Ian Pepper, Regents Professor
ENVS Professor Dr. Ian Pepper has been appointed by President Robins to the position of Regents Professor. This is the highest academic merit that is awarded to faculty members that have made a significant impact in their field and at the University of Arizona. This includes distinguished accomplishments in teaching, scholarship, and research.
Pepper is an internationally renowned environmental microbiologist who strives to address real-world problems. He focuses on the interface of human health and soils, potable water, and municipal waste. During the coronavirus pandemic, his efforts to identify and quantify the virus in waste flows from university dormitories have gained international media attention. His team's "wastewater-based epidemiology," which enabled UArizona to avoid a major campus outbreak, has been implemented in many other locations around the United States.