MIT NEET - Advanced Materials Machines

About the Climate & Sustainability Systems thread:CSS offers coursework focused on three areas: new materials and processes, energy production and distribution, and manufacturing.

The Climate & Sustainability Systems thread provides the training needed for innovating the materials, devices, processes, and networked systems to support the urgent and necessary transition towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and a more sustainable planet. The thread will emphasize decarbonization across our energy and industrial systems, while maintaining awareness of the potential for unintended consequences in shifting the burden to other social, economic, and environmental metrics of sustainability.

3.0061/22.03[J] fall 2021

MIT NEET - Advanced Materials Machines

Prototyping to Full Production

Scholars will learn about the tools of additive and advanced manufacturing: 3D printing, powder and casting processes, advanced polymer processing approaches, and more. You will then apply this knowledge to specific projects: aerospace, electronics, automotive, energy, healthcare, or any other domain in which you have an interest. Along the way, you will discover how to scale up materials-intensive manufacturing enterprises from prototyping to full production. 

MIT NEET - Advanced Materials Machines

Energy with little to no CO2 or greenhouse emissions

Energy-focused subjects look at any sources of energy storage, conversion, transmission, and production which produce little to no CO2 or greenhouse emissions, and at best actually reduce them. This includes wind, solar, hydropower, nuclear fission & fusion, electric vehicles, gas with carbon sequestration, the hydrogen economy (fuel cells), and grid-scale energy storage.

MIT NEET - Advanced Materials Machines

Learn About New Manufacturing Processes and Equipment which..

●  Let engineers prototype new materials and/or processes● Let manufacturers produce parts with close to near net shape, with a focus on additive manufacturing and related processes (i.e. printing or powder-based methods; including metals, polymers, and cements, etc.).● Enable adaptive production (highly responsive) that can manufacture products and use processes with improved performance● Allow engineers to understand the systems implications of changes within advanced manufacturing processes

MIT NEET - Advanced Materials Machines

An Urgent Challenge

Every nation on earth except one recently affirmed their willingness to decrease CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions, recognizing the issues and challenges facing the creation of a new, ultra-clean baseload energy generation system for developed and developing nations.

MIT NEET - Advanced Materials Machines

Scholars in this Thread Will..

●  Study the fundamentals that govern the performance of materials used in various manufacturing processes and the transport phenomena associated with using them●  Learn the design methods, machine controls, and the application of advanced processes to meet industry needs● Develop and implement novel and scalable manufacturing processes that meet fundamental thermodynamics, mechanics, and design constraints● Acquire the ability to address the challenges of new manufacturing processes, including automation, process control, near net shape processing, and rapid prototyping

MIT NEET - Advanced Materials Machines

Explore the Technical, Economic and Societal Aspects of Renewable Energy

The CSS thread will prepare you to fully participate and lead in the creation of the world’s truly low-carbon grids and systems. You will receive a solid foundation in the technical, economic, and societal aspects of low-carbon energy generation and distribution. 

Requirements

In order to receive the NEET Climate & Sustainability Systems certificate from the School of Engineering, students need to complete the following requirements:

Introductory project subject (recommended Sophomore year)

3.0061/22.03: Introduction to Design Thinking and Rapid Prototyping (6 units)

Intermediate HASS subject (recommended Junior Year)

21A.S01: Anthro-Engineering: Decarbonization at the Million-Person Scale (12 units)

NEET Capstone project subject (can be taken Junior and/or Senior Year)

22.S094: NEET Mongolia Project Capstone (12 units)or UROP/SuperUROP related to climate or energy

Elective Capstone-level project subjects (can be taken Junior and/or Senior Year)

2.S981: Special Subject in Mechanical Engineering, 3.042: Materials Project Laboratory, 2.013: Engineering Systems Design, 10.467: Polymer Science Laboratory, 10.492 (A+B): Integrated Chemical Engineering Topics I (6 + 6 units), 10.493 : Integrated Chemical Engineering Topics II (6 units), 10.494 (A+B): Integrated Chemical Engineering Topics III (6 + 6 units), or other advanced projects class.

Seminar (enroll for at least 3 semesters over the course of 3 years)

3.006/22.003: Speaker series featuring conversations with guest speakers from academia and industry who are experts in energy, materials, or manufacturing, career input, special hands-on engagements, and technically focused independent study options thereafter.

Classes

These are a series of 12-unit unrestricted elective classes that MM scholars take throughout the three-year program. All the classes are accompanied by weekly seminar hosting guest speakers from industry, academia and government addressing a variety of issues under the thread theme.

MIT NEET - Advanced Materials Machines

3.0061/22.03[J]: Introduction to Design

This subject provides hands-on experiences in creativity, problem scoping, prototyping, system design and integration, problem solving and debugging, and portfolio design and communication. 

MIT NEET - Advanced Materials Machines

NEET CSS Seminar

The CSS Seminar is brings scholars together around a series of colloquia with professional engineers and industry experts, and into various labs and fabrication facilities on campus to gain hands-on experience with a wide range of materials and processes.

MIT NEET - Advanced Materials Machines

22.S094, NEET Ulaanbaatar Project

This subject offers a collaborative opportunity to study the particularities of the local culture, environment, political climate, and economy in Ulaanbaatar in order to design a sustainable, flameless thermal heat source made from molten nitrate salts. 

Thread Leadership

Mike Short

Prof. Mike Short

Founding Faculty LeadAssociate Director, NEET

Nuclear Science & Engineering

Nathan Melenbrink

Nathan Melenbrink

Lecturer and Founding Lead Instructor, NEET

School of Engineering

Scholars Leadership Team

Shubhanga Ballal

Shubhanga Ballal

CSS Student Council

Materials Science and EngineeringClass of 2022

Jess Cohen

Jess Cohen

CSS Student Council

PhysicsClass of 2022

Arina Khotimsky

Arina Khotimsky

CSS Student Council

Materials Science
and Engineering
Class of 2023

Emma Suh

Emma Suh

CSS Student Council

Mechanical EngineeringClass of 2023

Kelly Wu

Kelly Wu

CSS Student Council

Chemical EngineeringClass of 2023

FAQ

  • Who is eligible for the CSS thread?

    All majors are welcome to join.

  • Will I get a certificate?

    Yes, upon completing your SB degree and the NEET requirements you will also gain a NEET Certificate in Climate and Sustainability Systems from the School of Engineering.

  • What benefits may I expect from being in CSS?

    The thread emphasizes interdisciplinary team-work, research output and individual mentoring. As such, you will benefit from exposure to a variety of interesting work being carried out by research labs from across all participating majors.