Matthew J. Scarborough

Matthew J. Scarborough is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Vermont. He holds the Gregory N. Sweeny Green and Gold Professorship in Civil Engineering (2023–Present). His research focuses on applying microbiomes to address environmental and public health challenges, including organic waste management and reducing landfill greenhouse gas emissions. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin–Madison (2019) and a B.S. from the University of Wyoming (2008). Scarborough is a licensed professional engineer in Vermont and previously worked as a wastewater engineer in environmental consulting.

Education:

• Ph.D., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison, 2019
• B.S., Civil Engineering (Environmental Option), University of Wyoming, 2008

Research Interests: Dr. Scarborough’s work spans microbiome engineering, anaerobic bioprocessing, landfill gas mitigation, and sustainable waste conversion. His research scales from enzymatic functions to full-scale microbiome-based systems. Current projects include harnessing reactor microbiomes for renewable feedstock conversion and leveraging soil microbiomes to reduce landfill emissions.

Awards & Recognition:

• National Science Foundation CAREER Award (2022)
• University of Vermont Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching Award (2021)
• American Society for Engineering Education Early Career Award (2020)

Teaching & Advising: Scarborough teaches courses in water/wastewater engineering and sustainable resource recovery. He emphasizes learner-centered pedagogy and has received multiple advising awards. His lab integrates experimental microbiology with computational modeling to advance environmental engineering solutions.

Affiliations: Affiliated with the Gund Institute for Environment and the Food Systems Research Center at UVM.