Lowry to serve as interim department head
Maya Westcott
Nov 21, 2025
As Burcu Akinci steps into her new role as the Dean of the College of Engineering beginning January 1, 2026, Greg Lowry, Hamerschlag University Professor has agreed to serve as the interim department head of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), also beginning in the new year.
Lowry joined CMU in 2001 as a CEE faculty member following his education at the University of California, Davis for his bachelors; University of Wisconsin for his master’s; and Stanford University, where he received his PhD. His research expertise lies at the intersection of environmental systems, nanotechnology, and chemistry, where he aims to improve the efficiency and resilience of crop agriculture, environmental remediation, and water treatment. With over 230 published scientific articles, Lowry has consistently been recognized as a “highly cited” scientist (top 1%) in the area of ecology and environment.
In addition to his research and teaching, Lowry currently leads CMU’s Center for Engineering Resilience and Climate Adaptation and serves as an executive and associate editor of the ACS Journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Throughout his career, Lowry has received various research awards, including the Science Award from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, the Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Malcolm Pirnie/AEESP Frontiers in Research Award from the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, and the Steven J. Fenves Award for Systems Research and the Casasent Outstanding Research Award from Carnegie Mellon University.
Lowry is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors. In 2023, he was named a University Professor, the highest rank of distinction for faculty at Carnegie Mellon.
“I want to express my gratitude to Greg for his support and leadership during this change,” said Akinci in an announcement to the department. “Special thanks also to those who are on the search committee for the new CEE department head.”
A search for a permanent department head will commence in December 2025, led by a committee comprised of CEE students, faculty, and staff.
Lowry joined CMU in 2001 as a CEE faculty member following his education at the University of California, Davis for his bachelors; University of Wisconsin for his master’s; and Stanford University, where he received his PhD. His research expertise lies at the intersection of environmental systems, nanotechnology, and chemistry, where he aims to improve the efficiency and resilience of crop agriculture, environmental remediation, and water treatment. With over 230 published scientific articles, Lowry has consistently been recognized as a “highly cited” scientist (top 1%) in the area of ecology and environment.
In addition to his research and teaching, Lowry currently leads CMU’s Center for Engineering Resilience and Climate Adaptation and serves as an executive and associate editor of the ACS Journal Environmental Science & Technology.
Throughout his career, Lowry has received various research awards, including the Science Award from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, the Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Malcolm Pirnie/AEESP Frontiers in Research Award from the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, and the Steven J. Fenves Award for Systems Research and the Casasent Outstanding Research Award from Carnegie Mellon University.
Lowry is also a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors. In 2023, he was named a University Professor, the highest rank of distinction for faculty at Carnegie Mellon.
“I want to express my gratitude to Greg for his support and leadership during this change,” said Akinci in an announcement to the department. “Special thanks also to those who are on the search committee for the new CEE department head.”
A search for a permanent department head will commence in December 2025, led by a committee comprised of CEE students, faculty, and staff.