Environmental Engineering

researchers working in the lab

Environmental Engineering

Overview

The GW-CEE environmental engineering faculty and students work on a variety of projects to tackle the challenges of sustainable supply of water and food, protecting public health, and designing a future without pollution. We innovate materials and processes for water and wastewater treatment, design better technologies for nutrient removal and wastewater reuse, invent safer food packaging materials, and conduct fundamental research in microbiological and physicochemical processes. Notably, the Environmental Engineering faculty members have conducted research to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, including the development of nanofiber-enabled air filters and understanding virus transmission in the environment.  Our research has been extensively supported by the National Science Foundation, Water Research Foundation, DC Water, National Institutes of Health, Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, and the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program. Our research findings are frequently published in prestigious journals including Environmental Science & Technology, Water Research, and they have been highlighted in diverse news media and the NSF website. Our students participate in internship opportunities at DC Water, National Institutes of Health, and National Institute of Standards and Technology. Our graduates have become leaders in environmental consulting and water industry, as well as faculty members of major research universities.

Research Stories

Investigation of removal of micro-pollutants in single and dual media biofilters for water reuse (Prof. Riffat)

Development of electrospun nanofibrous air filters for controlling the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (Prof. Shuai)

Interaction of colloidal particles with environmental surfaces (Prof. Liu)

 

Faculty:

rumana Riffat

 

 

danmeng shuai

 

 

xitong liu

 

 

Xitong Liu
Assistant Professor
Learn more about Professor Liu