Philippe Van Cappellen

• Environmental and aquatic chemistry, biogeochemistry, geomicrobiology.
• Carbon and nutrient biogeochemical cycles.
• Fate and transport of metals and metalloids in the environment.
• Biogeochemical kinetics: reactor systems and theory development.
• Reactive transport modeling.
• Regional and global up/down scaling of biogeochemical processes. 

Philippe Van Cappellen leads an interdisciplinary research team focussing on the processes, both natural and human-driven, that control water quality along the hydrological cycle. Understanding these processes is key to assessing and predicting the ecological and biogeochemical consequences of changing climatic, demographic and economic pressures on water resources. 

Professor Van Cappellen's research includes studies on

1. mineral-water-microbe interactions,
2. groundwater-surface water interactions,
3. modeling reactive transport and geomicrobial reaction systems,
4. biogeochemistry of soils, river-floodplain systems, wetlands, lakes, coastal environments and marine basins,
5. impacts of river damming, agriculture and urbanization on the environmental flows of water, carbon and nutrients,
6. coupled hydrological-biogeochemical modeling, and
7. economic valuation of ecosystem services. 

• EARTH 626 Global Biogeochemical Cycles. [Please consult the university's graduate calendar for more details.]
• EARTH 691/692 Special Topics. 
• Research training opportunities and short courses
  • 2015 Terre Create short course, "Reactive Transport Modelling", University of Waterloo.
  • 2014 Water 601, Urban Ecohydrology, University of Waterloo.
  • 2014-2015 Erasmus training course in Ecohydrology, Vitoria, Brazil

Please see Philippe Van Cappellen's Google Scholar profile for a current list of his 300+ peer-reviewed articles.

• 2017 Outstanding Performance Award
• 2015 Werner Stumm Medal, European Association of Geochemistry (EAG)
• 2015 Geochemical Fellow, Geochemical Society & EAG
• 2012 Adrian Smith Lecturer, University of Waterloo
• 2011 Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Ecohydrology
• 2010 Sankey L. Blanton Jr. Lecturer, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
• 2008 Georgia Power Chair and GRA Eminent Scholar in Global Climate Studies
• 2007 André Dumont Medal, Geologica Belgica
• 2001 Alan Berman Research Publication Award, Naval Research Laboratory, USA
• 2000 Pioneer Award, Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
• 2000 Schweppe Distinguished Lecturer, University of Texas
• 1998 Advanced Research Scholarship, Ministry of Education & Research, France
• 1996 Sigma Xi Young Faculty Award, Georgia Tech
• 1990 Philip M. Orville Prize for Outstanding Research, Yale University
• 1989 William E. Ford Prize for Excellence in Mineralogy, Yale University
• 1988 Outstanding Student Paper Award, American Geophysical Union
• 1985 H. Hoover Fellowship, Belgian American Educational Foundation
• 1981 Highest Distinction, MSc. degree, Free University of Brussels

• Cross-appointed to the Department of Biology
• The Water Institute (member)
• Waterloo Centre for Microbial Research (member)

• 1996-2004 Journal of Hydrology: Co-Editor-in-Chief
• 1996-1999 Geology: Editorial Board
• 1999-2003 American Journal of Science: Associate Editor
• 2003-now Geomicrobiology Journal: Associate Editor
• 2009-now Limnology & Oceanography: Fluids and Environments: Editorial Board
• 1999-now International Society for Environmental Biogeochemistry (ISEB): International Committee (1999-now) & Executive Board (2004-2008)
• 2008-2011 Center for Soil, Water and Coastal Resources (KAUST GRP): Founding Director
• 2009-2011 Georgia Research Alliance (GRA) Academy of Eminent Scholars
• 2011-now Berkeley National Laboratory Sustainable Systems Focus Area: Advisory Board
• 2013-2015  Argentina y Ambiente 2015: Scientific Committee
• 2014-now EU Marie Curie Innovative Training Network C-CASCADES: Steering Committee
• 2014-now UNESCO International Hydrological Programme – Ecohydrology: Steering Committee

The following news stories have featured Professor Van Cappellen's research:

• Research2Reality, We Need to Keep It Clean… Or Else

• Huffington Post, Litter In Oceans Now Spans Even Remotest Parts Of The World

• CBC, Plastic microbeads: small bits with a big impact

• Waterloo Region Record, UW researchers study plastic garbage in the Great Lakes

• Globe and Mail, Ontario swamp faces manufactured flood

1991 PhD Geochemistry, Yale University, USA

1981 BSc & MSc Geology & Mineralogy, Free University of Brussels, Belgium