Adrienne Phillips

Dr. Adrienne Phillips is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Montana State University's Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering. She holds affiliations with the Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana Nanotechnology Facility (MONT), Energy Research Institute, and Montana Engineering Education Research Center. Her research focuses on microbial systems in extreme environments, bioremediation, and biofilm applications in geomechanical systems such as fracture sealing and wellbore integrity. She has pioneered studies on biocementation using ureolytic bacteria to improve infrastructure materials.

Education: Ph.D. and M.S. in Environmental Engineering (Montana State University, 2013 and 2003), Bachelor of Arts from Carroll College (1998).

Research interests include microbes in high-pressure environments, biofilm dynamics in porous media, and sustainable geotechnical solutions. Recent work emphasizes calcium carbonate precipitation for infrastructure stabilization and low-field NMR imaging for subsurface analysis. Teaching focuses on environmental engineering courses such as Biological Treatment Processes and Air Pollution Control.

Recipient of awards including the NACOE Excellence in Research Award (2020) and ASEE Excellence in Teaching Award (2022). Current grants include NSF-funded projects on biofilm-engineered infrastructure and USDA grants for microbial water quality monitoring.

Active in industry collaborations, particularly in advancing biocementation technologies for cold-region ground stabilization and fracture sealing in shale reservoirs. Leads interdisciplinary teams exploring synergies between microbial systems and civil engineering challenges.