Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences

Alum Sivey (MS ’05) named Endowed Professor

John Sivey, who received his Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering and Science in 2005, and went on to pursue his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering at Johns Hopkins University, was recently appointed the Jess and Mildred Fisher Endowed Professor for 2015—2018 at Towson University in Towson, Maryland.  Sivey received his Master’s degree in Environmental Engineering and Science in 2005 under the direction of Cindy Lee.  He went on to pursue his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, where he was awarded an EPA STAR Fellowship for the 2008—09 academic year.  Sivey was a postdoctoral associate at Yale University before becoming a tenure-track faculty member at Towson University in Towson, Maryland.

Research in his group focuses on environmental organic chemistry and the chemistry of drinking water treatment. His research applies the principles of analytical chemistry and physical organic chemistry to the study of organic pollutants in natural and engineered systems. Sivey’s research group is also interested in the chemistry of water disinfectants (including free chlorine and free bromine) as well as disinfection by-products and also examines abiotic transformation mechanisms of agrochemicals (including pesticides and so-called “inert” ingredients) under reducing conditions encountered in water-logged farm fields and groundwater.

Some of his postgraduate achievements include the following:  being inducted in the Towson Academy of Scholars (April 2014), being awarded a grant from the ACS Petroleum Research Foundation (June 2014), being awarded a major research instrumentation grant from the National Science Foundation (July 2015), and being appointed as the Jess and Mildred Fisher Endowed Professor for 2015—2018 (August 2015).  He is the 10th member of the Fisher College faculty to attain this distinction.  Read more from Towson University at http://tunews.towson.edu/2015/08/27/john-sivey-named-jess-mildred-fisher-college-endowed-professor/.