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Environmental Engineering Graduate Seminar

Abstract:

Every liter of regulation compliant tap water can contain millions of bacteria that originate from source waters and migrate through the drinking water treatment plant, the drinking water distribution system, our home plumbing, and our taps. Most of these microorganisms mediate positive impacts such as removal of contaminants from drinking water sources, while others are opportunistic pathogens that have the potential to cause disease in immunocompromised individuals. This talk will highlight the impact of drinking water treatment strategies on the drinking water microbiome with a focus on environmental mycobacteria.

Biography:

Lutgarde Raskin is the Altarum/ERIM Russell O’Neal Professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of Michigan. She is a pioneer in molecular microbial ecology applied to water quality control and anaerobic bioprocesses. Her research focuses on managing the microbiome of drinking water systems and developing anaerobic bioprocesses for resource recovery from waste streams. She has published about 130 peer-reviewed journal papers and 350 conference papers and abstracts. Dr. Raskin has mentored approximately 65 master’s students, 25 Ph.D. students, and 15 postdocs. She is a Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology and the Water Environment Federation. Past awards and honors include the University of Michigan Rackham Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award (2017), International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME)-International Water Association (IWA) BioCluster Award (2016), the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Frontier Award in Research (2007), the American Society of Civil Engineers Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize (2006), the Paul L. Busch Award (Water Environment Research Foundation Endowment for Innovation in Applied Water Quality Research) (2002), and a National Science Foundation CAREER Award (1997). She is an Associate Editor for Environmental Science & Technology and serves on the Board of Directors of AEESP.