U.S. News & World Report ranked Purdue’s Division of Environmental and Ecological Engineering’s graduate program No. 9 and its undergraduate program No. 12 among the best environmental engineering programs in the nation for 2024, an impressive accomplishment, Purdue officials say, considering how new the program is.

Purdue EEE grad students came home with prizes from the American Center for Life Cycle Assessment (ACLCA) conference last month! Catherinne Mejia Melara won first place in the student poster competition, with Elizabeth Kelley in second! Both Catherinne and Elizabeth are graduate students under professor Heather Liddell.

When you walk into the office of Purdue Environmental and Ecological Engineering (EEE), you will see evidence of their excellent students, compelling research, and inclusive culture. However, there is more that Purdue EEE has to offer the ever-changing and ever-innovating world.

This summer, about 20 researchers from Purdue University Environmental and Ecological Engineering (EEE) and North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T) were awarded a cumulative $3 million in grants to establish a new doctoral program focused on integrating master’s and PhD graduates into environmental sustainability industry careers.

We have been throwing away treasure, according to Purdue EEE/ABE Professor Caitlin Proctor. Proctor is a part of a collaborative research group looking to recover critical metals from landfills. The project recently received ~$1.68 million from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Headed by Purdue EEE/CE Professor, Amisha Shah, this project collaborates with researchers from Columbia University, Lafayette College, as well as other Purdue researchers like Proctor and EEE/CE Professor Inez Hua. A key aspect of the investigation is using water to collect and recycle precious materials.

Thomas & Jane Schmidt Rising Star Associate Professor Hua Cai was recognized for her exceptional dedication to teaching on September 26, 2024, at Purdue University’s annual "Celebration of Teaching Excellence" awards ceremony. Cai received the esteemed Teaching for Tomorrow Fellowship Award (Junior Fellow).

Last month, EEE Students and staff attended the Indiana Partners for Sustainability conference in Indianapolis. The Partners for Sustainability, including Purdue EEE, champion sustainability, pollution prevention, and environmental stewardship programs in businesses and organizations.

Faculty and graduate students from Purdue Environmental and Ecological Engineering were strong in numbers at the Gordon Research Conference (GRC) for Industrial Ecology. The conference was from May 28-31, 2024 in Les Diablerets, Switzerland. John W. Sutherland, a Professor and the Fehsenfeld Family Head of Environmental and Ecological Engineering presented a plenary lecture entitled “Industrial Ecology and Product Circularity.”

For the first time in EEE history, Ms. Whelton hosted "EEE Company Night!" Check out the article for a highlight video of the event!

Have you ever wondered what EEE students do over the summer? Well, here's your answer! Hear directly from students during their various experiences. Experiential Education is a key aspect of EEE's curriculum. (Think of it as experiences that educate.) This includes, internships, co-ops, service-learning, senior design projects, study abroad, and more.