Catherine Mulligan is a Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Building, Civil, and Environmental Engineering at Concordia University, where she also serves as Director of the Concordia Institute for Water, Energy and Sustainable Systems. She was previously the Concordia Research Chair in Geoenvironmental Sustainability (Tier I) until 2021, having held this prestigious research chair since 2002 (initially as Tier II). Dr. Mulligan earned her B.Eng. and M.Eng. degrees in chemical engineering from McGill University, followed by a Ph.D. specializing in geoenvironmental engineering, also from McGill University. After 16 years working at McGill University and in industry (including positions at the Biotechnology Research Institute of the National Research Council and SNC Research Corp.), she joined Concordia University in 1999 as an Assistant Professor, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2002, and to full Professor in 2008. Her research spans multiple critical areas of environmental engineering with a focus on contamination remediation. She specializes in surfactant-enhanced washing and flushing of contaminated soils and sediments, treatment of metal-contaminated media, bioremediation techniques, and various wastewater treatment methods. Her work includes biosurfactant applications, in-situ sediment remediation, anaerobic treatment processes, membrane technologies for water treatment, and energy generation through pressure-reduced osmosis. She has developed sustainability indicators and focuses on practical applications of environmental engineering solutions. Analysis of her recent publications (2023-2025) reveals a continued leadership in environmental engineering with particular emphasis on nanotechnology applications for oil spill cleanup in sensitive coastal regions, advanced membrane technologies for water treatment and energy generation, microbially induced calcite precipitation for mining waste remediation, sustainable resource recovery approaches from waste batteries, and innovative techniques for eutrophic lake restoration. Her research demonstrates a consistent focus on practical, sustainable solutions to environmental contamination problems across diverse settings. Dr. Mulligan's scientific contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards including Fellowship in the Royal Society of Canada, Canadian Academy of Engineering, Engineering Institute of Canada, and the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering. She has received the RSC Miroslaw Romanowski Medal, the Geoenvironmental Award, the A.G. Stermac Award of the CGS, and the John B. Sterling Medal of the EIC. Her Concordia-specific honors include the Provost Circle of Distinction, Concordia Sustainability Champion, and the Petro Canada Young Innovator Award (awarded twice). With over 40 years of research experience across government, industrial, and academic environments, Dr. Mulligan has supervised to completion more than 75 graduate students in Civil Engineering (MASc and PhD programs). Her research has attracted significant funding, including a $1,643,700 NSERC CREATE grant for the Institute in Water, Energy and Sustainability, which represents the first Concordia project to receive funding through this program. She has authored more than 140 refereed papers, holds three patents, and has made substantial editorial contributions as Section Editor for the Journal of Environmental Engineering, Chief Editor for Waste (MDPI), and serves on multiple other editorial boards. As Director of the Concordia Institute for Water, Energy and Sustainable Systems, Dr. Mulligan leads an interdisciplinary team focused on training students in sustainable development practices and advancing research into innovative solutions for water, energy, and resource conservation challenges. The institute represents a significant hub for environmental research and education at Concordia University.
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