By using a carbonated — rather than a still — water-based solution during the concrete manufacturing process, Northwestern Engineering's Alessandro Rotta Loria has discovered a new way to store carbon dioxide (CO2) in the ubiquitous construction material.
Not only could the new process help sequester CO2 from the ever-warming atmosphere, it also results in concrete with uncompromised strength and durability.
In laboratory experiments, Rotta Loria's process achieved a CO2 sequestration efficiency of up to 45 percent, meaning that nearly half of the CO2 injected during concrete manufacturing was captured and stored. Rotta Loria and his team hope their new process could help offset CO2 emissions from the cement and concrete industries, which are responsible for 8 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
Read more about the research at the link in our bio.
Engineering Tomorrow (@engineering.tomorrow ) founder Bill Woodburn (MS ’75) is helping underserved high school students discover their potential for a career in engineering by introducing them to STEM subjects.
Read more about why he gives back at the link in our bio.
Thinking big about small materials, researchers in Northwestern Engineering’s Materials Innovation Lab are advancing additive manufacturing at the nanoscale, developing methods to produce sustainable materials and inks that will help build the biosensors, batteries, transistors, and neuromorphic devices of the future.
Take a tour of the lab at the link in our bio.
Northwestern Engineering's Nivedita Arora has won the 2024 Association for Computing Machinery (@theofficialacm ) Doctoral Dissertation Award.
The award, presented annually to one doctoral candidate worldwide, recognized Arora for her work advancing sustainable computing by building energy-harvesting devices that resemble sticky notes.
Congratulations, @aroraniv !
Read more about the honor at the link in our bio.
Congratulations, #NU2024 master’s and PhD engineers!
During yesterday’s PhD Hooding and MS Recognition Ceremony at Welsh-Ryan Arena, Grace Wang (PhD ’01), president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, addressed graduates about the importance of thinking big and valuing others.
Read about the ceremony and view more photos at the link in our bio.
📷 by Joel Wintermantle
#NU2024 engineers, the energy in Welsh-Ryan Arena during yesterday's Undergraduate Convocation was electric!
The ceremony included an address from Sheila Gujrathi (’92, MD ’96), who chronicled how her experience at Northwestern influenced her more than 25-year career as a biotechnology entrepreneur and executive, healthcare investor, and drug developer.
Read about the ceremony and see more photos at the link in our bio.
📷 by Joel Wintermantle
When Khadijat Kokumo said yes to Northwestern Engineering, she had no idea what her next four years would look like.
She is forever grateful for her decision.
A biomedical engineering major, Kokumo is graduating this month from the McCormick School of Engineering. Kokumo made the most of her time in Evanston, serving as academic excellence chair and vice president of the National Society of Black Engineers (@nsbenu ). She was also involved in research at Northwestern and Johns Hopkins University, presenting her with the opportunity to speak at a conference and first-author an award-winning paper. Outside of engineering, Kokumo was the head manager of @nuwbball and was a member of campus dance groups Refresh and K-Dance.
“They all left me with lifelong friends and a joy that will be hard to replace once I graduate,” Kokumo said.
Read more about Kokumo's story at the link in our bio. #NU2024
Northwestern’s undergraduate chapter of the Society of Women Engineers (@swe.northwestern ) is an important part of the Northwestern Engineering fabric. SWE hosts events and connects students with internship and job opportunities, plus forms a support network for women in the field.
Julia Azevedo left her mark on the group during her time at Northwestern.
Azevedo, who graduates from Northwestern Engineering next week with a degree in industrial engineering, served on the outreach committee for three years (one of as outreach director), and on the executive board for three years, including one as president.
“SWE is a wonderful community that introduced me to some of my best friends and closest mentors. I have gotten incredible advice from third- or fourth-year students, connected with professors and industry professionals who gave me research and internship opportunities, participated in meaningful conversations about pursuing social justice in STEM, and gave back by sharing my love for engineering with younger girls,” Azevedo said. “All of these were central to my McCormick experience.”
Read more about Azevedo's McCormick experience at the link in our bio. #NU2024
Ben Forbes (@fen_borbes ) made a splash at Northwestern, and not just because of his career on the University’s swimming and diving team.
Forbes, a BS/MS student graduating this month from Northwestern Engineering with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering after earning a bachelor’s in the same discipline in 2023, served as a graduate student researcher at the Center for Robotics and Biosystems (CRB). While he worked at the CRB, Forbes investigated electroadhesives and created testing rigs and used sound data collection to validate theoretical mechanical equations.
And yes, during that time he was also a key part of @nuswimdive , specializing in the freestyle stroke.
Knowing that, it won’t be a surprise to hear Forbes’s advice to Northwestern Engineering students.
“Get to know the people around you and get involved,” Forbes said. “This experience only lasts a short amount of time, so take advantage of every opportunity you get.”
Read more about Ben's experience at the link in our bio. #NU2024
Northwestern Engineering is a bustling community with diverse interests and countless opportunities to get involved.
Ting Ting Li didn’t sit on the sidelines and watch during her time at Northwestern Engineering.
Li, who graduates next week with a degree in biomedical engineering, worked under Professor Jennifer Dunn at the Center for Engineering Sustainability and Resilience. Li also interned at the @argonne , investigating how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced environmental pollution and applying her bioplastics work into that context. Li’s interest in sustainability and medicine drove her to work with Dunn on conducting a life cycle assessment of biopsy kits.
Away from research, Li joined the McCormick Student Advisory Board to get involved in the engineering community. Li organized Engineering Week 2023, thanks in part to the connections she had nurtured across campus organizations.
“To me, it was a coming together of all my friends I had made in McCormick and seeing that in fruition with our banner up in Tech was amazing,” Li said.
At the link in our bio, read more about Li's time at Northwestern Engineering.
#NU2024
When she first started at Northwestern Engineering, Maya Garcia had doubts. She used those doubts as a prop, keeping her quiet in classes and restricting her from asking questions.
By the end of her time at the McCormick School of Engineering, the crutch was gone.
A computer engineering major, Garcia is graduating next week. While she picked up plenty of academic knowledge, Garcia also learned plenty about herself.
At the link in our bio, read more about Maya, the first in our #NU2024 Grad Spotlight series.
