Leanne Gilbertson
Duke University
Biography
Dr Gilbertson is an Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke University. Before joining the faculty at Duke in 2023, Dr Gilbertson was an Associate Professor and Fulton C. Noss Faculty Fellow at the University of Pittsburgh where she began her faculty career in 2015. Prior to that, Dr Gilbertson was a postdoctoral associate in the Center for Green Chemistry and Green Engineering at Yale University. Her research focused on bridging length scales – from the molecular to systems-level – to build sustainable design guidelines for engineered nanomaterials. Dr Gilbertson received her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Yale University in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, supported through an NSF Graduate Research and EPA STAR Fellowships. She received her bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a minor in education from Hamilton College, after which she spent several years as a secondary school teacher before pursuing her graduate degree.
Dr Gilbertson’s research aims to inform sustainable design of emerging materials and technologies proposed for use in areas at the nexus of the environment and public health. Her group is currently engaged in projects tackling drinking water disinfection, resource intensive crop production, and chemical conversion of greenhouse gases. The materials that underlie the solutions to these challenges are designed and developed with the goal of using inherently non-hazardous feedstocks and low resource intensive synthesis processes, maximizing performance during the intended use, and minimizing adverse impacts across the life cycle. Her research integrates life cycle assessment to (i) assess environmental impacts of the material and technology systems developed in her lab, and (ii) inform decisions to improve their overall sustainability. Dr Gilbertson’s research has been recognized and is supported by the National Science Foundation, including the CAREER award, the 3M non-tenured faculty award, and the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award.
RSC affiliations
Editorial board, Environmental Science: Nano