Dr. Belinda Sturm is an Associate Professor in

the  Dept of Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering at the University of Kansas. Dr. Sturm worked at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, and the University of California, Davis before joining the faculty at KU in 2006. She specializes in biological processes of wastewater treatment and the application of molecular methods in water quality analysis. With KU's Feedstock to Tailpipe Initiative, Dr. Sturm has developed a process to remove nutrients from wastewater while growing algal biomass, which is processed into biocrude oil. In 2012, the American Academy of Environmental Engineers awarded KU an “Excellence in Environmental Engineering” honor award for this work.

Dr. Sturm performs both lab work at KU and pilot scale studies at the City of Lawrence Wastewater Treatment Plant. She is also the Principal Investigator of the Center for Microbial Metagenomic Community Analysis (CMMCA), which uses advanced high-throughput DNA sequencing and high performance computing to study microbial community dynamics. In 2016 Dr. Sturm was named as the Edward & Thelma Wohlgemuth Faculty Scholar.

  • Education

    • PhD - Civil Engineering & Geological Science, University of Notre Dame 2005

     

    • BSPH - Environmental Science & Engineering, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, 2000

  • Notable Awards & Recognition

    •The Edward & Thelma Wohlgemuth Faculty Scholar, 2016

     

    • Miller Research Award School of Engineering, University of Kansas, 2016

     

    • Keeler Family Intra-University Professorship, University of Kansas, 2016

     

    • Water Environment Federation’s 5S Society Award (Select Society of Sanitary Sludge Shovelers), KWEA, 2015

     

    • Miller Research Award School of Engineering, University of Kansas, 2015

     

    • Graduate Teaching Achievement Recognition, Center for Teaching Excellence, University of Kansas, 2013

     

    • Excellence in Environmental Engineering, 2012 Honor Award for University Research,  American Academy of Environmental Engineers

     

    • Miller Award for Distinguished Professional Service, School of Engineering, University of  Kansas, 2012

     

    • Gould Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Advisor, School of Engineering, University of  Kansas, 2012

     

    • Bellows Scholar, School of Engineering, University of Kansas, 2010

     

    • Fellow, University of Kansas, Center for Teaching Excellence Best Practices Institute, 2007

     

    • Nominated for Best Oral Presentation, SBR3 Conference, 2004

     

    • US Department of Education GAANN Fellowship, 2000-2004

     

    • GE Graduate Fellowship, University of Notre Dame, 2000-2001

     

    • James M. Johnston Undergraduate Fellowship, 1996-2000

     

     

  • Current Affiliations

    University of Kansas

    • Affiliated Faculty, Bioengineering Graduate Program, 2009 – present

    • Affiliated Faculty, Environmental Studies Program, 2011 – present

    • Affiliated Faculty, Center for Environmental Policy, Institute for Policy & Social Research, University of Kansas, 2007 – present

    • Faculty Advisor, Center for Research on Global Change, Institute for Policy & Social Research, University of Kansas, 2007 – present

     

  • Current Service

    American Water Works Association

    • Member, 2013 – present

     

    Water Environment Federation

    • Member, 2003 – present

    • Municipal Design Committee Member, 2013 – present

    • WEFTEC Program Committee Member (Municipal Design Symposium), 2013 – present

    • Algae Technologies Task Force Member, 2009 – present

    • Member State Chapter Kansas Water Environment Federation, 2007 – present

    • Advisor for University of Kansas student chapter, 2011 – present

     

    Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors

    • Member, 2006 – present

     

    American Institute of Chemical Engineers

    • Member, 2010 – present

     

    International Water Association

    • Member, 2004 – present

    • USA National Committee Board Member, 2015 – present

    • Microbial Ecology in Water Engineering Management Committee, 2013 – present

    • Microbial Ecology in Water Engineering, 2004 – present

     

  • Books and Book Chapters

     

    • Bathe S, de Kreuk MK, McSwain BS, Schwarzenbeck N, Eds. April 2005. Aerobic Granular Sludge. Water Environment Management Series (WEMS), IWA Publishing, ISBN 1843395096.

     

    Peer-Reviewed Publications

     

    • Fortier M-OP, Roberts GW, Stagg-Williams SM, and Sturm BSM*. 2017. “Determination of the life cycle climate change impacts of land use and albedo change in algal biofuel production.” Algal Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2017.06.009

     

    • Huang Y, Yasarer LMW, Li Z, Sturm BSM, Zhang Z, Guo J, and Shen Y. 2017 “Air-water CO2 and CH4 fluxes along a river-reservoir continuum: case study in the Pengxi River, a tributary of the Yangtze River in the Three Gorges Reservoir, China.” Environmental Monitoring Assessment, 189, 223, DOI 10.1007/s10661-017-5926-2.

     

    • Yasarer L*, Sinnathamby S, and Sturm B. 2016. “Impacts of biofuel-based land-use change on water quality and sustainability in a Kansas watershed.” Agricultural Water Management, 175, 4-14.

     

    • Yasarer LMW*, Sturm BSM, and White SS. 2016. “Climate change and Kansas water management: Perspectives and opportunities.” Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science, 119(2), 113-128.

     

    • Gentry J, Sturm B, and Peterson AT*. 2016. “Predictive mapping of transmission risk of a soil-transmitted helminth across East Africa: Findings from community prevalence surveys.” Journal of Public Health in Developing Countries, 2(2), 150-161.

     

    • Yasarer LMW and Sturm BSM*. 2016. "Potential impacts of climate change on reservoir services and management approaches." Lake and Reservoir Management, 32(1), 13-26.

     

    • Bambic DG, Kildare-Hann BJ, Rajal VB, Sturm BSM, Minton CB, Schriewer A, and Wuertz S*. 2015. "Spatial and hydrologic variation of Bacteroidales, Adenovirus and Enterovirus in a semi-arid, wastewater effluent-impacted watershed." Water Research, 75, 83-94.

     

    • Roberts GW, Sturm BSM, Hamdeh U, Stanton GE, Rocha A, Kinsella TL, Fortier M-O, Sazdar S, Detamore MS, and Stagg-Williams SM*. 2015. "Promoting catalysis and high-value product streams by in-situ hydroxyapatite crystallization during hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae cultivated with reclaimed nutrients." Green Chemistry, 17(4), 2560-2569.

     

    • Fortier M-OP, Roberts GW, Stagg-Williams SM, and Sturm BSM*. 2014. “Life cycle assessment of bio-jet fuel from hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae.” Applied Energy, 122, 73-82.

     

    • Witthaus LM*, Smith VH, Sturm BSM, and Carney E. 2014. “Evaluation of empirical models coupled with EUTROMOD for water quality prediction in Kansas reservoirs.” Inland Waters, 4, 167-178.

     

    • Peterson J*, Caldas M, Bergtold J, McSwain Sturm B, Graves R, Earnhart D, Hanley E, Brown J.  2014. “Economic linkages to changing landscapes.” Environmental Management, 53(1), 55-66.

     

    • Bode C*, Criss M, Ising A, McCue S, Ralph S, Sharp S, Smith V, and Sturm B. 2014. "Pond Power:  How to use algae to energize inquiry and interdisciplinary connections.” The Science Teacher, 81 (2), 43-49.

     

    • Chen X, Peltier E*, Sturm BSM, and Young CB. 2013. “Quantification of nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria in a stormwater bioretention system.” Water Research, 47(4), 1691-1700.

     

    • Roberts GW, Fortier M-O, Sturm BSM, and Stagg-Williams SM*. 2013. “Promising pathway for algal biofuels through wastewater cultivation and hydrothermal conversion.” Energy & Fuels, 27 (2), 857-867.

     

    • Antezana Zbinden MD, Sturm BSM, Nord RD, Carey WJ, Moore D, Shinogle H, and Stagg-Williams SM*. 2013. “Pulsed electric field (PEF) as an intensification pretreatment for solvent lipid extraction from microalgae.” Biotechnology & Bioengineering, 110 (6), 1605-1615.

     

    • Fortier M-O and Sturm BSM*. 2012. “Geographic analysis of the feasibility of collocating algal biomass production with wastewater treatment plants.” Environmental Science & Technology, 46 (20), 11426–11434.

     

    • Sturm BSM*, Peltier E, Smith V, and deNoyelles F. 2012. “Controls of microalgal biomass and lipid production in municipal wastewater-fed bioreactors.” Environmental Progress & Sustainable Energy, 31(1), 10-16.

     

    • Yang C, Guo JS, Sturm BSM, Lane RF, Adams CD, and Carter RE. 2012. “Impact of sludge retention time on pharmaceuticals removal in activated sludge system.” China Water & Wastewater, 28(13), 99-102.

     

    • Yang C, Guo JS, Sturm BSM, Lane RF, Adams CD, and Carter RE. 2012. “Impact of sludge residence time on the relative biodegradation and biosorption of sulfonamide antibiotics in activated sludge.” Journal of Chongqing University, 6, 12.

     

    • Sturm BSM* and Lamer SL. 2011. “An energy evaluation of coupling nutrient removal from wastewater with algal biomass production.” Applied Energy, 88, 3499-3506.

     

    • Smith VH, Sturm BSM*, Billings S, deNoyelles FJ. 2009. “Ecological aspects of algal biodiesel production.” Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 25(5), 301-309.

     

    • Knapp CW*, Zhang W, Sturm BS, and Graham DW. 2010. “Differential fate of erythromycin and beta-lactam resistance genes from swine lagoon waste under different aquatic conditions.” Environmental Pollution, 158(5), 1506-1512.

     

    • Zhang W, Sturm BS*, Knapp CW, and Graham DW. 2009. “Accumulation of tertracycline resistance genes in aquatic biofilms due to periodic loadings from swine lagoons.” Environmental Science & Technology, 43(20), 7643-7650.

     

    • Mohan SV, Falkentoft C, Nancharaiah YV, McSwain Sturm BS, Wattiau P, Wuertz S, and Hausner M*. 2009. “Bioaugmentation of microbial communities in laboratory and pilot scale sequencing batch biofilm reactors using the TOL plasmid.” Bioresource Technology, 100(5), 1746-1753.

     

    • McSwain Sturm BS* and Irvine RL. 2008. “Dissolved oxygen as a key parameter to aerobic granule formation.” Water Science and Technology, 58(4), 781-787.

     

    • Rajal VB, McSwain BS, Thompson DE, Leutenneger CM, and Wuertz S*. 2007. “Molecular quantitative analysis of human viruses in California stormwater.” Water Research, 41(19), 4287-4298.

     

    • Kildare BJ, Leutenneger CM, McSwain BS, Bambic DG, Rajal VB, and Wuertz S*. 2007. “16S rRNA-based assays for quantitative detection of universal, human-, cow-, and dog-specific fecal Bacteroidales: a bayesian approach.” Water Research, 41(16), 3701-3715.

     

    • Rajal VB, McSwain BS, Thompson DE, Leutenegger C, Kildare B, and Wuertz S*. 2007. “Validation of hollow fiber ultrafiltration and real-time PCR using bacteriophage PP7 as surrogate for the quantification of viruses from water samples.” Water Research, 41(7), 1411-1422.

     

    • McSwain BS*, Irvine RL, Hausner M., and Wilderer PA. 2005. “Composition and distribution of extracellular polymeric substances in aerobic flocs and granular sludge.” Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 71(2), 1051-1057.

     

    • McSwain BS*, Irvine RL, and Wilderer PA. April 2005. “Population dynamics during aerobic granule formation – lessons from denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis.” Water Environment Management Series (WEMS), ISBN 1843395096, 53-61.

     

    • McSwain BS*, Irvine RL, and Wilderer PA. 2004. “The influence of settling time on the formation of aerobic granules and extracellular polymeric substances.” Water Science and Technology, 50(10), 195-202.

     

    • McSwain BS*, Irvine RL, and Wilderer PA. 2004. “The effect of intermittent feeding on aerobic granule structure.” Water Science and Technology, 49(11-12), 19-25.

     

    • Wilderer PA* and McSwain BS. 2004. “The SBR and its biofilm application potentials.” Water Science and Technology, 50(10), 1-10.

     

    • Chiavola A*, McSwain BS, Irvine RL, Boni MR, and Baciocchi R. 2004. “Biodegradation of 3-chlorophenol in a sequencing batch reactor.” Environmental Science & Health (Part A), 38(10), 2113-2123.

     

    • Schwarzenbeck N*, Erley R, McSwain BS, Wilderer PA, and Irvine RL. 2004. “Treatment of malthouse wastewater in a granular sludge SBR.” Acta hydrochimica et hydrobiologica, 32(1), 16-24.

     

    Engineering Reports

     

    • Sturm, B. 2016. “Intensification of resource recovery (IR2) forum: State of knowledge and workshop report.” Contract No. TIRR1R15, Water Environment Research Foundation.

     

    • McSwain BS, Kildare B, Bae S, Lorente M and Wuertz S. June 2006. “Management of pathogens associated with storm water discharge and identification of sources of microbial contamination.” Contract No. 43A0168, Task Order No. 3, Environmental Division of the California Department of Transportation, 104 pp.

     

    • Kildare B, Rajal VB, Tiwari S, Thompson DE, McSwain BS, Bambic D, Reide G, and Wuertz S. May 2006. “Calleguas Creek Watershed Quantitative Microbial Source Tracking Study.” Calleguas Creek Watershed Management Plan.

     

    • Rajal V, Thompson D, Kildare B, Tiwari S, McSwain B and Wuertz S. May 2005. “Management of pathogens associated with storm water discharge: Methodology for quantitative molecular determination of viruses, bacteria and protozoa.” Contract No. 43A0073, Task Order No. 19, Environmental Division of the California Department of Transportation.

     

    Conference Proceedings / Minor Publications

     

    • Bagchi S, Probasco S, Mardan Doost B, and Sturm B. 2016. “Fate of microplastics in water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) and national environmental loading estimates. Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 7, 353-361.

     

    • Martin K, Shaw A, De Clippeleir H, and Sturm B. 2016. "‘Accidental Granular Sludge’: Understanding process design and operational conditions that lead to low SVI-30 values through a survey of full scale facilities in North America”. Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 9, 3385-3394.

     

    • Sturm B, Faraj R, Amante T, Kambhampati S, and Warren J. 2016. “Impact of substrate profile on BNR performance in aerobic granular sludge pilots at the Lawrence, KS WWTP”. Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 9, 5470-5478.

     

    • Van Winckel T, De Clippeleir H, Mancell-Egala A, Rahman A, Wett B, Bott C, Sturm B, Vlaeminck S, Al-Omari A, and Murthy S. 2016. “Balancing flocs and granules by external selectors to increase capacity in high-rate activated sludge systems”. Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 6, 5617-5622.

     

    • Alimoradi S, Hable R, Perkins A, Stagg-Williams S, and Sturm B. 2016. “Phosphorus recovery as calcium phosphates during thermochemical conversion of algal biomass”. In WEF/IWA Nutrient Removal and Recovery Proceedings. Water Environment Federation, Denver, CO.

     

    • Bagchi S, Epperson R, and Sturm B. 2016. “Evidence of complete ammonia oxidation (comammox) by Nitrospira under low dissolved oxygen in a side stream deammonification pilot”. In WEF/IWA Nutrient Removal and Recovery Proceedings. Water Environment Federation, Denver, CO.

     

    • Jezek R, Shaw A, Kobylinski E, Sturm B, Steichen M, and Barnard J. 2016. “Somewhere over the rainbow: Kansas' aerobic granular sludge pilot for domestic wastewater in the U.S”. In Singapore International Water Week 2016 Proceedings.

     

    • Van Winckel T, De Clippeleir H, Yapuwa H, Wett B, Bott C, Sturm B, Vlaeminck S, Al-Omari A, and Murthy S. 2016. “Let's Settle Together? Extending external selection from mainstream deammonification to high-rate activated sludge”. In WEF/IWA Nutrient Removal and Recovery Proceedings. Water Environment Federation, Denver, CO.

     

    • Jezek R, Kobylinski E, Sturm B, Steichen M, and Barnard J. 2015. “Can Aerobic Granular Reactors Help a Land-Locked Plant Upgrade to BNR? From Bench-Scale Testing to Full-Scale Conceptual Design.” Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 16, 2760-2783.

     

    • Jezek R, Kobylinski E, Sturm B, Steichen M, and Barnard J. 2015. “Aerobic granular sludge bench-scale testing to full-scale conceptual design”. Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 3, 1-22.

     

    • Sturm B, Faraj R, Amante T, Wagner B, Kiani F, and Waybenais D. 2015. “Strategies for Operating Aerobic Granular Sludge Reactors for Low-Strength Municipal Wastewater.” Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 17, 5656-5665.

     

    • Sturm B, Roberts G, Cook E, Hable R, and Stagg-Williams S. 2015. “Hydroxyapatite Crystallization and Biocrude Oil Production from Wastewater-Cultivated Algae.” Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 2, 1-11.

     

    • Faraj RA and Sturm BSM. 2014. "The effect of slowly biodegradable carbon on the performance of aerobic granular sludge." International Water Association Specialist Conference - Global Challenges: Sustainable Wastewater Treatment and Resource Recovery. Kathmandu, Nepal.

     

    • Fortier M-O and Sturm BSM. 2012. “Geographic Analysis of Algae Production for Biofuels at Kansas Wastewater Treatment Plants.”  Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 13, 3565-3580.

     

    • Bergsven L, Sturm BSM, Durar A, and Dickinson G. 2011. "After Over a Decade of Foaming, the Development of a Statistical Model Combined with Traditional Microscopy Provides Operating Guidelines." Proceedings of the Water Environment Federation, 10, 5422-5437.