Biography

Dr. Joseph Hughes received his PhD and MS degrees from the University of Iowa in Civil and Environmental Engineering and a B.A. from Cornell College in Chemistry. He currently holds the position of University Distinguished Professor of Engineering at Drexel University. He served as Dean of Engineering at Drexel from 2012 to 2017 and Director of the A.J. Drexel Institute for Energy and Environment from 2014 to 2019. Prior to his appointment at Drexel University, he served at Georgia Tech as the Karen and John Huff School Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the Howard T. Tellepsen Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Professor of Material Science and Engineering.  He served at Rice University at all academic ranks, including the George R Brown Chair of Engineering and Department Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He is a registered professional engineer and is a Diplomat, by Eminence, of the American Academy of Environmental Engineering and Science, and Fellow of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors.

Dr. Hughes has received awards for his teaching and research including, the Georgia Engineer of the Year in education; the McKee Medal from the Water Environment Federation; and the Walter P. Huber Research Prize from the American Society of Civil Engineers. He has been active in the National Academy of Engineering's Frontiers of Engineering program and the Grand Challenge Scholars program. He is served until March of 2018 as the Chair of the Science Advisory Board of the DOD/DOE/EPA research program SERDP, has served in advisory roles to the EPA and the NRC, and Co-Chairs the REMTEC National Conference .

He has published extensively in journals, book chapters, edited books, peer reviewed conference proceedings, and is invited to address audiences in issues ranging from his research specialties to global issues of sustainability, energy, environment, and most recently the new field of Peace Engineering.

Degrees / Education

• PhD, Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Iowa, 1992
• MS, Civil and Environmental Engineering, The University of Iowa, 1989
• BA, Chemistry, Cornell College, 1986

Areas of Study

• Environmental Engineering
• Peace Engineering

Academic Distinctions

Professional Registration

Registered Professional Engineer, State of Texas, license number 89083.

Honors

• Beta Omicron Distinguished Alumnus Award, Cornell College, 2018.
• Fellow, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, 2017.
• Georgia Engineer of the Year in Education, 2011.
• Feldman Lecture (26th), American Epidemiological Society, 2009.
• CH2MHill Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award, as Advisor, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, 2007.
• John McClanahan Henske Distinguished Lecture in Chemical/Environmental Engineering, Yale University, 2007.
• McKee Medal, Water Environment Federation, 2007.
• American Academy of Environmental Engineering, elected as Diplomat by Eminence, 2007.
• AIChE's Best Applied Paper Award, South Texas Section, 2005. 
• Georgia Institute of Technology Advanced Leadership Program, 2005.
• Walter P. Huber Research Prize, American Society of Civil Engineers, 2005.
• Organizer, National Academy of Engineering 9th Annual Frontiers of Engineering
• Symposium, 2003.
• Charles Duncan Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement, Rice University, 2002.
• ASCE Outstanding Professor Award, Rice University Chapter, 1997 and 2002.
• Invited Speaker, National Academy of Engineering and Van Humbolt Foundation 4th Annual German-American Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, 2001.
• Distinguished Alumnus Address, Institute for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing,
• University of Iowa, 2000.
• Invited Speaker, National Academy of Engineering 1st Annual Frontiers of Engineering
• Symposium, 1995.
• Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing Graduate Fellow, University of Iowa, 1990-1992.
• Iowa Water Pollution Control Association: William Kirstin Scholarship, 1989.

Honorary Societies

Chi Epsilon

Professional Activities

• Member, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Heath Advisory Board, 2019-present.
• Member, Pennsylvania Task Force on Community Gun Violence, 2019-present
• Advisor, Universidad de los Andes, 2017-present,
• Member and Chair, Science Advisory Board, Department of Defense Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP), 2011-18 (2012-14 (Vice Chair), 2014 to 2018 (Chair)).
• Member, Chamber of Commerce Energy Action Team, 2013-2019.
• Member and Chair, Rice University, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Advancement Council,  2016.
• Member and Chair, The Ohio State University Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Geodetic Sciences External Review Committee, 2009.
• Member, University of Michigan Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering External Review Committee, 2008.
• Member and Chair, Cornell University School of Civil and Environmental Engineering External Review Committee, 2006.
• Member, University of Missouri-Rolla Civil Engineering Advisory Board, 2005 to 2007.
• Associate-Director for Research, U.S. EPA Hazardous Substances Research Center South and Southwest, 2001 to 2006.
• Director, Environmental Nanotechnology Research Group, NSF Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology, 2002-2006.
• Member, U.S. EPA Environmental Engineering Science Advisory Board, 2003-2006.
• Reviewer, Civil Engineering Department, Kuwait University, Kuwait City, Kuwait, 2004.
• Director, Environmental Analysis and Decision Making Graduate Program, 2001-2003.
• Member and Chair, West Coast Hazardous Substances Research Center Science Advisory Board, 2002-2006.
• Member, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Strategic Planning Committee, 2002.
• Member, National Research Council Committee on Bioavailability of Contaminants in Soils and Sediments, 2000-2002.
• Member, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Committee on Monitored Natural Attenuation, 2000-2001.
• Member, U.S. Department of Defense Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program (SERDP) Technical Advisory Committee, 2000-2001.
• Member, U.S. Department of Energy, Evaluation Committee on Subsurface Contaminants Focus Group, 1997.

Select Publications

• Tao, X., Y Yu, J.D. Fortner, Y He, Y Chen, J.B. Hughes (2015), Effects of aqueous fullerene nanocrystal (nC60) on Scenedesmus obliquus:  Evaluation of the sub-lethal photosynthetic responses and inhibition mechanism”, Chemosphere (122)162-167
• Seymour, Z., and J. B, Hughes, (2014) “Sanitation in developing countries: a systematic review of user preferences and motivations”, Journal of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene for Development, (4)681-91.
• Tao, X., and J. B. Hughes (2013) “Effects of Aqueous Stable Fullerene Nanocrystal (nC60) on Copper (Trace Necessary Nutrient Metal): Enhanced Toxicity and Accumulation of Copper in Daphnia magna” Chemosphere (92)1245-1252.
• Husserl, J. and J. B. Hughes (2013) "Biodegradation of Nitroglycerin in porous media and potential for bioaugmentation with Arthrobacter sp. strain JBH1" Chemosphere (92) 721-724.
• Husserl, J., J. B. Hughes, J.C. Spain (2012) “Key Enzymes Enabling the Growth of Arthrobacter sp Strain JBH1 with Nitroglycerin as the Sole Source of Carbon and Nitrogen Source” Applied and Environmental Microbiology (78) 3649-3655.
• Fortner, J. D., C. Solenthaler, J.B. Hughes, A.M Puzrin, M. Plotze, (2012) “Interactions of Clay Minerals and a Layered Double Hydroxide with Water Stable, Nano Scale Fullerene Aggregates (nC(60))”, Applied Clay Science (55)36-43.
• Cho, M., S. Snow, J. B. Hughes, J. Kim, (2011) "Escherichia coli Inactivation by UVC-Irradiated C60: Kinetics and Mechanisms" Environmental Science and Technology, (45)9627-33.
• Himmelheber, D. W., K. D. Pennell, J. B. Hughes, (2011) “Evaluation of a Laboratory-Scale Bioreactive in situ Sediment Cap for the Treatment of Organic Contaminants”, Water Research, (45)5365-74.
• Characklis, G., P. Adriaens, J. Braden, J. Davis, B. Hamilton, J. B. Hughes, M. Small, J.  Wolfe, (2011) "Increasing the Role of Economics in Environmental Research (or moving beyond the mindset that Economics = Accounting)", Environmental Science and Technology, (45)6235-36.
• Han, S., Mukherji, S.T., Rice, A. and J. B. Hughes, (2011) "Determination of 2,4- and 2,6-Dinitrotoluene Biodegradation Limits", Chemosphere, (85)848-53.