Tom Curran

Dr. Tom Curran is a Research Fellow at the UCD School of Biosystems & Food Engineering within the College of Engineering and Architecture at University College Dublin. He specializes in waste management systems, focusing on fatberg prevention, agri-food waste valorization, and environmental compliance.

• Broad research areas: Waste Management, Sustainable Engineering, GIS Applications
• Projects: AgroCycle (Horizon 2020 waste valorization), Fulbright TechImpact (fatberg sensing systems)

His work has demonstrated that Dublin businesses achieved 90% compliance with grease trap regulations, reducing fatbergs by 95% and saving €3.6 million annually in sewer management costs. Dr Curran also coordinates AgroCycle, a €8 million EU-China initiative mapping food waste streams to develop bioeconomy solutions.

Scientific contributions include:

• GIS-based sewer risk mapping
• Low-cost sensor development for early fatberg detection
• Water footprint analysis for dairy farming
• Ammonia risk modeling for habitats

His research spans environmental engineering, bioeconomy, and urban infrastructure sustainability. Awards include the ASABE Superior Paper Award and Fulbright TechImpact grant.