Claire White, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, has been a faculty member since 2013. Her research focuses on understanding and optimizing engineering and environmental materials, with an emphasis on sustainable cements and materials for carbon capture, utilization and storage.

White imparts her pioneering knowledge of sustainable materials with a consistently engaging and innovative approach to learning that “turns cement into magic,” in the words of one student. “I’ve had the opportunity to sit in on a few of her lectures, and I can’t forget her flawless ability to engage and keep the audience captivated,” said a postdoctoral researcher.

Beyond her excellence in the classroom and the laboratory, she is devoted to her students’ growth through mentorship. “She has a talent for creating a supportive and collaborative learning environment,” said a colleague.

Her students said White maintains high standards, yet never hesitates to assist them when they are struggling, or to exchange scholarly insights. “Every idea I have come up with is welcomed and met with an interesting and fruitful discussion,” said a mentee.  “One of her most impressive qualities is empathy.”

Through her teaching, she attracts students to her classes from across disciplines and majors. Both undergraduate and graduate students commented on White’s impressive knowledge of her subject area, as well as her careful guidance of their own budding research.

Commencement citation: Those with the fortune to attend an engineering course taught by Claire White, or to conduct research alongside the renowned pioneer in sustainable cements and materials, tend to come away dazzled. Her captivating asides and anecdotes, “which she sprinkles like magic dust over her lectures,” in the words of one colleague, spin cement into gold. Former undergraduates, graduate students, and postdocs recall her as an inspirational lecturer and generous mentor whose dedication to Princeton’s research and teaching mission defined their impression of what it takes to be a scholar. Professor White’s unwavering support and infectious enthusiasm, said one lab member, “have made even the most frustrating moments less discouraging and ambitious goals more accessible.” Doctoral advisees who now work as tenure-track faculty at top universities are thriving testaments to her devotion.