socio-economic concerns, organized around three major themes of sustainability.
A World of Problems, a Department of Solutions
Research problems are organized around three major themes, with some examples of the general research directions. Computational, experimental, statistical/data science, and field methods of research are used in each area.
Sustainable Energy
Key research areas include:Decarbonization of the Earth's Energy system to mitigate potential changes in the Earth's climate; Renewable energy; Electrochemical Energy Storage; Optimal integration of renewables into the energy grid; Carbon capture, utilization and storage.
 Robert Farrauto |
 Vasilis Fthenakis |
 Alissa Ah-Hyung Park |
 Ponisseril Somasundaran |
 Daniel Steingart |
 Nickolas Themelis |
 Alan West |
 Bolun Xu |
Sustainable Water
Key research areas include:Climate adaptation and climate risk mitigation for water and other systems; Land-atmosphere interactions; Global hydrology and climate sensitivity; Atmospheric moisture transport and floods; Biological wastewater treatment, membrane processes for water desalination, re-use and energy recovery.
 Upmanu Lall |
 Kartik Chandran |
 Pierre Gentine |
 Ngai Yin Yip |
 Raymond Farinato |
 D. R. Nagaraj |
Sustainable Mining, Minerals, and Materials
Key research areas include:Recycling and Reuse; Extraction of rare earths and metals from waste streams; Climate and water risks associated with mining operations; Surface and colloidal chemistry applications to reducing water use in mining and novel processing of minerals; Environmental restoration of mined lands.
Upmanu Lall |
Alissa Ah-Hyung Park |
Ponisseril Somasundaran |
Daniel Steingart |
Alan West |
Raymond Farinato |
D. R. Nagaraj |
Graduate Research Symposium
This student-organized symposium features presentations by graduate students in the department, as well as a keynote speech by an invited speaker.