2020

The Engineering Humanitarian Aid initiative, officially launched on 10 December 2020, will harness the expertise of Switzerland's two federal institutes of technology to benefit humanitarian aid programs. The effort will focus on the areas of energy and the environment, data sciences and digital technologies, and personalized health and related technologies.

The tongue of Rhonegletscher melts several meters every year – vertically. Indeed, glacier retreat is one of the most prominent signs of ongoing climate change.

Precisely when will the long-​lost US aircraft “Dakota” re-​emerge from the Gauli Glacier? Radioactive traces from the Cold War now indicate that this will happen soon.

The Association of Students at ETH Zurich (VSETH) represents the interests of the students to the Executive Board and authorities. At ETH Day, its president Luca Dahle presented particularly dedicated lecturers with the Golden Owl in recognition of their excellent teaching. One lecturer per department receives this student-​awarded prize.

Professor Roman Stocker and Professor Jing Wang, from the Institute of Environmental Engineering, are contributing to efforts to understand and control the spread of SARS-CoV-2.

It is now generally recognized that aerosols play a role in the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. While the role of aerosols in overall transmission remains difficult to quantify, superspreading events point to aerosols as an important transmission mode in indoor situations with poor ventilation, particularly when associated with activities that result in large aerosol emission rates (e.g. speaking, singing, shouting, physical activity).

An increasing number of researchers within D-BAUG recognizes the potential in adopting Data Science and Machine Learning (DSML) as enabling tools in their research. This has led to an initiative to establish a Collaboration Platform for Data Science and Machine Learning @ DBAUG, where researchers can join their efforts in applying and advancing DSML tools.

The conversation begins at the spot where Roman Stocker's research happens: under water. As a professor of environmental engineering, his goal is to decipher how the behavior of aquatic bacteria impacts the world's climate - in other words, how some of the smallest organisms have large-scale consequences.

Two of the 2020 AGU Early Career Awards go to scientists who were associated with our Institute in the recent past. Congratulations to the awardees on their extraordinary achievements!

Dr. Nebojša Mojsilović, Head of Structural Masonry Group at the Institute of Structural Engineering, has been selected by The Masonry Society (TMS) Research Committee to receive the 2020 John B. Scalzi Research Award, which is presented annually by The Masonry Society to honour an individual who has made an outstanding, lifetime contribution to masonry research.