Loring F. Nies

School of Civil Engineering
Purdue University
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-1284

Phone: (765) 494-8327
Fax: (765) 496-0394
Email: nies@ecn.purdue.edu

   Experience:

  • 2009 -          Professor, School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University
  • 2000 - 2009: Associate Professor, School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University
  • 1993 - 2000: Assistant Professor, School of Civil Engineering, Purdue University
  • 1988-1993:   Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Michigan
  • 1988-1990:   Graduate Teaching Assistant, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Michigan
  • 1986-1987:   Process Engineer, General Motors, Buick Oldsmobile Cadillac Division, Lansing MI.
  • 1985-1986:   Laboratory Technician, General Motors, Buick Oldsmobile Cadillac Division, Lansing MI.

 

 

Education:

  •  Ph.D.       Civil and Environmental Engineering

 The University of Michigan                                          1993

  •  M.S.E.     Civil and Environmental Engineering

 The University of Michigan                                          1989

  • B.S.         Civil Engineering

 Michigan State University                                            1987

  • B.A.         Chemistry

 Michigan State University                                            1982

 

Current Research Interests:

  • Biotransformation of organic pollutants
  • Chemical & Microbial Reductive Dehalogenation
  • In-situ bioremediation
  • Anaerobic Processes
  • Molecular Techniques for Assessing Ecosystems
  • Urban Systems Sustainability
  • Energy-Water Nexus

Recent Courses Taught:

  • ENG 103    Engineering for the Planet
  • CE 350      Introduction to Environmental Engineering
  • CE 352      Biological Principles of Environmental Engineering
  • CE 355      Engineering Environmental Sustainability
  • CE 555      Microbial Degradation of Pollutants
  • CE 597      Global Sustainable Engineering

Selected Publications:

Technology Development – Lab to Field Deployment

  • Mesarch, M., C.H. Nakatsu, and L. Nies. 2000.  "Development of Catechol 2,3-Dioxygenase-Specific Primers for Monitoring Bioremediation by Competitive Quantitative PCR."  Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 66:678-684.

  • Baldwin, B.R., C.H. Nakatsu, and L. Nies. 2003.  “Detection and Enumeration of Aromatic Oxygenase Genes by Multiplex and Real-time PCR.”  Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 69:3350-3358.

  • Mesarch, M., C.H. Nakatsu, and L. Nies. 2004.  “Bench-Scale and Field-Scale Evaluation of Catechol 2,3-Dioxygenase Specific Primers for Monitoring Bioremediation.”  Water Research. 38:1281-1288.

  • Baldwin, B. R., L. Nies, and C. H. Nakatsu.  2008. Enumeration of aromatic oxygenase genes to evaluate monitored natural attenuation at gasoline-contaminated sites. Water Research.  42:723-731.

  • Nebe, J., B.R Baldwin, L. Nies, R.L. Kassab and C. H. Nakatsu. 2009. Quantification of Aromatic Oxygenase Genes to Evaluate Enhanced Biodegradation by Oxygen Releasing Materials at a Gasoline-Contaminated Site. Environmental Science and Technology 43:2029-2034.

  • Baldwin, B. R., C.H. Nakatsu, J. Nebe, G.S. Wickham, C. Parks, and L. Nies. 2009. Enumeration of Aromatic Oxygenase Genes to Evaluate Biodegradation during Multi-Phase Extraction at a Gasoline-Contaminated Site. J. Hazardous Materials 163:524-530.

 

Transformation of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (Photo-, Geochem- and Bio-)

  • Ahn, M-Y., T.R. Filley, C.T. Jafvert, L. Nies, I. Hua, and J. Bezares-Cruz.  2006. Photodegradation of Decabromodiphenyl Ether Adsorbed onto Clay Minerals, Metal oxides and Sediment. Environmental Science and Technology. 40:215-220.

  • Ahn M-Y., C. T. Jafvert, L. Nies, I. Hua, and T.R. Filley .  2006.  Birnessite mediated debromination of decabromodiphenyl ether, Chemosphere. 64:1801-1807. 

  • Tokarz, J.A., M-Y. Ahn, J. Leng, T.R. Filley, and L. Nies.  2008.  Reductive Debromination of Polybrominateddiphenyl Ethers in Anaerobic Sediment and a Biomimetic System.  Environmental Science and Technology. 42:1157-1164.

 

Assessment of Nanomaterials

  • Tong, Z., M. Bischoff, L.F. Nies, B. Applegate, and R.F. Turco.  2007. Impact of Fullerene (C60) on a soil microbial community, Environmental Science and Technology 41:2985-2991.

  • Nyberg, L., R.F. Turco and L. Nies.  2008 Assessing the Impact of Nanomaterials on Anaerobic Microbial Communities. Environmental Science and Technology 42:1938-1943.

  • Laban, G., L. Nies, R.F. Turco, J.W. Bickham and M.S. Sepúlveda. 2010. The Effects of Silver Nanoparticles on Development of Fathead Minnow (Pimephales promelas) Embryos. Ecotoxicology. 19:185-195.

 

Sustainable Engineering

  • Choi, J.K., L.F. Nies and K. Ramani. 2008. A framework for the integration of environmental and business aspects toward sustainable product development. Journal of Engineering Design. 19:431-446.

  • Grant, G.B., T. Seager, G. Massard. L. Nies. 2010. Information and Communication Technology for Industrial Symbiosis. J. Industrial Ecology, 14:740-753.


Current Research Projects:

  • Enabling Continental Scale Water Resources Management: Adding Value to State and Federal Agency Large Heterogeneous Data Sets (GSRA: Julia Wiener, Co-PI Chad Jafvert).

  • Impact of Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes on Anaerobic Microbial Communities (GSRA: Leila Nyberg, Co-PI Ron Turco).

  • Appropriate technology Drinking Water Treatment for Rural Communities (Service Learning, Co-PI Chad Jafvert).

  • Value Characterization across the Product Lifecycle to Support Green PLM and New Business Creation (GSRA: Katherine Ortegon, Co-PI John Sutherland).