After the Storm

“Where [they were] mistaken for tsunamis, there was likely a coincidence of high tide, the continental shelf seiche and very large storm swells.”

- Philip Orton, research associate professor at Stevens’ Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science, describing a little-known phenomenon (continental shelf seiches) in which water levels can rise again hours after a storm passed. The phenomenon has historically affected coastal areas of New York and New Jersey.

Continental Shelf Research, August 2026

Efficiency in AI

“So you are no longer sending the entire encyclopedia when only a few key definitions have changed.”

- Denghui Zhang, assistant professor at Stevens’ School of Business, on a new algorithm that allows large language models to learn faster and more efficiently while also using less energy.

Open Review, April 10, 2026

Quantum Clocks

“Time plays very different roles in quantum theory and in relativity.”

- Igor Pikovski, assistant professor at Stevens’ Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science, speaking about a quantum superposition, a phenomenon in which atomic clocks tick faster and slower at the same time.

Physical Review Letters, April 20, 2026

Clean Drinking Water

“Rather than focusing on developing a specific catalyst, we did something fundamentally different. We built a roadmap, a framework for creating better catalysts faster.”

- Tao Ye, assistant professor in Stevens’ Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science, describing a new AI-driven approach to identifying novel catalysts that remove harmful nitrates from drinking water. The framework analyzes research to predict catalyst combinations that efficiently convert nitrates into water and nitrogen gas while minimizing toxic byproducts.

Environmental Science & Technology, May 28, 2026