Lutgarde Raskin joins Chemical & Environmental Engineering faculty
The Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science welcomes Lutgarde “Lut” Raskin, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering and a leader in environmental engineering and microbial ecology.
Raskin comes to Yale Engineering’s Department of Chemical & Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan, where she served as the Vernon L. Snoeyink Distinguished University Professor of Environmental Engineering and the Altarum/ERIM Russell O'Neal Professor of Engineering and started as a professor of Environmental Engineering in 2005. Prior to that, she was a faculty member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for 12 years. A pioneer in molecular microbial ecology applied to engineered water systems, Raskin and her team develop anaerobic bioprocesses for resource recovery from waste streams and study microbial aspects of urban water systems to assist drinking water utilities.
Raskin’s research is driven by the complexity of microbial communities and by advances in microbial ecology that continue to reshape how engineered systems are understood and designed. Her work seeks to better harness the capabilities of microorganisms to improve water treatment processes and recover resources from waste streams, with an emphasis on sustainable approaches that support both human and environmental health.
Her research group focuses on understanding and improving the microbiome of the engineered water cycle, including systems for drinking water treatment and distribution. Areas of study include biofiltration, disinfection, building plumbing, and technologies that enable the recovery of water, energy, and useful chemicals from waste streams.
Raskin earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in both bioscience engineering and economics from KU Leuven in Belgium and completed her Ph.D. in environmental engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. She was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering in recognition of her contributions to environmental biotechnology and water treatment research.
In addition to her research, Raskin has demonstrated a longstanding commitment to graduate education and mentorship. She has advised more than 20 postdoctoral researchers and over 100 graduate students, many of whom now hold academic and leadership positions worldwide. Her dedication to mentoring was recognized with the University of Michigan Distinguished Graduate Mentor Award.
At Yale Engineering, Raskin is contributing to research and teaching initiatives focused on sustainable water systems and interdisciplinary approaches to environmental challenges. Her arrival strengthens the school’s efforts in environmental and energy systems research and supports Yale’s broader commitment to addressing global challenges through critical and impactful engineering and science.
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Published Date
Jan 26, 2026
