Westerhoff Lab

Close

Westerhoff Lab

Portrait: Paul Westerhoff

Paul Westerhoff

Regents Professor
Fulton Chair of Environmental Engineering

https://isearch.asu.edu/profile/108236

I joined ASU in 1995 as an environmental engineer and am part of the Ira A. Fulton School of Engineering in the School of Sustainable Engineering and The Built Environment. A copy of my resume is available A long RESUME-2023 or google scholar.

I have served in multiple administrative roles, teach (ASU101, EVE 302, CEE 361, 462, 561, 563, 567 and 598) and conduct research in the area of emerging contaminants and innovative treatment processes for clean water. 

My current research interests focus on looking at new things in water and evaluating how to treat those things that matter include:

  • Innovative and patented treatment processes using nanotechnology
  • All things nitrogen containing from nitrate to nitrogenous organics and N-DBPs, with a focus on management and treatment of nitrate (NO3–) in drinking water supplies
  • Sources and characterization of natural organic matter (NOM) in natural systems
  • Analysis, removal and recovery of organic and inorganic forms of phosphorus
  • Formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) during water treatment
  • Detection and exposure assessment to engineered NANOMATERIALS in the environment
  • Removal of arsenic and metals from drinking water
  • Control and treatment of alga-derived taste and odors (T&O) in potable water supplies
  • Indirect reuse of treated wastewater
  • Recharge of aquifers with surface water
  • Use of photosynthetic microalga for controlling greenhouse gases (CO2) or groundwater pollution

My research focuses on water issues involving Arizona, but these tend to address many global challenges as well. This research leads to a number of multidisciplinary research activities with biologists, botanists, chemists, and geologists. Recently completed and ongoing projects can be viewed for project summaries. Below are some links to multidisciplinary centers that I interact with:

Undergraduate and graduate (master and Ph.D.) students and post-doctoral researchers are involved in funded research from local and national agencies.

Information about my current research group is available here.

I teach classes related to water quality, physical-chemical processes and environmental engineering. Here is an introductory on-line lecture I gave to a group of Chinese students: click to watch

I am married to Kelly and have a daughter and twin sons.

Additional Titles

Director, Global Center for Water Technologies – part of the Arizona Water Innovation Initiative

Deputy Director, NSF NanoSystems Engineering Research Center for NanoEnabled Water Treatment Technologies (NEWT)

Deputy Director, NSF Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS)

Distinguished Global Futures Scientist

Mailing Address

Mail code 3005
PO Box 873005
Tempe, AZ  85287-3005

For Fedex or UPS delivery:
College Avenue Commons
660 S. College Avenue Tempe, AZ 85281