Claire White promoted to full professor
Sustainable materials expert Claire White has been promoted to professor of civil and environmental engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, effective July 1.
White leads the Sustainable Cements Group at Princeton, which focuses on understanding and optimizing the properties of low-carbon alternatives to conventional Portland cement. Researchers in her group study ways to increase the durability of sustainable concretes and achieve better control over concrete formation processes. White was recently awarded funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office to study new formulations and processes for alkali-activated concrete, an alternative to Portland cement-based concrete with lower associated carbon emissions and the potential for incorporating industrial byproducts that would otherwise become waste.
While White is well-known for her cutting-edge work to develop, characterize, and optimize low-carbon cements, she has frequently applied her expertise in materials characterization to other energy and environmental challenges. For example, she has assisted in efforts to understand iron’s role as a catalyst in converting waste biomass into valuable products, as well as in the development and optimization of novel materials for carbon capture, utilization, and storage.
White’s research has been recognized with a Gustavo Colonnetti Medal from the International Union of Laboratories and Experts in Construction Materials, Systems, and Structures (RILEM), a Howard B. Wentz Junior Faculty Award from Princeton’s School of Engineering and Applied Science, and an NSF CAREER award, among other accolades.
Beyond her research, White has established herself as an excellent teacher and powerful mentor to students and researchers. In 2023, White received the President’s Award for Distinguished Teaching for her role at Princeton as an “inspirational lecturer and generous mentor” who “turns cement into magic.” She has also received seven commendations for outstanding teaching from Princeton’s School of Engineering and Applied Science.
White joined the Princeton faculty in 2013. She holds affiliations in the Princeton Materials Institute, the High Meadows Environmental Institute, the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and the Princeton Institute for Computational Science and Engineering. White earned a Ph.D. in chemical and biomolecular engineering, a B.E. in civil engineering, and a B.Sc. in physics, all from The University of Melbourne in Australia.