معرفی
Dr. Andrew Ward is an ARC Early Career Industry Fellow at the Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB) within the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology at The University of Queensland. He leads research projects focused on wastewater treatment, nutrient recovery, and microalgae biotechnology, with significant industrial experience working with water utilities to scale research to pilot and demonstration levels.
Dr. Ward holds a PhD from the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Adelaide, where his thesis focused on the optimisation of halophilic anaerobic digestion of algal biomass. He also earned a Bachelor (Honours) degree from Flinders University. His educational background provides a strong foundation in chemical and environmental engineering principles applied to water and wastewater treatment.
Dr. Ward's research primarily focuses on innovative approaches to wastewater treatment and resource recovery. His work spans nutrient recovery via electrodialysis, Anammox processes for domestic and agricultural wastewater treatment, and the development of algae-bacterial aggregated flocs (ABAF) for wastewater remediation. He investigates microalgae's role in energy and nutrient recovery from a circular economy perspective, aiming to transform wastewater treatment facilities into resource recovery centers. His research integrates biological, chemical, and engineering approaches to create sustainable solutions for water management challenges. Dr. Ward has extensive experience scaling laboratory research to pilot and demonstration levels, working closely with industry partners including Urban Utilities.
Dr. Ward's publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on advancing wastewater treatment technologies, with recent articles examining deep learning applications, nutrient recovery systems, and sustainable biogas production. His work shows a clear progression toward more integrated, circular economy approaches to water management, emphasizing resource recovery alongside treatment.
- ARC Early Career Industry Fellowship (2024-2027): "Circular Economy", via renewable energy and resource recovery
- ARC Industry Fellowship
- Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowship (2020-2023): Aggregated algal/bacterial flocs for wastewater treatment and algae industries
Dr. Ward serves as lead investigator for Urban Utilities' wastewater microalgae research program and manages multiple research projects with industry partners. He currently supervises PhD students working on "Recovery of high-value coloured organic compounds from wastewater" and previously supervised research on "Algae Bacteria Aggregated Flocs in the Enhanced Treatment of Wastewater." His research has attracted significant funding from the Australian Research Council, Queensland government, and industry partners, demonstrating the practical relevance and impact of his work.
Dr. Ward works within the Australian Centre for Water and Environmental Biotechnology (ACWEB), collaborating with researchers across engineering, microbiology, and environmental science disciplines. His team focuses on developing and scaling technologies that address real-world water treatment challenges while recovering valuable resources from wastewater streams.
