The Structures Lab in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley was selected through a competitive process to evaluate Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) dampers for the Grimes Engineering Center. Working with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and TriPyramid Structures, the CEE team tested an innovative SMA-based lateral force-resisting system—believed to be the first of its kind in new construction.
UC Berkeley Engineering professors across multiple departments are rethinking undergraduate education by weaving artificial intelligence tools directly into core engineering courses. Supported by funding from the Center for Advancing Women in Technology (CAWIT) and a campus initiative, these pilot projects aim to help students learn to use AI responsibly and effectively within their disciplines—not just study AI theory.
Berkeley CEE Professor Ziqi Wang has been appointed to the Editorial Board of Structural Safety, a leading international journal in structural reliability and risk analysis. This appointment recognizes Professor Wang’s significant research contributions and sustained professional service to the structural reliability and probabilistic analysis community.
A new study published in Nature Communications offers a compelling global roadmap for reducing carbon emissions from the construction sector—without slowing economic development. Co-authored by Prof. Franco Zunino of UC Berkeley’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, alongside researchers from Europe and the United States, the study provides one of the most comprehensive assessments to date of how advanced construction technologies can support growth while dramatically cutting emissions.
Congratulations to Newly Appointed NAAI Member - Professor Shaofan Li!
✨ It’s back! The annual CEE Holiday Pop-Up Shop is now open!
Stock up on your favorite CEE gear and snag gifts for friends, family, and colleagues. The shop will be open through Friday, December 12, closing at midnight—so don’t wait!
🛍️ Treat yourself (and your holiday list!) today.
The Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering is thrilled to announce the launch of its newest undergraduate major: Environmental Engineering (EnvE) — a dynamic program designed to prepare the next generation of leaders in climate solutions, sustainable infrastructure, and environmental protection.
DECEMBER 2025
Featuring Dr Paul Jacobs
Monday, December 8 • 12:00 PM • Jarvis Auditorium, Grimes Engineering Center
Join us for the next Collective for Inclusive Engineering Series seminar with Dr. Paul Jacobs, Chief Executive Officer of Globalstar and a pioneering leader in wireless technology innovation.
Alexandre Erich S. Georges is a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley. His research focuses on the potential and use of natural infrastructure for climate change adaptation in coastal communities in Haiti and the Caribbean. He is the co-founder of Caribbean Coalition at Berkeley, a team of 15 PhD students from 6 departments — with heritage from Jamaica, Haiti, Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the wider Caribbean diaspora. Many of them have loved ones who have been directly affected by the destruction caused by Hurricane Melissa.
Hurricane Melissa Relief — Join Us in Supporting Impacted Caribbean Communities
In the week of October 27th, Category 5 Hurricane Melissa devastated communities across the Caribbean — particularly in Jamaica, Cuba, and Haiti — claiming lives, upending homes and livelihoods, and disrupting access to food, clean water, electricity, and medical care.
UC Berkeley PhD students from the Caribbean and its diaspora — together with allies at Caribbean Coalition at Berkeley and the Berkeley CEE community — are mobilizing their networks and resources to support urgent grassroots relief efforts. Their immediate goal is to raise $20,000 to provide both monetary aid and in-kind donations.
Where Your Support Goes
The Caribbean Coalition at Berkeley is working alongside trusted local partners in severely impacted areas to direct funds toward food, medical supplies, hygiene/menstrual products, and other critical provisions. Local Partners include St. Elizabeth Parish, the Maroon village of Accompong in Jamaica, the Oriente provinces of Cuba (Holguín, Las Tunas), and the southern departments of Haiti (Petit-Goâve, Jacmel).
Donate Today
Click Here to donate to this important cause and your contribution will directly support relief work on the ground. Thanks for standing with our Caribbean community in this time of urgent need.
