Earth Day 2024: CEE research for the health of the world
MURI team to use hyperspectral remote sensing to study permafrost
A multidisciplinary research team led by CEE Assistant Professor Tugce Baser will study the hyperspectral remote sensing of permafrost, thanks to a grant from the Department of Defense as part of its Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) program.
Zhao receives AGU Global Environmental Change Early Career Award
CEE Assistant Professor Lei Zhao was announced as the 2023 recipient of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Global Environmental Change Early Career Award. Presented annually, the award recognizes outstanding contributions in research, educational or societal impacts in the area of global environmental change.
Researchers prototype a flood model for the National Park Service
To improve flash flood response in the Appalachian region, researchers worked with Amazon Web Service (AWS) to prototype a hydrological prediction tool capable of providing the National Park Service flood hydrographs with 18-hour lead times.
Greener infrastructure the goal of new NSF-funded project
CEE Assistant Professor X. Shelly Zhang (BS 12, MS 14) has received a $337,054 grant from the National Science Foundation to advance the quest for greener infrastructure.
Team studies impact of oyster reefs on coastal morphology
A team including CEE Associate Professor Rafael Tinoco will study the impact of oyster reefs on coastal morphology with the goal of informing restoration strategies, thanks to a four-year, $999,319 project funded by the U.S. Coastal Research Program.
NSF grand funds planning of new climate center
CEE Professor Helen Nguyen will begin planning a global center to develop mitigation and adaptation strategies for vulnerable communities in the changing climate, thanks to a $250,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.
Zhao to help plan a special report on climate change and cities for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Assistant Professor Lei Zhao was invited to help plan a Special Report on Climate Change and Cities for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is the United Nations body for assessing the science related to climate change. Only approximately 10 experts from the United States were invited to participate.
Tessum wins CAREER award to study environmental equity of decarbonization strategies
Assistant Professor Christopher Tessum has won a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation to study the air quality and environmental equity implications of different decarbonization strategies.
Verma leading research into toxicity of indoor air pollution
In a new study funded by the National Science Foundation and led by CEE Associate Professor Vishal Verma, researchers from both UIUC and Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago will advance understanding of the sources and health effects of a range of indoor air pollutants and provide an important benchmark for future studies.
Study: 'Legacy' phosphorus delays water quality improvements in Gulf of Mexico
The same phosphorous that fertilizes the thriving agriculture of the Midwest is also responsible for a vast “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico near the Mississippi Delta. Efforts to reduce the amount of phosphorus that enters the Mississippi River system are underway, but research led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggests that remnants of the contaminant are left behind in riverbeds for years after introduction and pose an overlooked – and lingering – problem.
Genetic sequencing uncovers unexpected source of pathogens in floodwaters
Researchers report in the journal Geohealth that local rivers and streams were the source of the Salmonella enterica contamination along coastal North Carolina after Hurricane Florence in 2018 – not the previously suspected high number of pig farms in the region.
International water resources symposium held at UIUC
The 13th Symposium on River, Coastal and Estuarine Morphodynamics, RCEM 2023, was held at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) September 24-28. More than 200 delegates from 20 countries included engineers, geologists, ecologists, geomorphologists, biologists, computer scientists, applied mathematicians and water managers – all of whom study coastal, estuary and river processes.
AI-based model to help anticipate flash floods
A research team led by CEE Professor and Department Head Ana P. Barros is developing an AI-assisted foundational model to anticipate heavy rainfall and flash floods in the Appalachian Mountains. AI’s ability to detect patterns in complex data will improve current forecasting ability and create more accurate flood predictions.
NSF grant awarded to develop materials for enhanced coral recruitment, survival
A team consisting of civil and environmental engineering professor Rosa Espinosa-Marzal (EIRH), and mechanical science and engineering professors Amy Wagoner Johnson (EIRH/RBTE) and Gabriel Juarez has been awarded a continuing National Science Foundation (NSF) Convergence Research grant to work on coral recruitment and survival.
Kontou wins CAREER award to advance bidirectional EV systems
CEE assistant professor Eleftheria Kontou has won a National Science Foundation CAREER award. Her project will advance the science of bidirectional electric vehicle (EV) and infrastructure technologies management, which enable EVs to serve as mobile energy storage resources, providing services to buildings and enhancing the resilience of urban energy systems during power outages.