Prof. Desiree Louise Plata

Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Co-Director, MIT Climate and Sustainability Consortium

Primary DLC

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

MIT Room: 48-423

Areas of Interest and Expertise

Environmental Chemistry
Environmentally and Economically Sustainable Design
Industrially-Important Processes and Materials
Energy Technologies (Fossil and Low-Carbon)
Advanced Materials Synthesis and Manufacture

Recent Work

  • Video

    11.15-16.23-RD-Plata

    November 16, 2023Conference Video Duration: 27:21
    The Race to Mitigate Methane Emissions 

    Methane Research Takes on New Urgency at MIT

    September 19, 2022MIT Faculty Feature Duration: 16:51

    Desiree Plata
    Gilbert W. Winslow (1937) Career Development Professor in Civil Engineering;
    Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering

     

    4.13.22-Build.nano-Desiree-Plata

    April 13, 2022Conference Video Duration: 22:50
    Desirée Plata
    Winslow Career Development Professor, Civil Engineering
    Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

    2022-Japan-Desiree-Plata

    January 13, 2022Conference Video Duration: 30:17
    Desirée Plata
    Winslow Career Development Professor, Civil Engineering
    Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Desirée Plata - 2019 RD Conference

    November 20, 2019Conference Video Duration: 37:3

    Simultaneous optimization of environmental and technical performance in materials and process design

    Delayed optimization of environmental metrics in material design and industrial practice can lead to costly redesign and remediation needs. Higher-throughput environmental assessment tools and predictive strategies may help guide design for more economically and environmentally sustainable industrial process and practices. Plata will discuss specific examples from oil and gas development, nanomaterial synthesis, and recent efforts in improved polymers and plastics for environmental compatibility.

    2019 MIT Research and Development Conference