VanBriesen Teaching

Class information can be accessed from the Blackboard site.

Introduction to Environmental Engineering (12-251) An introduction to environmental quality and the development of the background necessary for understanding environmental engineering issues and problem solving.  Flow and material balance concepts are presented for tracking substances in the environment and in engineered systems.  Simple quantitative engineering models are developed for describing the fate and transport of chemicals in reactors, and qualitative descriptions of environmental control systems are discussed.  Essay assignments on current environmental topics are required. 9 Credits

Environmental Engineering Laboratory (12-252) An introduction to environmental quality and the development of the background necessary for understanding environmental engineering issues and problem solving through laboratory activities and research.  Laboratory reports and poster presentations are required.

Biological Processes in Environmental Systems (12-723 and 42-723) presents the theory of microbiological processes relevant to environmental systems.  Fundamental microbiology, kinetics of suspended-growth and fixed film systems, and processes in environmental biotechnology are the major topics.    The microbiological theory presented is applicable to biological processes in engineered and natural systems.   The major applications discussed in this course focus on pollution prevention and waste water treatment including: activated sludge, biofilm processes, tertiary nutrient removal and methanogenesis. 

Biotechnology and Environmental Processes (06-621, 06-721, 42-621, 42-721). Part I: Microbial physiology and metabolism, fermentation and respiration, metabolic regulation, biocoversions, recombinant DNA methodology and gene cloning. Part II: separation and purification, kinetics and design of biological reactors, mass transfer limitations within cell suspensions and control of fermentation processes.  Independent research report required.