February 2023
From board sports to cutting-edge research
Johan Gaume has been Associate Professor of Alpine Mass Movements at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at ETH Zurich since October 2022. Beyond that, he is also an excellent snowboarder. In this welcome interview, Gaume explains how he combines profession and hobby with his avalanche research.
Earthquake disaster in Turkey and Syria — There are fewer options for historic buildings
Civil engineer Božidar Stojadinović, professor of structural dynamics and earthquake engineering, explains the reasons why the recent strong earthquake in Turkey and Syria led to the collapse of many buildings: they were not built robustly enough for such events.
Student story: “We should spend more time exploring other disciplines”
When doctoral student Panagiotis Martakis started studying civil engineering, he soon realised that it is important to take time to also explore other discplines. In this interview, he speaks about his journey.
How microbial communities shape the ocean’s ecology
A research collaboration led by ETH Zurich and MIT will receive a further USD 15 million from the New York-based Simons Foundation to investigate the behaviour of marine bacteria and microalgae. The research will focus on microbial communities that impact the ocean’s carbon cycle. At ETH, the project is led by Roman Stocker, professor of environmental engineering at the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering.