A Conversation with New Chair Marco Nie

Yu (Marco) Nie sees civil and environmental engineering at a pivotal moment. As he begins his term as chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering that kicked off Sept. 1, he’s focused on sharpening CEE’s identity and positioning it to lead on urgent global challenges—from climate resilience and sustainable infrastructure to intelligent systems and mobility transformation.

In this conversation, Nie, who studies how to characterize, model, and manage transportation systems, shares his vision for strategic growth, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and educational innovation, along with the leadership principles and research lessons that will guide him in shaping the department’s next chapter.

What is your vision for the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and how do you plan to guide it through the next phase of growth and innovation?

We sit at the intersection of some of the most urgent challenges of our time—climate adaptation, infrastructure resilience, resource recovery, and the transformation of mobility. To meet these challenges, we must grow strategically, sharpen our identity, and build on our strengths in both foundational and emerging areas.

Over the next few years, we’ll prioritize hiring faculty whose work bridges societal needs and technological frontiers—particularly in areas like AI, robotics, sensing, and intelligent systems. We’ll modernize our undergraduate curriculum to reflect these changes, making it more cohesive, engaging, and aligned with where the field is headed. We’ll also rethink how we support graduate education in a shifting funding and enrollment landscape. 

How do you see advances in data analytics, AI, and sustainability transforming CEE research and practice?

 These advances are reshaping not just what we do in CEE—but how we think. Data analytics and AI give us the ability to model and manage complex systems in ways that were unimaginable a decade ago. Whether it’s optimizing transportation networks, predicting infrastructure failure, or managing water resources, we now have tools that allow us to make decisions faster, more accurately, and with greater sensitivity to uncertainty. 

Sustainability, meanwhile, is no longer an add-on—it’s central to everything we do. The pressure to decarbonize, reduce waste, and build climate-resilient infrastructure is transforming how engineers define success. It’s pushing us toward circular systems, multifunctional designs, and new materials that work with nature rather than against it.

Together, these forces are changing the DNA of our field. They demand cross-disciplinary thinking, fluency with emerging technologies, and a mindset that embraces innovation and lifelong learning. 

CEE research often connects to materials science, computer science, and public policy. How will you encourage stronger collaborations within and beyond McCormick?

Interdisciplinary collaboration is not just a strength of our department—it’s essential to our future. Many of the societal challenges we face today exist at the boundaries of traditional disciplines. To address them effectively, we must engage deeply across those boundaries.

Fortunately, CEE at Northwestern is already well-positioned for this kind of integrative work.

Our environmental engineering group maintains strong ties to chemical and biological engineering and biomedical engineering, around issues like water-health interfaces and microbial pathogen detection. Our transportation group naturally intersects with industrial engineering and management sciences on optimization, supply chain and logistics, and with computer science and electrical and computer engineering on cyber-physical systems and connected and automated mobility. Meanwhile, our mechanics, structures, geotechnics, and building science groups collaborate closely with mechanical engineering and materials science in areas such as multifunctional infrastructure, additive manufacturing, and sustainable design. 

As chair, I will actively support and expand these collaborations—through joint appointments, collaborative proposals, and new center-level initiatives that bridge departments and schools.

How do you envision CEE’s work influencing not just engineering solutions, but also the broader conversations around sustainability, mobility, and community well-being?

CEE has always been a discipline rooted in societal impact. What makes our field exciting today is that the scope of that impact is expanding—not just in what we build, but in how we shape policy, influence behavior, and design systems that promote resilience, equity, and well-being.

At Northwestern, we have an opportunity to lead in these broader conversations. Our work on water safety, climate adaptation, transportation systems, and smart infrastructure doesn’t exist in a vacuum—it directly affects how communities live, move, and thrive. As engineers, we must understand that the systems we design carry social, environmental, and ethical implications.

That’s why I believe we should empower our students and faculty to engage beyond traditional engineering boundaries. Whether that’s collaborating with public health and policy experts, designing with underserved communities in mind, or embedding ethical considerations into every stage of a project, we have a responsibility—and an opportunity—to lead by example. 

What core principles guide your approach to leadership, and how do you balance the needs of faculty, students, and staff while fostering a shared vision for the department?

At the core of my leadership philosophy is a commitment to shared governance, open communication, and trust. I believe faculty must have a strong voice in shaping departmental decisions—from hiring and curriculum to strategic direction. That’s why I’ve created a Faculty Executive Committee to help deliberate and vote on major initiatives, and I intend to lead with transparency and collaboration at every level.

At the same time, we must never lose sight of our central mission as an educational institution: to serve our students. While research excellence and innovation are vital to who we are, our greatest responsibility is to prepare students for meaningful careers and thoughtful citizenship. That means not only keeping our curriculum relevant, but also listening to our students, investing in their success, and ensuring that every one of them feels seen, challenged, and supported.

Ultimately, I strive to lead by consensus, guided by a shared vision and a culture of mutual respect. Balancing these perspectives isn’t always easy—but when done well, it makes the department stronger, more inclusive, and better equipped for the future.

What excites you most about stepping into this leadership role, and what lessons from your own research career do you hope to bring to the position?

What excites me most is the opportunity to help solve problems—especially those that matter to the people I work with every day. Leadership, at its best, is not about having all the answers. It’s about listening carefully, surfacing the right questions, and helping the department move forward together. When that happens, it’s incredibly rewarding.

From my research career, the most important lesson I’ve learned is to always start by identifying the right problem. Whether in transportation systems or department strategy, success often depends less on technical brilliance and more on asking the right questions early on—and being open to redefining the problem as new information emerges.

I also value iteration. Few things are perfect on the first try, and that’s OK. What matters is creating a process where ideas can evolve, people feel heard, and better solutions emerge over time. That’s the kind of environment I want to foster as Chair: one where we work together thoughtfully, challenge each other constructively, and make decisions with purpose. 

How do you plan to build on Kimberly Gray’s accomplishments as Chair, and what aspects of her leadership do you most admire or hope to continue?

Kim has laid an exceptional foundation for the department. She developed a clear, strategic vision and made a series of outstanding faculty hires that are already shaping the future of CEE at Northwestern. I feel fortunate to be stepping into this role at a time when so much momentum is already in motion.

What I admire most about Kim’s leadership is her tireless energy, deep commitment to the department, and unshakable can-do spirit. She approached every challenge with clarity, compassion, and persistence—and she consistently got things done. While I know I can’t replicate her unique strengths, I will do my best to carry forward the high standard she set for thoughtful, engaged, and forward-looking leadership.