Dr. Joel Burken, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering
at Missouri University of Science and Technology, has been named interim
director of the university’s Environmental
Research Center for Emerging Contaminants. He will serve in the interim
capacity during the search for a permanent replacement. His appointment began
July 1.

Burken takes over for Dr. Craig Adams, the John and Susan Mathes Chair of
Environmental Engineering, who left Missouri S&T to chair the civil,
environmental and architectural engineering department at the University of
Kansas.

A search committee to fill the Mathes Chair has been formed and is also
being led by Burken.

Burken joined the Missouri S&T faculty in 1997 as assistant professor of
civil engineering. In 2002, he became
associate professor and was named coordinator of the university’s environmental
engineering undergraduate program. Since 2005 he has served as associate editor
of the Journal of Environmental
Engineering and of the International Journal of
Phytoremediation.

His research interests include phytoremediation and natural treatment
systems, biological wastewater treatment, constructed wetlands and integrated
remediation systems.

Burken currently serves as vice president of the International
Phytotechnologies Society. He has published numerous journal articles, book
chapters and peer-reviewed articles and has been invited to speak on
environmental engineering around the world.

Burken received bachelor of science, master of science and Ph.D. degrees in
civil and environmental engineering from the University of Iowa in 1991, 1993
and 1996, respectively.