Emphasizing the need to think outside disciplinary boundaries, to build, invent, and foster an entrepreneurial spirit, CEE head Professor Markus Buehler outlined his vision for the department in a recent presentation. He said applying tools of nanotechnology, urban physics and environmental microbiology to diverse areas such as materials design, oceans, alternative energy grids and resources, ecosystems and coastal processes allows CEE researchers to see that all things are connected. “This approach forms the fabric of MIT CEE,” Buehler said.