Location
107 EWRE, 1351 Beal Avenue
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2125
Phone
Primary Website
- Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering in Civil Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), 1993
- Licentiate Economic Sciences (B.S.+M.S.), University of Leuven (KU Leuven), Belgium, 1988
- Bioscience Engineering (Environmental Biotechnology) (B.S.+M.S.), KU Leuven, Belgium, 1987
I am inspired by the complexity of the microbial world and the astonishing progress we have made in the field of microbial ecology over the past few decades. This progress continuously motivates me to rethink engineered systems so we can better harness the power of microorganisms to treat water and recover resources from waste streams. Most of the research projects my team and I work on strive to understand and improve various aspects of the engineered water cycle microbiome to improve human health using sustainable design approaches. We especially focus on resource recovery from waste streams and on microbial aspects of drinking water systems including biofiltration, disinfection, distribution and building plumbing biostability.
Other program affiliations at the University of Michigan:
- Dow Distinguished Faculty Fellow in Sustainability
- Faculty Affiliate Graham Sustainability Institute
- Faculty Affiliate Energy Institute
- Faculty Affiliate Center for Molecular and Clinical Epidemiology of Infectious Diseases (MAC-EPID)
- Faculty Affiliate Center for Microbial Systems
- Integrated Training in Microbial Systems (ITiMS) Faculty Advisor
- 2021-2022 Stephen S Atwood Award
- 2021 Elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering
- 2020 Vernon L. Snoeyink Distinguished University Professor of Environmental Engineering, UM
- 2019 International Water Association (IWA) Microbial Ecology and Water Engineering (MEWE) Specialist Group Ardern-Lockett Award. This award recognises outstanding contributions to research and practice in the field of microbial ecology and water engineering. The award is named after Edward Ardern and William Lockett, the inventors of the activated sludge wastewater treatment process, in recognition of MEWE’s strong link to the microbial population dynamics of activated sludge systems.
- 2019 AEESP Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Service as Chief Technology Officer and AEESP Board Member.
- 2019 Civil and Environmental Engineering Distinguished Alumna Award, UIUC.
- 2018-2019 Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Distinguished Lecturer. The AEESP Foundation each year sponsors a national lecture tour by an environmental engineering and science professor. The lecturer is selected in recognition of his or her excellence as both a researcher and educator and ability to give engaging oral presentations to members of the environmental engineering community and the general public.
- 2018 Distinguished Scholar, College of Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Peking University.
- 2018 Elected Fellow International Water Association.
- 2017 Rackham Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award, UM.
- 2017 Jack A. Borchardt Award, This award is in recognition and appreciation of individual contributions toward the continuing education of drinking water and clean water operators, engineers, and public officials, Michigan Section of the American Water Works Association.
- 2016 ISME (International Society for Microbial Ecology)-IWA (International Water Association) BioCluster Award 2016 (Grand Prize). This prize rewards interdisciplinary research of unusual merit at the interface of microbial ecology and water/wastewater treatment.
- 2014 Dow Distinguished Faculty Fellow in Sustainability, UM.
- 2013 Altarum/ERIM Russell O’Neal Professor of Engineering, UM
- 2013 Monroe-Brown Foundation Research Excellence Award, College of Engineering, UM.
- 2012 Elected Fellow Water Environment Federation.
- 2009 Fellow American Academy of Microbiology
- 2007 Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Frontier Award in Research for advancing the environmental engineering and science field through recognized research leadership and pioneering efforts in a new and innovative research area.
- 2006 American Society of Civil Engineers Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize for pioneering the application of molecular biology techniques in wastewater treatment to study complex microbial communities, the development of advanced microbial monitoring techniques, and microbial control strategies for wastewater treatment problems.
- 2005 Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students, UIUC.
- 2004 Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students, UIUC.
- 2003 Illinois Consortium for Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR) Donald A. Holt Achievement Award, received as a member of the Livestock and Urban Waste Recycling Research Team.
- 2002-2003 Flemish Science Foundation Fellowship (Fonds voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, FWO, Vlaanderen).
- 2002 Paul L. Busch Award, Water Environment Research Foundation Endowment for Innovation in Applied Water Quality Research in recognition for contributions to research in water quality and the practical application of research in the water environment.
- 2002 Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Distinguished Service Award.
- 2002 Xerox Award for Faculty Research, College of Engineering, UIUC.
- 1998-2005 Narbey Khachaturian Faculty Scholar, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, UIUC.
- 1998 Invited Committee Member for Water Environment Research Foundation Workshop – Biotechnology/Industrial Ecology – A Look into the Future for Wastewater Treatment, Sept. 12-14.
- 1997 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award.
- 1997 Xerox Award for Faculty Research, College of Engineering, UIUC.
- 1997 Incomplete List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students, UIUC.
- 1996-1997 Fellow, Center for Advanced Study, UIUC.
- 1994 National Science Foundation Research Initiation Award.
- 1987 Graduated with Great Distinction, Katholieke University Leuven.
- 1987 Laureate W.E.L. (Water, Energie, Leefmilieu) for M.S. thesis.
- 2020 Gonter Award, Division of Environmental Chemistry, American Chemical Society, Advisor for Emily Crossette.
- 2020 Integrated Training in Microbial Systems (ITiMS) Fellowship, UM, Advisor for Dianna Kitt.
- 2019 Canham Graduate Studies Scholarship, Water Environment Federation, Advisor for Shilva Shrestha
- 2019 Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, UM, Advisor for Shilva Shrestha
- 2019 Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, UM, Advisor for Nicole Rockey
- 2019 CIT IAR master thesis prize, KU Leuven, Advisor for Maxim Muermans
- 2019 Energy Institute-UROP summer research fellowship, UM, Advisor for Lucy Aley
- 2019 Integrated Training in Microbial Systems (ITiMS) Fellowship, UM, Advisor for Shilva Shrestha.
- 2019 Institute of International Education Graduate International Research Experience (IIE-GIRE) Program scholarship, Advisor for Katherine Dowdell
- 2018 NWRI-Biolargo Graduate Fellowship, Advisor for Katherine Dowdell
- 2018 Admission to to participate in the 2018 Hopkins Microbiology Course, Stanford University, Advisor for Katherine Dowdell
- 2018 U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Advisor for Katherine Dowdell
- 2018 Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, Advisor for Caroline Van Steendam
- 2018 First Place Academic Achievement Award for the Best Doctoral Dissertation from the American Water Works Association, Advisor for Nadine Kotlarz
- 2018 Michigan Section AWWA Fellowship for Water Quality and Treatment Study, Advisor for Katherine Dowdell
- 2018 The Integrated Training in Microbial Systems (ITiMS) program mini grant ($10,000), Advisor for Emily Crossette
- 2017 Best Presentation Award for Post-Doc Yun Shen (with co-authors A. J. Prussin II., S.-J. Haig, L. Marr, L. Raskin), Quantification of opportunistic pathogens in shower water and aerosols formed during showering, AEESP Conference, Ann Arbor, Michigan. June 20-22
- 2017 Admission to the Strategies and Techniques for Analyzing Microbial Population Structures (STAMPS) Course at Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole), Advisor for Emily Crossette
- 2017 Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant, UM, Advisor for Matthew Vedrin
- 2017 Rackham International Research Award, UM, Advisor for Raghav Reddy
- 2017 International Institute Individual Fellowship, UM, Advisor for Matthew Vedrin
- 2017 Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute Dow PhD Fellowship, UM, Advisor for Matthew Vedrin
- 2017 Integrated Training in Microbial Systems (ITiMS) Fellowship, UM, Advisor for Emily Crossette
- 2017 Dow Sustainability Master’s Fellowship, UM, Advisor for Grace Rodriguez
- 2017 Dow Sustainability Master’s Fellowship, UM, Advisor for Grace van Velden
- 2016 International Institute Individual Fellowship, UM, Advisor for Grace Rodriguez
- 2016 Walter Weber Student Award, UM, Advisor for Nadine Kotlarz
- 2016 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Microbiology of the Built Environment Postdoctoral Fellowship, Advisor for Yun Shen.
- 2016 U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Advisor for Emilly Crossette
- 2016 Integrated Training in Microbial Systems (ITiMS) Fellowship, UM, Advisor for Caroline Van Steendam.
- 2015 Scholarship to attend the course “Microbial Ecology of Anaerobic Digestion: Application to the hot topic of low-temperature AD” 14th World Congress on Anaerobic Digestion |Viña del Mar, Chile, Xavier Fonoll
- 2015 Rackham Summer Award, UM, Advisor for Xunchang Fei
- 2015 CTAHR MS Student Oral Presentation Award of Merit, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Advisor for Shilva Shrestha
- 2015 U.S. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, Advisor for Nicole Rockey
- 2015 Admission to the Microbial Diversity Course at Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole), Advisor for Caroline Van Steendam
- 2015 American Society for Microbiology Travel Grant, Advisor for Nadine Kotlarz
- 2015 Dow Sustainability Postdoctoral Fellow, Advisor for Sarah Haig.
- 2015 Integrated Training in Microbial Systems (ITiMS) Fellowship, UM, Nadine Kotlarz
- 2015 Dow Sustainability Master’s Fellowship, UM, Advisor for Sean Murphy
- 2014 U.S. EPA STAR Fellowship, Advisor for Nadine Kotlarz
- 2014 Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Microbiology of the Built Environment Postdoctoral Fellowship, Advisor for Sarah Haig
- 2014 International Institute Individual Fellowship, UM, Advisor for Raghav Reddy
- 2014 Dow Sustainability Master’s Fellowship, UM, Advisor for Elizabeth Grobbel
- 2013-15 Environmental Research and Education Foundation (EREF) Scholarships (3), Advisor for Xunchang Fei
- 2013 John P. Hennessey Scholarship Michigan Water Environment Association, Advisor for Anton Dapcic
- 2013 Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute Dow Fellowship, Advisor for Nadine Kotlarz.
- 2013 Admission to the Microbial Diversity Course at Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole), Advisor for Nadine Kotlarz