R. D. Cusick

R. D. Cusick is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He earned his B.S. from the University of California, Riverside (2005), and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University (2010 and 2013). His research focuses on advancing sustainable water treatment technologies by integrating electrochemical processes with energy systems and nutrient recovery from wastewater. Dr. Cusick also serves on multiple professional committees, including the Demographics Committee of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors.

Education:

• Ph.D. Environmental Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 2013
• M.S. Environmental Engineering, Pennsylvania State University, 2010
• B.S. Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, 2005

Research Interests: Electrochemical water treatment, nutrient recovery from wastewater, process modeling, and energy-water-environment sustainability. His work emphasizes developing technologies to recover nutrients (e.g., phosphorus) and energy from wastewater while reducing environmental impacts.

Professional Activities: Member of the American Chemical Society, Electrochemical Society, Water Environment Federation, and the International Working Group for Capacitive Deionization. He chairs the Energy-Water-Environment Sustainability Program and serves on several departmental and national committees.

Awards:

• W. Wesley Eckenfelder Graduate Research Award (2013)
• Penn State Alumni Association Dissertation Award (2013)
• Dow Sustainability Student Challenge Award (2012)

Grants & Consulting: Active consulting roles with companies like Island Water Technology and Aquapod. His research is supported by grants from NSF, DOE, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Labs & Teams: Leads the Cusick Lab, focusing on electrochemical technologies and nutrient recovery. Collaborates with industry partners to advance scalable solutions for water infrastructure challenges.