Barlaz recognized as Distinguished University Professor

Dr. Morton A. Barlaz, head of the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) at North Carolina State University, has been named a Distinguished University Professor by Dr. Louis Martin-Vega, dean of the College of Engineering.

Barlaz has been a part of the NC State faculty for 26 years and has served as department head in CCEE since 2010.

Barlaz has established an internationally recognized research program that covers several aspects of solid waste engineering and management. Throughout his career, he has worked to elucidate biological and chemical processes in landfills and their applications to waste decomposition, methane generation and utilization for energy, and long-term landfill management. In addition, he has led research on the use of life-cycle analysis to evaluate the cost, environmental emissions and energy requirements of alternatives for the management of municipal solid waste. Models that he has developed with colleagues have been adopted by the U.S. EPA for the environmental assessment of solid waste management strategies.

Barlaz has authored more than 125 peer-reviewed publications and has given more than 200 presentations across the globe. He has mentored more than 60 Ph.D. and master’s students in the solid waste area. He has been awarded a Junior Faculty Enhancement Award from the Department of Energy (1992), a Presidential Faculty Fellowship from the National Science Foundation (1992), the Samuel Arnold Greeley Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers (1997), a Distinguished Individual Achievement Award from the Solid Waste Association of North America (2004), the International Lecturer for the Waste Management Association of Australia (2008), the Kappe Lecturer for the America Academy of Environmental Engineers (2010) and the Frederick George Pohland Medal from the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (2015). He was also appointed to the EPA Science Advisory Board on Biogenic Carbon (2011).

He has also been active in service to the profession. He has served as an associate editor for two journals (Waste Management and Journal of Environmental Engineering) and was co-chair of the bi-annual Intercontinental Landfill Research Symposium for 14 years. Barlaz has also served as co-chair of the Global Waste Management Symposium since 2008. He has led both the Government Affairs Committee and the Lectures Committee for the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors.

Barlaz received a B.S. degree in chemical engineering from the University of Michigan (1978) and M.S. (1985) and Ph.D. (1988) degrees in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Wisconsin.

Faculty members who earn the title of Distinguished University Professor at NC State must meet several criteria including improving the quality of NC State and serving its mission through service and involvement in the campus community.

A candidate for the title “must be an outstanding faculty member or potential faculty member who has achieved recognition well above the criteria for full professor and be considered one of the best scholars in the discipline,” according to the university’s policies.