Catherine Almquist

Catherine Almquist, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Chemical, Paper, and Biomedical Engineering at Miami University, affiliated with the Institute for the Environment and Sustainability. She joined Miami University in 2001, progressing from Assistant Professor to Professor. Her research focuses on environmental catalysis, photocatalysis, and adsorption technologies, with emphasis on pollution prevention and waste-to-value strategies. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Cincinnati (2001), an MS in Chemical Engineering (1997), and a BS from Ohio State University (1989).

Her education includes:

• Ph.D., Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati (2001)
• M.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Cincinnati (1997)
• B.S., Chemical Engineering, Ohio State University (1989)

Research interests span environmental catalysis and adsorption, with projects including novel adsorbents for fuel vapor recovery, CO₂ reforming of methane, and photocatalytic destruction of pollutants. She has authored ~30 peer-reviewed articles and one U.S. patent. Dr. Almquist actively mentors students in engineering education and research, contributing to AICHE, TAPPI, and ACS.

Her recent articles highlight advancements in photocatalytic devices for fuel vapor control, PFAS removal via membrane-assisted extraction, and catalyst development for VOC oxidation. She has presented at conferences like the International Conference on Semiconductor Photocatalysis and the Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio.

Dr. Almquist’s work bridges academia and industry, with experience at Battelle Memorial Institute (1990–1997) and Dow Corning (1989–1990). Her lab focuses on sustainable technologies, including anaerobic digestion of organic waste and mercury adsorbent synthesis from paper sludge.