College names Allison MacKay as chair of Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering

On September 1, Professor Allison MacKay became chair of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering at The Ohio State University.

MacKay arrived at Ohio State in August 2015, after 16 years teaching and conducting research at University of Connecticut. She earned a BASc in engineering science from University of Toronto, and her M.S. and Ph.D. in environmental engineering from MIT. She then served as a post-doctoral associate at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

“Allison brings a combination of first-rate scholarship in water quality and a dedication to teaching students,” said Dean David B. Williams. “She will be a strong advocate for the department, and we are delighted to have her as part of the college leadership team.”

MacKay’s research focuses on the physico-chemical processes that govern how environmental contaminants are transported and react in natural aquatic systems and engineered water treatment systems. Funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, among other sources, her work contributes to the development of predictive models for a wide range of contaminants and environmental systems. She also participates in the Ohio Department of Education’s Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative (HABRI) to examine how naturally-occurring algae toxins can be removed in water treatment plants.

In 2014, MacKay served as program chair of the Gordon Research Conference on Environmental Sciences: Water, which brings together established and promising scientists to report their research. In 2012, she received the University of Connecticut’s Faculty Environmental Policy Advisory Council Award for developing a university-wide general education course in environmental sustainability.

MacKay succeeds Dorota Grejner-Brzezinska, who was recently named the College of Engineering’s associate dean for research.