Environmental education efforts earn award
Engineering professor Peter Fox directs student Nikou Hesari in an ASU laboratory.
Photo by Jessica Slater/ASU.
Posted June 7, 2013
Peter Fox is the recent winner of the AZ Water Association’s Nathan Burbank Environmental Educator Award for his significant impact on environmental education related to the water industry in Arizona.
Fox is a professor of environmental engineering in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, one of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering at Arizona State University.
“Peter is very deserving of this award,” says Edd Gibson, director of the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. “Both his work mentoring students and his research on drinking water have greatly benefited the state of Arizona. He is a great colleague and contributor to our school and the community.”
Fox has been teaching environmental engineering at ASU for more than 22 years, and some of his former students – many of whom hold leadership positions in municipal agencies and consulting firms – were among those who nominated him for the award.
Vanessa Chavez, a former student and research assistant for Fox, recalls that his “passion for environmental engineering was evident” and that his enthusiasm motivated students. “[He] was able to draw on his experiences working in the industry to prepare students for dealing with real-world engineering problems,” she says.
Chavez earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a master’s degree in civil engineering, environmental and sustanable engineering.
Fox is program chair of School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment Graduate Programs. He is also a senior sustainability scientist with ASU’s Global Institute of Sustainability and a member of the teaching faculty of the School of Sustainability.
His research focuses on development of potable water supplies from impaired sources, and brine disposal and salt recovery. In addition to working with local municipal water projects, he also works on collaborations with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and consults internationally. Fox holds positions in several national academic and governmental organizations.
Fox received his award at the AZ Water Association annual conference.
About the AZ Water Association
The 2,000-plus-member AZ Water Association is a nonprofit educational organization serves as the state chapter of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the state member association of the Water Environment Federation (WEF).
The AWWA is the largest professional society focused on drinking water treatment in the world. The WEF is the largest professional society focused on wastewater treatment in the world.
Media Contact:
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(480) 965-8122
Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering
