September 2023

On 26 October 2023, the Association of Scientific Staff invites all students, researchers and professors to the department's annual “Meet & Share” event. Doctoral students from 10 Institutes will present selected case studies to illustrate the many ways in which research at D-BAUG helps engineer a more sustainable future. Keynotes will be given by Professors Eleni Chatzi and Max Maurer. Don't miss this exciting event and the apéro afterwards!  

Until 15 October 2023, the Zurich photography festival "Open Your Eyes" presents an extraordinary combination of world-renowned photography and groundbreaking research. The 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide the framework. D-BAUG is participating with eight selected contributions, demonstrating how the department focuses not only its research but also its teaching on the SDGs.

On 1 August 2023, Professor Ioannis Anastasopoulos took up his position as the new Head of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at ETH Zurich. He will be supported by Professors Bryan T. Adey and Eleni Chatzi, who have been acting as Deputy and Delegate in the department's executive committee since 2022. A warm welcome and all the best!

At the end of July, Professor Paolo Burlando completed his three-year term as Head of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering at ETH Zurich. In this farewell interview he talks about the highlights and challenges of his tenure, as well as his passion for documentary photography.

The Center for Sustainable Future Mobility (CSFM) is jointly run by the Departments of Civil, Environmental and Geomatic Engineering (D-BAUG) and Mechanical and Process Engineering (D-MAVT). Professor Kay Axhausen was the inaugural chairperson of the center after it was formally approved two years ago. On 1 July 2023, Professor Emilio Frazzoli was elected as the new chairperson. Professor Martin Raubal will be the new deputy.

With her D-BAUG spin-off DuraMon, Yurena Seguí Femenias aims to ensure that large public infrastructures built from reinforced concrete are safer and more sustainable – in Switzerland and beyond.

Research into the safety of dams is an ongoing task. A new D-BAUG study led by Marc Kohler and Prof. Alexander Puzrin has investigated whether landslides triggered by earthquakes can cause dams to overflow and endanger the population downstream. The case study on a dam in Ticino shows that geotechnical conditions counteract the probability of such a catastrophe in certain cases.

The D-BAUG Gender and Diversity Commission (GDK) is pleased to announce the launch of a new seminar series that aims to bring highly successful and prominent female academics to ETH Zurich. It features women in engineering who are addressing key challenges of today. The first event on 27 September 2023 will focus on challenges in environmental engineering, the second event on 16 November on civil engineering challenges. Join us for this public event! Registration is requested, see details below.

Retiring Vice Rectors Andreas Vaterlaus and Lorenz Hurni explain in an interview the trends they are observing and where in their view changes are needed.