W. Andrew Jackson, P.E., Ph.D., BCEE, F. AAAS
Dr. Andrew Jackson is a President’s Excellence in Research Professor and Provost Integrated Scholar in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering at Texas Tech University. Dr. Jackson obtained his BS in Biology from Rhodes College in 1990. He received his M.S. (1992) and PhD (1996) from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at LSU. In 1998, he joined the faculty of the Department of Civil, Environmental and Construction Engineering at Texas Tech University, where he has worked for the last 26 years. He currently serves as chair of the department. He has been a licensed professional engineer in the state of Louisiana since 2002, and is a board-certified environmental engineer and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest general scientific society.
Andrew’s research has had two main foci: (1) evaluating the fate and transport of a variety of contaminants in natural environments, and (2) development of closed loop water recycling systems in support of space exploration. In 2016, Texas Tech University recognized his research achievements with the Barnie E. Rushing Faculty Distinguished Research Award, the highest university research award. Andrew is considered one of the world’s experts on perchlorate and chlorate, which are key pieces of the Cl biogeochemical cycle and can cause adverse health effects. Andrew’s work has focused on natural production mechanisms, plant uptake, and biotic and abiotic transformation of perchlorate, as well as the ability to differentiate sources based on stable isotope analysis. His research even includes grants and publications focused on its occurrence and fate on Mars, which enabled him to do field work in Antarctica. This work has been funded by EPA, DoD, NASA, and USDA. His work has led to several awards including best paper (2005) by the journal, Environmental Science & Technology and Project of the Year Award by the Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program. Andrew is also engaged in the development of high resolution passive samplers to study fate and transport of various contaminants (e.g. explosives, chlorinated solvents, heavy metals, and PFAS). This work, funded by DoD, has led to the development of a field deployable device which is actively used at contaminated sites across the country. Andrew’s other research area in sustainable life support has been continuously funded by NASA for the last 20 years. He has work focused on developing sustainable water recycling systems in support of long term extra-terrestrial habitation, particularly novel biological reactors which can operate in micro or partial gravity. This research on both contaminant removal as well as nutrient recycling and recovery, led to Andrew’s chairmanship of the primary NASA life support conference (ICES) in 2013 and the International Conference on Environmental Systems Technical Award in 2018.
Since 2022, he has served as Chair of the Department of Civil Environmental and Construction Engineering. A gifted teacher and mentor, he continues to teach Environmental Engineering Capstone Design, Advanced Biological Wastewater Treatment Design, and Bioremediation courses and has received the Lockheed Martin and President’s Excellence in Teaching Awards. Andrew is a member of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, for which he currently serves on the board of directors and previously served as chair of the Environmental Engineering Program Leaders Committee, for which he received a Distinguished Service Award. He has served as an editorial board member of various journals, and was senior associate editor of the journal, Water, Air, and Soil Pollution.
Andrew and his wife, Tali, have two children: Elise and William. The family loves to travel and whenever possible Andrew attempts to golf.
