This award is given annually to recognize a rigorous and innovative doctoral thesis that advances the science and practice of water quality engineering for either engineered or natural systems. Special consideration will be given to physical-chemical process research and/or research that especially supports underserved communities, environmental awareness, or sustainable solutions. The award will consist of a plaque and a cash prize of $1,500 for the student, and a plaque and a cash prize of $500 for the faculty advisor. A $750 travel allotment is provided to the student recipient if he or she attends the awards ceremony. A total allotment of $750 is also available to support travel of the faculty advisor to the awards ceremony, or may be shared by faculty co-advisors who attend the ceremony.
Refer to the nomination package for the required submission requirements.
Faculty advisors are encouraged to nominate dissertations completed under their supervision but must limit themselves to a single entry.
*Eligibility: Dissertations must have been from the previous calendar year, as per the cover page of the dissertation.
Professor Roberts (1938 - 2006) was among the very best and most admired environmental engineers of his generation. He brought together interdisciplinary teams of hydrogeologists, chemists, microbiologists, and engineers, and showed the value of interactions between laboratory studies, field studies, and theory for the solution of complex environmental problems. In 1997, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for these contributions. Paul was an inspiration to his students and faculty colleagues. For his students, Paul provided not only the tools, motivation and inspiration for making rigorous and innovative contributions to environmental engineering and science, but also a poignant example of how one can balance professional excellence with a full and rich personal life. He was an advocate of environmental awareness and green engineering long before it was commonly popular, and he was a strong supporter of environmental justice and engineers' role in helping to meet the needs of underdeveloped communities. Paul was a role model for many, and was often heard reminding his students and others to "do good while doing well."
Click here for a summary of past Student Award winners.
Past Recipients
Year | Recipient | Dissertation Title | Advisor |
2025 | Min Yang | Microplastic and Dispersed Oil Co-Contaminants in the Marine Environment | Baiyu (Helen) Zhang, Memorial University |
2024 | Jessica Steigerwald | Development of Novel-Biochar-Molecularly Imprinted Polymer Composites for Targeted Adsorption of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Water Treatment Applications | Jessica Ray, University of Washington |
2023 | Weiyi Pan | Using Aquatic Chemistry to Understand Lead Concentrations in Drinking Water | Daniel Giammar, Washington University in St. Louis |
2022 | Riley Mulhern | Point-of-Use Water Treatment for Private Wells in North Carolina: Risks and Solutions for Lead, Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS), and Microbial Contaminants | Jacqueline MacDonald Gibson, Indiana University |
2021 | Michael Bentel | Understanding Structure-Reactivity Relationships for Aqueous Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) Within the UV/sulfite System | Jinyong Liu, University of California, Riverside |
2020 | John T. Trimmer | Resource Recovery from Sanitation to Amplify Development: Navigating Global and Local Possibilities | Jeremy S. Guest, University of Illinois at Champaign Urbana |
2019 | Emily D. Garner | Occurrence and Control of Microbial Contaminents of Emerging Concern through Urban Water Cycle: Molecular Profiling of Opportunistic Pathogens and Antibiotic Resistance | Amy Pruden and Marc Edwards, Virginia Tech |
2018 | Masaru Nobu | Omics-based characterization of complex anaerobic metabolism in methanogenic wastewater treatment | Wen-Tso Liu, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
2017 | Kimberly Parker | Contribution of Halides to Photochemical Reactions in Estuaries and Coastal Waters | William Mitch, Stanford, University |
2016 | Sara E. Beck | Wavelength-Specific Effects of Ultraviolet Light on Microorganisms and Viruses for Improving Water Disinfection | Karl G. Linden, University of Colorado |
2015 | Justin T. Jasper | Treatment of Trace Organic Contaminants and Nutrients in Open-Water Unit Process Wetlands | David L. Sedlak, UC-Berkeley |
2014 | Roland D. Cusick | Nutrient and Heat Recovery from Waste Streams Using Microbial Electrochemical Technologies | Bruce E. Logan, Penn State University |
2013 | Greg LeFevre | Fate and Degradation of Petroleum Hydrocarbons in Stormwater Bioretention Cells | Paige Novak and Raymond Hozalski, University of Minnesota |
2012 | Simoni Triantafyllidou | Lead (Pb) Contamination of Potable Water: Public Health Impacts, Galvanic Corrosion and Quantification Considerations | Marc A. Edwards, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University |