Carnegie Mellon University

Jeanne VanBriesen, P. E.

Jeanne VanBriesen, P. E.

Duquesne Light Company Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

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Carnegie Mellon University
Pittsburgh, PA 15213-3890

Bio

Dr. VanBriesen is currently serving at the U.S. National Science Foundation as the Director of the
Division for Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental, and Transport Systems (CBET) within the Engineering Directorate.

Jeanne M. VanBriesen is the Duquesne Light Company Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering and the Department of Engineering & Public Policy. Dr. VanBriesen holds a B.S. in Education and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Northwestern University. She is a licensed professional engineer (PE) in the state of Delaware as well as a Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE) and a Diplomate of Water Resources (D.WRE). Dr. VanBriesen is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) as well as of its Environmental Water Resources Institute (EWRI) and a Fellow of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP).

Dr. VanBriesen's research is in environmental systems, including urban water system sustainability and the built environment water cycle, and the energy-water nexus and watershed decision making. She has
published more than seventy scientific articles and given more than 150 professional presentations. Her research has been funded by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Defense, the Colcom
Foundation, the Heinz Endowments, the Packard Foundation, and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Technology Alliance. She has supervised twenty two Ph.D. dissertations and six M.S. theses.  VanBriesen
has served on the U.S. EPA Science Advisory Board and the National Science Foundation Engineering Directorate Advisory Committee. She has been an officer of the Association for Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP), the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Sciences (CUAHSI) and the Ohio River Basin Consortia for Research and Education.

Dr. VanBriesen has received numerous awards, including the 2015 Margaret S. Peterson Woman of the Year Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the 2015 Carnegie Science Center Environmental Award, the 2013 Philip L. Dowd Fellowship at Carnegie Mellon, the 2015 Barbara Lazarus Award for Graduate Student and Junior Faculty Mentoring at Carnegie Mellon University, the 2009 American Society of Civil Engineers Pittsburgh Chapter Professor of the year, and the 2007 Pennsylvania Water Environment Association Professional Research Award. VanBriesen was a selected presenter at the National Academy of Engineering Indo-US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium on Infrastructure in 2008, and an invited speaker at the National Academy of Engineering Education Symposium in 2010. She was selected as a National Academy of Engineering Gilbreth Lecturer in 2011.

Education

PhD 1998 - Northwestern University
MS 1993 - Northwestern University
BS 1990 - Northwestern University

Research

Research Center: SiiSEERICESCenSCIRCEINT

  • Urban water system sustainability and the built environment water cycle
  • The energy-water nexus and watershed decision making

Publications

Schwetschenau, S., Small, M., VanBriesen, J.M. (2020) “Using compliance data to understand uncertainty in drinking water lead levels in southwestern Pennsylvania" accepted and published online. Environmental Science and Technology. h

Kolb, C., Good, K.D., and VanBriesen, J.M. (2020) “Modeling trihalomethane increases associated with source water bromide contributed by coal-fired power plants in the Monongahela River Basin,” Environmental Science and Technology 54:2:726-734.

Cook, L.M., VanBriesen, J.M., Samaras, C. (2019) “Using rainfall measures to evaluate hydrologic performance of green infrastructure systems under climate change,” Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure. 

Good, K.D. and VanBriesen, J.M. (2019) “Coal-fired power plant wet flue gas desulfurization bromide discharges to U.S. watersheds and their contributions to drinking water sources,” Environmental Science and Technology 53 (1): 213-223.

Cadwallader, A. and VanBriesen, J.M. (2019) “Temporal and spatial changes in bromine incorporation into drinking water disinfection byproducts in Pennsylvania,” ASCE Journal of Environmental Engineering 145(3).

McGivney, E., Avellan, C., Xiao, Y., Casman, E., Lowry, G., VanBriesen, J.M., and Gregory, K.B. (2018) “Biogenic cyanide production promotes biodissolution of gold nanoparticles in soil,” Environmental Science and Technology 53:3:1287-1295

Recent Awards

  • 2019:  PA AWWA Special Recognition Award to honor years of service and dedication to the water industry

  • 2019: Named Fellow, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP)

  • 2018: Named Fellow, American Society of Civil Engineers

  • 2016: Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) Alumni Hall of Fame

  • 2016: Named Fellow, Environmental and Water Resources Institute

  • 2015: Awarded Carnegie Science Center Environmental Award
  • 2015: Named an ELATE Fellow, Drexel University
  • 2015: Awarded the Margaret S. Peterson Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers, Environmental and Water Resources Insititute
  • 2013: Selected as the Philip L. Dowd Fellowship recipient, awarded by CIT
  • 2011: National Academy of Engineering Armstrong Endowment for Young Engineers Gilbreth Lectureship
  • 2010: Selected Presenter at NAE Frontiers of Engineering Education Symposium
  • 2009: Aldo Leopold Leadership Program Fellowship
  • 2009: Presented the McGraw-Hill/ AEESP Award for Outstanding Teaching in Environmental Engineering and Science from Association for Environmental Engineering and Science Professors
  • 2009: Named Professor of the Year, American Society of Civil Engineers Pittsburgh Chapter
  • 2008: Awarded Best Research Paper: Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management (JWRPM) for “Efficient Sensor Placement Optimization for Securing Large Water Distribution Networks
  • 2007: Recieved Pennsylvania Water Environment Association Professional Research Award