Skip to main content

Civil & Environmental Engineering News

Students work together in ISyE 649: Data Analytics
April 13, 2026

New certificate builds engineers who work with AI, not around it

Amanda Smith knows the question is coming. At just about every admitted student info session at the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering these days, it’s only a matter of time before a prospective student…

Zhenhua Zhu
April 1, 2026

A new digital twins research experience will help undergrads keep an eye on our nation’s roads

A new summer research program will give University of Wisconsin-Madison civil engineering undergraduates hands-on exposure to the future of roadway construction. Zhenhua Zhu, an associate of civil and environmental engineering at UW-Madison, says the 10-week…

PhD student Ziyan Wu shows a boat’s sequential filtration system while collecting samples from Lake Michigan
March 27, 2026

Algorithm increases the chance that we’re counting nanoplastic concentrations correctly

A growing environmental concern, nanoplastics have been found in water around the world—from the deep oceans to Arctic ice. New University of Wisconsin-Madison research, published in the August 2025 issue of the journal Environmental Science…

2025 Wisconsin Impact Nexus award recipients
March 16, 2026

Grants empower bold thinking and transform vision into momentum

Expanding a consortium that strengthens ties between the college and the steel industry. Commercializing chip-cooling tech. Designing an economical nuclear microreactor. Through funding and in-kind support, Wisconsin Impact Nexus grants are igniting a ripple effect,…

Badgers in Themed Entertainment student org members
March 11, 2026

In the loop: New student organization is taking Badgers for a ride

Only the nerdiest among us take our first steps into Disneyland or Universal Studios and exclaim, “What a feat of engineering!” But maybe more of us should. Theme parks (or “themed entertainment,” for those in…

mosquito sucking blood
March 11, 2026

With a forecast for the world’s most prevalent mosquito-borne disease, countries can better prepare and preserve human health

Year-round warmth and wet climates make Colombia and Puerto Rico natural dengue hotspots. A mosquito-borne viral disease that causes flu-like symptoms—high fever, severe headaches, muscle and joint pain, and rash—dengue is prevalent year-round in both…

A student follows a robotic dog on a construction site
January 29, 2026

Robots to the rescue?

While fantasies of mechanical maids aren’t yet reality, autonomous aides are emerging in a few areas of the modern world. Highlight reels from the inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games, held in August 2025 in Beijing,…

Janet Naw uses scanning equipment
December 15, 2025

As undergrad researcher, civil engineer builds skills, confidence and connections

Jacknetson Naw has spent the last two years learning how to scan structures. Naw, a civil and environmental engineering senior, has conducted undergraduate research under CEE Associate Professor Hannah Blum, who leads the Steel Systems…

Stock image of a rainstorm
October 20, 2025

Wright leading UW-Madison team in multidisciplinary storm impact research center

Daniel Wright, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering, is adding his expertise in extreme storm prediction research to the new Center for Interdisciplinary Research on Convective Storms (CIRCS). Wright is the University of…

Image of flooded area
October 15, 2025

New computer model predicts rising flood threats in Lower Mississippi River Basin

A historic flood swept down the Lower Mississippi River in May 2011. Along the way, the river swelled to record levels at the cities of Vicksburg and Natchez, both in Mississippi, while nearing records in…