Thomas Holsen

Thomas Holsen is the Jean S. Newell Distinguished Professor of Engineering and Co-Director of the Center for Air and Aquatic Resources Engineering & Sciences (CAARES) at Clarkson University. He holds a Ph.D., M.S., and B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on environmental contaminants, particularly PFAS, mercury, and legacy pollutants, with an emphasis on their transport, fate, and mitigation in ecosystems like the Great Lakes. He leads projects on advanced water treatment technologies, including plasma-based destruction of PFAS in groundwater and landfill leachate. Holsen has received numerous awards, including the Clarkson Lifetime Achievement Award (2019) and the BFGoodrich Collegiate Inventors Award (1995).

• Education: Ph.D./M.S./B.S. in Civil Engineering (UC Berkeley, 1983–1988)
• Key Roles: Co-Director of CAARES, Clarkson faculty since 1990s
• Research Themes: PFAS remediation, aquatic ecosystem health, contaminant fate

His research spans environmental chemistry, engineering solutions for water treatment, and ecological monitoring. Notable projects include enhancing the Great Lakes Fish Monitoring Program and developing plasma reactors for PFAS destruction. He collaborates with federal and international agencies, ensuring scientific leadership in environmental protection. Awards highlight his contributions to education and environmental engineering excellence.