Philippe Van Cappellen appointed UW University Professor
Faculty of Science
Philippe Van Cappellen, professor in the Earth and Environmental Sciences department and Canada Excellence Research Chair Laureate in Ecohydrology, has been appointed a University Professor by the University of Waterloo. This designation recognizes exceptional scholarly achievement and international pre-eminence, and once appointed, a faculty member retains the designation until retirement. Van Cappellen is the first Earth and Environmental Sciences professor to receive this honour.
Professor Van Cappellen’s research combines experimental studies with field observations and theoretical developments to unravel the coupled processes that regulate water quality in soils, lakes, rivers, and groundwater. His impact is demonstrated not only by his extensive publication record, but also by the translation of his advances to guide environmnetal management; his contributions to professional service and community leadership; and his significant efforts to train and develop the next generation of diverse, interdisciplinary environmental scientists.
Professor Van Cappellen has continuously engaged in innovative and interdisciplinary research advancing the predictive understanding of the biogeochemical processes that control water quality, ecosystem functions and environmental change, from local to global scales, with significant societal impact that informs proactive environmental decision-making and practical solutions. In the past few years, in addition to leading the Ecohydrology Research Group, his work has led to advances in understanding new research directions on urban ecohydrology, lake biogeochemistry, cold regions in transition, environmental fate of microplastics, bioenergetics, and knowledge mobilization.
Van Cappellen joins other Faculty of Science educators and researchers Linda Nazar, Robert Mann, Janusz Pawliszyn, and Lyndon Jones who all currently boast the designation of University Professor.
Congratulations to Professor Van Cappellen on this incredible honour.