Z. Jason Ren, professor of civil and environmental engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, has been awarded the 2020 Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize. He won the award for “producing groundbreaking technological advancements that are transforming water infrastructure for energy and resource recovery.”

The Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize, which is given annually, is the highest-level mid-career research award from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). It recognizes individuals who have made achievements and contributions in research with respect to all disciplines of civil engineering.

Ren’s research is focused on understanding microbial and electrochemical processes that are playing a pivotal and transformative role in wastewater treatment, resource recovery, water desalination and related fields. Of particular interest is his research into transforming wastewater treatment plants from energy-intensive, carbon-emitting systems, into energy-generating facilities that actually remove carbon from the atmosphere.

In giving the award to Ren, the ASCE remarked that his “leadership in pilot-scale applications and entrepreneurial start-ups makes him a model of university-industry partnership.”