Public health, the economy, recreation, residential and business development, utility bills, taxes and other aspects of everyday life are all impacted by air quality, clean water and management of natural resources.
To address these issues, Washington University in St. Louis will host environmental engineering students and faculty from Missouri and Illinois Sept. 20-21 to learn the latest in environmental engineering technologies and to share research.
The 18th Annual Mid-American Environmental Engineering Conference will be held 8 a.m.-4:3o p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21, in the Stephen F. & Camilla T. Brauer Hall, sponsored by the Department of Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science.
The student-focused conference will include presentations by faculty and graduate students interested in environmental engineering from WUSTL, Missouri University of Science and Technology, University of Missouri, and Southern Illinois University’s Edwardsville and Carbondale campuses. Students also will present research at a lunchtime poster session.
Washington University was the first university worldwide to bring together faculty involved in energy, environmental and chemical engineering into one interdisciplinary department. The department’s faculty members have built on a foundation of excellence to find new solutions to the world’s energy and environmental challenges.
“It’s exciting to bring in environmental engineering students and faculty from this region to share ideas and learn about groundbreaking research,” said Daniel E. Giammar, PhD, the Harold D. Jolley Career Development Associate Professor, who is spearheading the conference. “Our students and faculty are eager to work with our colleagues to address regional and global-scale environmental challenges.”
The keynote speaker is renowned environmental engineer George Tchobanoglous, PhD, professor emeritus in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at University of California, Davis, and the Kappe Lecturer of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists.
An international authority on wastewater treatment, management and reuse, Tchobanoglous has taught courses on water and wastewater treatment and solid-waste management for more than 35 years. He has written 22 textbooks used by more than 200 colleges and universities and likely found on the shelves of practicing engineers.
These textbooks, which have been translated into seven languages for use worldwide, are widely known for bridging the gap between academia and the daily work of an engineer.
Tchobanoglous is recognized for promoting the use of new technologies in the construction of wetlands for wastewater treatment, the application of alternative filtration technologies, ultraviolet (UV) disinfection for wastewater reuse applications and decentralized wastewater management. He helped to draft the first UV guidelines for water reuse.
Currently, he is a national and international consultant to government agencies and private companies.
An opening reception and networking event for conference attendees and alumni will be held Friday, Sept. 20.
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