Dr. Pedro J. J. Alvarez is the George R. Brown Professor of Engineering and the chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rice University. He previously taught at the University of Iowa, where he also served as Associate Director for the Center for Biocatalysis and Bioprocessing and as Honorary Consul for Nicaragua. Dr. Alvarez received the B. Eng. Degree in Civil Engineering from McGill University and MS and Ph.D. degrees in Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan.

Prof. Alvarez’s research focuses on environmental sustainability through bioremediation of contaminated aquifers, fate and transport of toxic chemicals, water footprint of biofuels, microbial-plant interactions, water treatment and reuse, and environmental implications and applications of nanotechnology.

Dr. Alvarez is the 2012 Clarke Prize Recipient, a Diplomat of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, and a Fellow of AAAS,  ASCE, IWA, WEF and the Leopold Leadership Foundation.  Past honors  include President of AEESP, the Malcolm Pirnie-AEESP Frontiers in Research Award, the WEF McKee Medal for Groundwater Protection, the  SERDP cleanup project of the year award, the Button of the City of  Valencia, the Collegiate Excellence in Teaching Award from the  University of Iowa; the Alejo Zuloaga Medal from the Universidad de  Carabobo, Venezuela; a Career Award from the National Science  Foundation; a Rackham Fellowship, and various best paper awards with  his students.

Dr. Alvarez currently serves on the EPA’s Science Advisory Board and the editorial board of Environmental Science and Technology.  Additionally, he serves as honorary professor at Nankai and Kunming Universities in China and as adjunct professor at the  Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina in Florianopolis, Brazil.