About
Bill Rixey, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cullen College of Engineering, University of Houston. His career spans over three decades, including roles as Associate Department Chair (2014–2022) and continuous faculty service since 1999. He specializes in physicochemical processes for groundwater protection, focusing on chemical fate and transport, subsurface remediation, and environmental risk assessment.
- Education: Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley; B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University.
Dr. Rixey's research explores the environmental impacts of ethanol-based fuels, particularly groundwater contamination and remediation strategies. His work examines microbial responses, chemical transport dynamics, and risk mitigation in aquifer systems.
His publications highlight ethanol-enhanced dissolution of non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs), methane bioattenuation for explosion risk reduction, and microbial community shifts in contaminated aquifers. Key subfields include ethanol fuel blends, benzene plume elongation, and physicochemical modeling.
- Scientific Awards: Enron Teaching Excellence Award (2002), W.T. Kittinger Teaching Excellence Award (1999), Outstanding Teaching Award (1998, 2001, 2008), ASCE Professor of the Year (1998), Distinguished Service Award from WEAT and TAWWA (2005).
Dr. Rixey has secured grants from the American Petroleum Institute, Shell Global Solutions, Texas Hazardous Waste Research Center, Butamax, and Chevron for pilot-scale aquifer investigations, in situ remediation, and fuel ethanol impact studies. He actively contributes to advisory boards and editorial roles in environmental research.
