From the Chair
Greetings from Clemson and EEES. I hope this newsletter finds you with the vaccine in your arm, or at least close to that point. Like everyone else, EEES has adapted to the unprecedented times brought on by a global pandemic. In spite of many bumps in the road, we have managed to stay focused on our core mission of delivering top quality instruction and leading-edge research. As you will see in this newsletter, there are a number of achievements by EEES faculty and students that are noteworthy over the past several months. Ron Falta was recognized with two national awards, one from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists and another from the National Groundwater Association. Tanju Karanfil was elected to the Turkish Academy of Sciences, a society of the top academicians of his native country Turkey. Tim DeVol and Nicole Martinez won top awards from the College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences. Brian Powell won two major grants from the Department of Energy to continue his research on safe storage of nuclear waste, while our newest member of the EEES faculty, Diana Vanegas, won a major new award from the National Institutes of Health. My work on wastewater epidemiology applied to surveillance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has received a good bit of media attention. Our doctoral students are being recognized too. For example, Kelli McCourt won a highly competitive Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation. Many of these accomplishments are the result of major investments in leading edge research instrumentation, made possible in part by the generosity of our alumni.
One of the things I am looking forward to as we move towards a new normal is the opportunity to once again see the familiar faces of alumni in person. We might even be able to shake hands again! In the meantime, I hope you stay safe and healthy.
David Freedman,
Chair, Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences