CMSSP Scholars Explore Sustainable Construction Innovations in Boston

On December 17 – 19, 2024, CEE senior undergraduate students Maryam Shafie Khorassani, Madylin McLean, Aaron Sugarman, and Andrew Wohlford traveled to Boston with CEE faculty members David Kelly and Carol Menassa as part of the Construction Management and Sustainable Scholars Program (CMSSP). This trip was the last of three elements the scholars completed as part of the innovative program. The two other elements included completing a sustainability-themed internship or independent study (also known as an ambassadorship) and hosting the inaugural Construction Management and Sustainability Conference on November 8, 2024.

The trip started with a presentation and panel discussion hosted by the Massachusetts Chapter of the Associated General Contractors at the Boston office of Turner Construction Company. Here the scholars interacted with faculty and students from the Boston Architectural College and industry professionals from Commodore Builders, Consigli Construction, and Turner Construction, including U-M CEE MEng alum Ted Saltz, P.E. The presentation and panel discussion were followed by a tour of the Commonwealth Pier construction site, an 800,000 square foot redevelopment of a historic pier at Boston’s seaport.

The second day included a guided tour of Boston University’s Center for Computing and Data Science, a LEED platinum building featuring a geothermal heating and cooling system, conducted by BU facility staff. This tour was followed by a self-guided tour of Harvard’s campus on the way to visit Sublime Systems in Somerville, MA, where scholars and faculty learned about advancements in low-carbon cement technology. Day two concluded in Cambridge, MA as scholars and faculty met MIT CEE faculty members Michael Howland, Josephine Carstensen, and John Ochsendorf. Over three hours, the scholars and faculty learned from these experts about design of control systems to improve the efficiency and reliability of renewable energy, new design methods for composite structures incorporating engineer feedback to reduce the time and computational load, material reuse strategies for building design, and the history and application of traditional low-carbon engineering methods.

The final day included a meeting with Daniel Cook and U-M CEE MEng alum Devin Neale ’24 at the Boston office of Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH) where scholars and faculty heard about their projects, careers, SGH’s work, and some of the complexities and nuances of working as a practicing engineer. The balance of day three consisted of sightseeing around Boston.

“The trip has been incredibly impactful with being able to meet so many different professionals with different viewpoints along with discovering a new city. We are all positive that the future scholars in this program will have a lot to look forward to. Once again, thank you for giving us this amazing opportunity for leadership and professional skill development,” said CMSSP scholar Aaron Sugarman, speaking on behalf of the inaugural cohort.

The CMSSP, which is made possible through a generous gift by Dan and Sheryl Tishman through the Northlight Foundation, seeks to spark innovative solutions to critical construction management and sustainability problems by leveraging multi-disciplinary perspectives. In addition to being mentored by faculty as they complete the three elements of the program, scholars are awarded up to $7,500 in scholarship funds. Applications are open until January 15, 2025, for the second (2025) cohort of the CMSSP scholars. All Junior class (>55 credit hours) undergraduate civil and environmental engineering majors are eligible to apply for the program.