Sustainable Engineering Initiative

Overview

In a world threatened by pollution and climate change, we believe that engineering holds the key to a greener, healthier future.

We are a group of engineers, researchers, educators, and innovators spanning multiple disciplines with a passion and commitment to sustainability.  We focus on developing solutions that can help the world thrive technologically and economically without compromising the well-being of future generations. 

We aim to develop engineering solutions to avoid, mitigate, and remediate emissions responsible for climate change and environmental contamination, as well as engineering strategies to evaluate the impact of and adapt to these environmental challenges — an approach we call AMRAd.

AVOIDANCE

The best pollutant is no pollutant at all. Our researchers are developing the technology to clean up dirty processes, including greener ways of manufacturing chemicals, decarbonize the power grid, and harnessing the greatest potential from renewables.

MITIGATION

Let’s keep waste away from the environment. By investing in key technologies, we can capture pollutants and chemicals and prevent them from reaching the environment entirely to maintain clearer skies and cleaner water.

REMEDIATION

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, our environment is still exposed to toxins and pollutants. Preventing and reversing damage is the highest priority, whether it’s unique filtration systems for drinking water or removing harmful pollutants from waste.

ADAPTATION

In cases like climate change, irreversible damage has already been done. Humanity needs to adapt to a changing environment, even as we continue to fight to keep it from changing further. Our researchers are creating new ways to predict flooding, secure the energy grid, and pursue environmental justice for those most harmed.

EDUCATION

A topic as complex as sustainability and climate change needs a curriculum to match. The Sustainable Engineering Initiative is developing B.S. and M.S. programs in the field, and are bringing cross-disciplinary classes to other fields of study, building opportunities to bring unique perspectives to help prevent and solve ongoing crises.

RESEARCH

Research is at the heart of our work. Under the umbrella of AMRAd, we are producing solutions to pollution, energy needs and climate change though multi-disciplinary, multi-modal approaches, drawing on decades of lab work, field research, and technological advances.

KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER

Coming up with solutions is only the first step; solutions need to be deployed and widely adopted in order to tackle sustainability issues heads on. Leveraging our Urban Future Lab incubator, our core academic research will be facilitated by startup companies in partnerships with industrial scale-up partners and government agencies.