Clemson University Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences

06/11/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Sudeep Popat and team for their recent paper titled "Performance and microbial community dynamics in full-scale anaerobic co-digesters fed with fats, oils and grease" and was led by Thomas Solon at ReWa (Dr. Popat's Ph.D. student). The paper is published in Bioresource Technology. The paper shows a yearlong performance monitoring of the two full scale anaerobic digesters at the Mauldin Rd Wastewater Treatment Plant in Greenville, SC, and shows the deep collaboration with the plant both with his research group and our department. Their results show how the plant has been able to co-digest FOG waste with sludge for almost a decade now by keeping conditions in check and maintaining an appropriate microbial community. This should provide other plants with a set of target conditions and microbial community to allow to develop. Read more about the paper here

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06/09/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Powell and team for their recent publication titled Ion-Specific Effects on PuO2 Nanoparticle Aggregation and Dissolution in Concentrated Electrolytes. Read more about it at

Hydrolytic PuO2 nanoparticles (NPs) are a dominant aqueous Pu-bearing phase in high ionic strength nuclear wastes, yet their reactivity in nonideal brines remains poorly constrained. We quantify how electrolyte identity and concentration control PuO2 NP aggregation and ligand-assisted dissolution in...

06/04/2026

This Environmental Law Workshop hosted by American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) on June 12, 2026 is free for students! Registration ends on June 5, 2026. See more details in the flyer.

06/03/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Rodrigues and her research team for publishing this new article.

Did you know that nanoparticles made from corn protein could help antibiotics fight bacteria more effectively?

In their latest study, they tested Zein nanoparticles — tiny biodegradable particles made from a corn protein — as carriers for the antibiotic Enrofloxacin against E. coli O157:H7, a harmful foodborne pathogen.

But instead of testing them only in regular flat cell cultures, they used a 3D intestinal model designed to mimic the structure of the gut more realistically. This model includes villus-like structures, similar to the small “finger-like” projections in the intestine that help with absorption and interaction with microbes.

The exciting part?
The antibiotic-loaded Zein nanoparticles reduced E. coli more effectively than the free antibiotic alone, suggesting that nanocarriers may help deliver antibiotics in a smarter and more efficient way. The 3D model also supported more realistic intestinal features, making it a promising platform for testing future drug delivery systems.

Antimicrobial resistance is one of the biggest global health challenges today. Finding better ways to deliver existing antibiotics, rather than simply using more of them, could be an important step toward safer, more effective treatments.

If you’d like to learn more, check out their new article below.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s44301-026-00031-x?utm_source=rct_congratemailt&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=oa_20260601&utm_content=10.1186/s44301-026-00031-x

Antimicrobial resistance in enteric pathogens demands biotechnology-enabled strategies that enhance the efficacy of oral antibiotics while mitigating toxicity and resistance selection. Preclinical evaluation is hindered by reliance on animal models and two-dimensional (2D) cultures that incompletely...

05/12/2026

We are happy to share that Dr. Tanju Karanfil will be a Keynote Speaker at the upcoming Eurasia Waste Management Symposium- EWMS 2026.

05/11/2026

Senior Researcher of the Year Mik Carbajales-Dale, Professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, is an expert on the energy economy and its environmental impact. He leads the Clemson Energy-Economy-Environment (E3) Systems Analysis Group, which is building decision-support tools to reduce the environmental impacts of technology systems and to understand the structural transformation necessary to advance a prosperous and sustainable energy future. Read more about it here: https://news.clemson.edu/clemson-names-researchers-of-the-year/ Congratulations to Dr. Mik Carbajales-Dale!! Go Tigers!!

05/07/2026

Honor a Clemson legacy in Environmental Engineering. Invest in Clemson Environmental Engineering’s future!

Dr. Tom Keinath dedicated his career to education, research, mentorship, and service—shaping Clemson Engineering as a professor, department head, dean, and global leader in environmental engineering. His impact continues through the countless students, alumni, faculty, and colleagues he inspired.
To celebrate his legacy, we are working to establish the Keinath Distinguished Professorship Endowment at Clemson University. This endowed professorship will help attract and support outstanding faculty who will advance innovation, mentor students, and strengthen Clemson for generations to come.

We have already raised more than $300,000 toward our $500,000 goal—and every gift brings us closer. No gift is too small. A contribution of just $10 can help honor Dr. Keinath’s legacy and support the future of Clemson students.

Read more about Dr. Keinath here:
https://blogs.clemson.edu/environmental-engineering-and-earth-science/support-the-keinath-distinguished-professorship-endowment-at-clemson-university/

Join us in making a lasting impact, give here:
https://iamatiger.clemson.edu/giving/giving-to-clemson?id=b84bab79-6223-48fa-950a-211917e2974f

05/04/2026

Congratulations to Padam Paudel who received the 'Rising Researcher of the Year Award' for 2025–2026, recently presented by the Clemson Graduate Student Government/Clemson University Student Government. This award recognizes an early-stage graduate student who has demonstrated exceptional promise, achievement, and impact in research. The recognition was based on his outstanding research contributions in biomass valorization, biochar, environmental systems, and data-driven approaches for biosystems, sustainable agriculture and resource management.

His nomination highlighted his early research productivity, including 7 first-authored papers, 14 total publications, hundreds of citations, and publications in journals such as Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Bioresource Technology, and Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining. The award recognized his dedication, innovation, scholarly contributions, and potential for continued impact in sustainability-focused biosystems engineering research.

Padam's faculty advisor is Dr. Ashish Manandhar. Go Tigers!!

04/30/2026

Congratulations to Sammy Baumann for receiving the Loeblich and Tappan Student Research Grant, from the Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal Research🥳 It is awarded internationally for both undergraduate and graduate-level research projects, with the main requirement being that the research has to pertain to some aspect of foraminifera or other similar protists (either fossilized or living, as long as they are not just being used solely as a proxy for other data). The grant was created in memory of Helen Tappan and Alfred Loeblich, two researchers/micropaleontologists who were early pioneers in modern micropaleontology. They published several research that was foundational to our understanding of foraminifera.

Sammy's research project will observe how a microplastic-rich substrate will affect the growth of agglutinated foraminifera (single-celled protists which form shells by cementing pieces of substrate together). She will be working with her advisor Dr. Kelly Lazar. They will be using the foraminifera species Trochammina inflata since it is common in coastal marshes in SC, where they will be collecting their samples. For the main experimental process, Sammy will be maintaining an aquarium that reflects the foraminifera's ideal living conditions, and ultimately observe if they can grow a sample population. They will divide the foraminifera into several different habitats, which will either have a normal (control) substrate or a substrate composed of microplastics. They will be observing how the difference in substrate affects their life cycles and growth, and specifically how the microplastics physically impact their shell formation. Sammy thinks this research is important in understanding the effects and implications of microplastic pollution, especially given the increasing presence of microplastics everywhere, and considering that foraminifera play a key role in global food webs.

It is a great honor for Sammy to receive this grant, and she is very excited to get to work! Go Tigers!

04/28/2026

We had our Annual Graduate Students Spring Picnic this past weekend, and it was a wonderful time connecting with colleagues and family. Everyone enjoyed socializing, grilling, and playing volleyball. Thank you to all that attended and a huge thank you to the faculty for sponsoring this event!