Josephine V. Carstensen

Josephine V. Carstensen is the Gilbert W. Winslow Career Development Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at MIT. She holds a B.Sc. and M.Sc. from the Technical University of Denmark, and an M.S.E. and Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University. Her research focuses on leveraging digitalization and AI to revolutionize structural design, particularly in topology optimization and sustainable materials engineering. She teaches Senior Civil and Environmental Engineering Design (1.013) and Topology Optimization of Structures (1.583).

Her lab, the Carstensen Group, develops algorithms for human-AI collaboration in design, emphasizing manufacturability and sustainability. Notable achievements include NSF CAREER Award (2021), CEE Maseeh Teaching Award (2021), and Denmark-America Fellowship (2012). Recent work includes minimizing carbon footprints in truss designs and automating hyperparameter tuning in topology optimization.

Her research spans structural mechanics, material architecture, and carbon reduction strategies. Current projects explore AI-driven design frameworks, reclaimed material utilization, and timber-steel hybrid systems. The lab’s experimental work includes 3D-printed concrete beams and waterjet-cut steel reinforcement testing.

• Key Research Themes: Sustainable infrastructure, topology optimization, embodied carbon reduction, AI-human collaboration
• Affiliations: MIT Sustainable Materials & Infrastructure Faculty, MIT Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
• Lab Focus: Interdisciplinary engineering solutions for next-generation structural systems