Change is Inevitable – What’s New with EEE?

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus's wisdom is often summed up as “the only constant in life is change.” As the seconds tick by and turn into days, weeks, and months, the entire universe remains in flux. Time marches on and change is inevitable. So, as we find ourselves approaching another spring commencement, it is appropriate to reflect on the changes and developments that have occurred recently within Environmental and Ecological Engineering (EEE).

 

In late 2024, our long-time manager of environmental laboratories for EEE and Civil and Construction Engineering (CCE), Dr. Nadezhda (“Nadya”) Zyaykina, assumed a new role: Research Assistant Professor. As she grows into this new position, she will continue as part-time Lab Manager. Professor Zyaykina aims to establish impactful research programs within the industrial sustainability field. Focusing on bioenergy and bioproduct technology development, as well as systems and process engineering, she is working to find new ways to reduce industrial footprints. While many changes are often for the better, some changes can be catastrophic. Prof. Andy Whelton and his team have been helping with recovery from the LA wildfires.

We are happy to report on a few of the numerous grants/contracts that our amazing faculty have recently secured. Professor Inez Hua and other colleagues from EEE along with faculty from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, were awarded a $3 million NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) grant for their Next-Gen Environmental Experts Training (NEXT) proposal. The NEXT program provides PhD students a gateway into industrial sustainability with corporate research internships and a specially designed curriculum. With support from the U.S. Dept. of Energy (DOE), Professor Fu Zhao is leading a team to develop a first-of-its-kind, integrated software tool capable of analyzing the economic, environmental, and circularity performance of innovative technologies to achieve a circular electric vehicle battery supply chain. Professor Zhao and I continue to work with the Critical Materials Innovation (CMI) Hub to increase the availability of critical materials required for clean energy technologies through the application of life cycle assessment, techno-economic assessment, design of experiment, and systems engineering methods.

We have launched several new initiatives aimed at enhancing the educational experience for our students and expanding our impact. The newly created EEE Career Pathways website empowers UG students to take the lead in their educational journey. The website highlights six main career pathways and provides class recommendations for each area. We are truly grateful for the support and content we received from EEE alums to develop this resource! We have also introduced a new course: Industrial Carbon Accounting (taught by Prof. Heather Liddell) and look to increase our offerings for each pathway in the coming year.

Now let’s turn our attention to some of the accolades EEE students have recently received. Kendrick Hardaway (PhD student) was the recipient of the EEE Magoon Research Excellence Award and Kanaan Hardaway (PhD student) was honored with the EEE Magoon Award for Excellence in Teaching. Venkat Roy, Neha Shakelly, and Xiaohan Wu (all PhD students) were winners of an Electronics Scrap Recycling Advancement Prize (E-SCRAP) for their GaCycle submission. They received an $80,000 award from the DOE. I am delighted to report that Kendrick Hardaway, who will be “walking” this spring, has been selected to be the responder for the doctoral student commencement. He will make some brief remarks at the ceremony on behalf of the other graduates. And, speaking of commencement, Genevieve Woodby (senior) will represent EEE as the College of Engineering Banner Bearer in the Division II commencement ceremony. I am also thrilled to report that Olivia Chowdhury (sophomore) presented at the Engineers Without Borders (EWB) National Conference and Grace Smith (junior) was awarded a Gilman Scholarship.

EEE faculty members have also received a number of recognitions. Based on student course evaluations in fall 2024, Michelle Indarjit, Chad Jafvert, Lindsey Payne, Andrew Whelton, and George Zhou were named as College of Engineering Outstanding Teachers. Lindsey Payne was promoted to Associate Professor of Engineering Practice. Rebecca Ciez was named a “40 under 40” Rising Star in Environmental Engineering and Science by the American Academy of Environmental Engineering and Science (AAEES). Hua Cai was appointed as the Thomas and Jane Schmidt Rising Star Associate Professor in the Edwardson School of Industrial Engineering. Professor Cai was also voted as EEE Outstanding Mentor of Graduate Students. And, in the interest of full disclosure, yours truly was accorded a distinguished professorship. Congratulations to all of you!

As we look to the future, we are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead. Our commitment to excellence, innovation, and sustainability will continue to guide us as we navigate the ever-changing landscape of environmental engineering. We are confident that the changes and advancements we have made will position us for even greater success in the years to come.

Hail Purdue!

John W. Sutherland