News & EventsDepartment Events
Events
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May22
EVENT DETAILS
lessAbstract: The ability of eukaryotic cells to fit nearly 2 meters of DNA into a single micron-scale nucleus, as well as selectively access the right genes at the right time, is a physical challenge that remains a key biological question. How DNA is folded in 3D can influence which genes are easy to turn on or off, particularly during stress. Emerging research in mammalian cells has shown that chromatin, the DNA and its associated histone proteins, are not arranged as a fixed, rigid hierarchy. Instead, chromatin has been found to form, dynamic, heterogenous “neighborhoods”: nanoscale “packing domains” characterized by dense interior cores and more open outer regions, held in place by different factors, such as post-translational modifications of the histone proteins. These local 3D environments help shape gene activity and could contribute to cellular
“memory” of past conditions. This paradigm shift in chromatin 3D organization may be critically important for our understanding in the resilience of ecologically important species, as environments change due to anthropogenic activities. Here, we ask whether similar 3D packing principles occur in reef-building corals, sessile organisms which must respond quickly to environmental change, such as marine heat stress. Although the field of coral epigenetics is rapidly growing, the potential role of 3D genome organization in regulating gene expression remains largely unexplored. We adapt ChromSTEM, a high-resolution electron microscopy approach, to visualize and quantify DNA packing in coral cells at nanometer resolution and compare these patterns to those reported in human cells. This work is a first step toward connecting 3D genome structure with gene regulation and stress responses in a non-model, ecologically important organism.Bio: Shanna Davidson is a postdoctoral scholar in the Marcelino lab in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Northwestern University. Prior to joining Northwestern, she earned her PhD in Chemical and Petroleum Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh. Her current research bridges physical genomics and environmental science by investigating how the three-dimensional organization of chromatin regulates cellular responses to environmental change. Utilizing a suite of nanoscale imaging techniques and molecular approaches, she studies genome architecture in corals to understand how these ecologically critical organisms respond to ocean warming.
TIME Friday, May 22, 2026 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Andrew Liguori andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
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May27
EVENT DETAILS
lessAbstract: Many natural hazards have been well known and qualitatively understood for decades, but still lack accurate measures of how damaging future events will be. For example, it still remains a question as to how quickly the great ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland will respond to climate change to cause sea level rise, and whether early warning for debris flows can be successfully implemented. For both of these examples, a key need is to better understand the mechanics of the underlying geophysical processes. In this talk, I introduce the basic mechanical principles related to ice sheet flow and debris flow damage, and explain how application of these simple principles results in an enhanced ability to quantify certain aspects of these hazards.
Biosketch: Victor has a broad range of geophysical interests from understanding earthquake mechanics and hazards to predicting the future of melting and collapse of glaciers and ice sheets. He enjoys simplifying the complexity of geophysical phenomena to make them tractable to comprehend and model mechanistically. Victor joined the Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences at Brown University in 2019, where he is a professor of geophysics. He was previously a professor of geophysics at Caltech for eight years, and a postdoc at the US Geological Survey for two years. He earned his B.S. in geophysics at Caltech and his Ph.D. at Harvard University.
TIME Wednesday, May 27, 2026 at 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Andrew Liguori andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
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May29
EVENT DETAILS
lessAbstract: Anaerobic biotechnology is used to treat municipal wastewater sludge and many industrial wastewaters. In the process, microbes degrade pollutants and convert them to biogas containing methane. The methane gas can be used for heat and energy generation. Therefore, the process includes both wastewater management and renewable energy generation. Often, the Anaerobic Digestion Model #1 (ADM1) is employed to help design and understand anaerobic treatment systems. Fundamental model inputs include maximum Monod substrate utilization rate constants (km). Unfortunately, the kinetic constant values can actually vary greatly, based, in part, on the exact microbial community present in the engineered process (i.e., the identity of microbes and the numbers of each). Unfortunately, there are no standard, simple methods to measure the kinetic values since determining the concentration of active microbes in a given trophic group. is difficult. Having a method to determine active trophic group microbial concentrations as well as kinetic constant values would help us understand the process and design/model anaerobic bioprocesses. In this talk, a novel respirometer method to determine Monod kinetic constant and active biomass concentrations will be presented. Using the technique, the maximum specific acetate utilization rates for biomass from more than 20 full-scale anaerobic bioprocesses was found to vary greatly. Surprisingly, some biomass samples exhibited extremely high acetate utilization rates (>40 g COD/g CODx-d), whereas flocculant municipal biomass rates were similar to the ADM1 default value of 8 g COD/g CODx-d. Rate data were compared to genomic data and results supported the hypothesis that acetate oxidation (i.e., the conversion of acetate to H2 and CO2) is more prevalent in well-functioning digesters than assumed. Granular biomass was especially rich in acetate oxidizing potential, and this may also be supported by significant interspecies electron transfer in granules. The important link between microbial community composition and bioprocess function will be highlighted. Just as the human gut microbiome varies from person to person and can influence health, anaerobic digester microbiomes can vary and influence process function.
Biosketch: Daniel Zitomer, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, Fellow WEF is professor and chair of the department of civil, construction and environmental engineering at Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI). Dr. Zitomer teaches and performs research regarding wastewater management, renewable energy and anaerobic biotechnology for industrial and municipal wastewater. He also consults with industries and municipalities regarding wastewater management. He is a fellow of the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and received the 2008 WEF Fair Distinguished Engineering Education Medal. He is site director of the National Science Foundation Industry/University Cooperative Research Center on Water Equipment and Policy and is a member of the NSF Great Lakes Water Innovation Engine technical committee. Dr. Zitomer received his BS in civil engineering from Drexel University (Philadelphia, PA) and his MS and Ph.D. degrees in environmental and water resources engineering from Vanderbilt University (Nashville, TN).
TIME Friday, May 29, 2026 at 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM
LOCATION A230, Technological Institute map it
CONTACT Andrew Liguori andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
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Jun11
EVENT DETAILS
lessThe 2026 Undergraduate Cocktail Reception for graduating CEE undergraduates.
TIME Thursday, June 11, 2026 at 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
LOCATION 1026 Davis St Upstairs
CONTACT Andrew Liguori andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
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Jun12
EVENT DETAILS
lessCEE Graduation and Recognition Ceremony
TIME Friday, June 12, 2026 at 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
LOCATION 1702 Chicago Ave
CONTACT Andrew Liguori andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
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Sep16
EVENT DETAILS
lessThe Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering's annual Faculty Retreat.
TIME Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
LOCATION 1702 Chicago Ave
CONTACT Andrew Liguori andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
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Sep16
EVENT DETAILS
lessThe Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering's annual Department Barbecue.
TIME Wednesday, September 16, 2026 at 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM
CONTACT Andrew Liguori andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)
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Oct3
EVENT DETAILS
lessThe Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering's 2026 Fall Career Fair.
TIME Saturday, October 3, 2026 at 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
CONTACT Andrew Liguori andrew.liguori@northwestern.edu EMAIL
CALENDAR McCormick - Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE)