Author Archives: Meghan Harrington
Building reuse into the materials around us
In a field defined by discovering, designing, and processing the materials that underpin modern technology, Diran Apelian has a resounding message: reuse can’t remain just the focus of…
Pompeii offers insights into ancient Roman building technology
Concrete was the foundation of the ancient Roman empire. It enabled Rome’s storied architectural revolution as well as the construction of buildings, bridges, and aqueducts, many of which…
Jennifer Lewis ScD ’91: “Can we make tissues that are made from you, for you?”
“Can we make tissues that are made from you, for you?” asked Jennifer Lewis ScD ’91 at the 2025 Mildred S. Dresselhaus Lecture, organized by MIT.nano, on Nov.
MIT NEET students install solar-powered charging station on campus, resurrecting an MIT tradition
Students enrolled in MIT’s New Engineering Education Transformation (NEET) program recently collaborated across academic disciplines to design and construct a solar-powered charging station. Positioned in a quiet campus courtyard,…
MIT School of Engineering faculty and staff receive awards in summer 2025
Each year, faculty and researchers across the MIT School of Engineering are recognized with prestigious awards for their contributions to research, technology, society, and education. To celebrate these…
Unlocking ammonia as a fuel source for heavy industry
At a high level, ammonia seems like a dream fuel: It’s carbon-free, energy-dense, and easier to move and store than hydrogen. Ammonia is also already manufactured and transported…
MIT Energy Initiative conference spotlights research priorities amidst a changing energy landscape
“We’re here to talk about really substantive changes, and we want you to be a participant in that,” said Desirée Plata, the School of Engineering Distinguished Professor of…
MIT researchers use CT scans to unravel mysteries of early metal production
Around 5,000 years ago, people living in what is now Iran began extracting copper from rock by processing ore, an activity known as smelting. This monumental shift gave them…
MIT students develop spray-on coating to protect power lines from ice
A spray-on coating to keep power lines standing through an ice storm may not be the obvious fix for winter outages—but it’s exactly the kind of innovation that…
Antoine Allanore is forging a new future for iron and steel
The steel mill endures in the popular imagination as a place where coal-fired blast furnaces roar and chimneys belch smoke.In 1950s Pittsburgh, it’s said that white-collar businessmen would…