Karl J. Rockne, PhD, PE, BCEE

In my current position as Associate Dean for Research, I coordinate the research activities of over 200 faculty in the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I am also a Professor of Environmental Engineering in the Department of Civil, Materials, and Environmental Engineering. I have received numerous teaching, research, and service awards, including two major awards from the National Science Foundation (NSF): the Director's Award for broadening participation of indigenous communities in STEM and the CAREER award for research on “active capping” technology for environmental cleanup. I have published over 100 scientific articles funded by grants totaling $17M. I am in the top 3-6% worldwide in citations in the fields of bioremediation, environmental biotechnology, and environmental engineering according to GOOGLE Scholar.

I am an avid endurance athlete, having raced in over 50 marathons (ultra- and standard), triathlons (sprint, international, and half Ironman), and bike races.

A communal catalogue reveals Earth’s multiscale microbial diversity

LR Thompson, JG Sanders, D McDonald, A Amir, J Ladau, KJ Locey, …

Nature 551 (7681), 457-463
2017

Geochemical influences and mercury methylation of a dental wastewater microbiome

A Rani, KJ Rockne, J Drummond, M Al-Hinai, R Ranjan

Nature Scientific reports 5 (1), 1-20
2015

Gas ebullition from petroleum hydrocarbons in aquatic sediments: A review

MK Zamanpour, RS Kaliappan, KJ Rockne

Journal of Environmental Management 271, 110997
2020

Comparison of synthetic surfactants and biosurfactants in enhancing biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

RS Makkar, KJ Rockne

Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: An International Journal 22 (10 …
2003

Anaerobic naphthalene degradation by microbial pure cultures under nitrate-reducing conditions

KJ Rockne, JC Chee-Sanford, RA Sanford, BP Hedlund, JT Staley, …

Applied and Environmental Microbiology 66 (4), 1595-1601
2000

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the sediments of the Great Lakes. 1. Lake Superior

W Song, JC Ford, A Li, WJ Mills, DR Buckley, KJ Rockne

Environmental science & technology 38 (12), 3286-3293
2004

Biodegradation of bicyclic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in anaerobic enrichments

KJ Rockne, SE Strand

Environmental science & technology 32 (24), 3962-3967
1998

Distributed sequestration and release of PAHs in weathered sediment: the role of sediment structure and organic carbon properties

KJ Rockne, LM Shor, LY Young, GL Taghon, DS Kosson

Environmental science & technology 36 (12), 2636-2644
2002

Anaerobic biodegradation of naphthalene, phenanthrene, and biphenyl by a denitrifying enrichment culture

KJ Rockne, SE Strand

Water research 35 (1), 291-299
2001

Pore structure of soot deposits from several combustion sources

KJ Rockne, GL Taghon, DS Kosson

Chemosphere 41 (8), 1125-1135
2000

Desorption kinetics for field-aged polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from sediments

LM Shor, KJ Rockne, GL Taghon, LY Young, DS Kosson

Environmental Science & Technology 37 (8), 1535-1544
2003

Organophosphate esters in sediment of the Great Lakes

D Cao, J Guo, Y Wang, Z Li, K Liang, MB Corcoran, S Hosseini, …

Environmental science & technology 51 (3), 1441-1449
2017

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers in the sediments of the Great Lakes. 4. Influencing factors, trends, and implications

A Li, KJ Rockne, N Sturchio, W Song, JC Ford, DR Buckley, WJ Mills

Environmental science & technology 40 (24), 7528-7534
2006

PCBs in sediments of the Great Lakes–Distribution and trends, homolog and chlorine patterns, and in situ degradation

A Li, KJ Rockne, N Sturchio, W Song, JC Ford, H Wei

Environmental Pollution 157 (1), 141-147
2009

Stratification of Archaea in the Deep Sediments of a Freshwater Meromictic Lake: Vertical Shift from Methanogenic to Uncultured Archaeal Lineages

G Borrel, AC Lehours, O Crouzet, D Jézéquel, K Rockne, A Kulczak, …

Public Library of Science 7 (8), e43346
2012

Soot deposition in the Great Lakes: Implications for semi-volatile hydrophobic organic pollutant deposition

DR Buckley, KJ Rockne, A Li, WJ Mills

Environmental science & technology 38 (6), 1732-1739
2004

Photolytic debromination pathway of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in hexane by sunlight

H Wei, Y Zou, A Li, ER Christensen, KJ Rockne

Environmental Pollution 174, 194-200
2013

Polyhalogenated carbazoles in sediments of Lake Michigan: a new discovery

J Guo, D Chen, D Potter, KJ Rockne, NC Sturchio, JP Giesy, A Li

Environmental science & technology 48 (21), 12807-12815
2014

Bioremediation of contaminated sites

KJ Rockne, KR Reddy

Invited theme paper, international e-conference on modern trends in …
2003

Intra-aggregate mass transport-limited bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons to Mycobacterium strain PC01

LM Shor, W Liang, KJ Rockne, LY Young, GL Taghon, DS Kosson

Environmental science & technology 37 (8), 1545-1552
2003

Nutrient removal in a cold-region wastewater stabilization pond: importance of ammonia volatilization

KJ Rockne, PL Brezonik

Journal of environmental engineering 132 (4), 451-459
2006

Combined effects of contaminant desorption and toxicity on risk from PAH contaminated sediments

LM Shor, DS Kosson, KJ Rockne, LY Young, GL Taghon

Risk Analysis: An International Journal 24 (5), 1109-1120
2004

Modeling active capping efficacy. 1. Metal and organometal contaminated sediment remediation

PZ Viana, K Yin, KJ Rockne

Environmental science & technology 42 (23), 8922-8929
2008

The green print: advancement of environmental sustainability in healthcare

JD Sherman, C Thiel, A MacNeill, MJ Eckelman, R Dubrow, H Hopf, …

Resources, Conservation and Recycling 161, 104882
2020

Bacteria inactivation at a sub-stoichiometric titanium dioxide reactive electrochemical membrane

L Guo, K Ding, K Rockne, M Duran, BP Chaplin

Journal of hazardous materials 319, 137-146
2016

Gas chromatographic retention of 180 polybrominated diphenyl ethers and prediction of relative retention under various operational conditions

H Wei, R Yang, A Li, ER Christensen, KJ Rockne

Journal of Chromatography A 1217 (17), 2964-2972
2010

Field measurements and modeling of ebullition-facilitated flux of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from sediments to the water column

PZ Viana, K Yin, KJ Rockne

Environmental science & technology 46 (21), 12046-12054
2012

Spatial and temporal trends in poly-and per-fluorinated compounds in the Laurentian Great Lakes Erie, Ontario and St. Clair

G Codling, NC Sturchio, KJ Rockne, A Li, H Peng, JT Timothy, PD Jones, …

Environmental Pollution 237, 396-405
2018

Characterization of methyl mercury in dental wastewater and correlation with sulfate-reducing bacterial DNA

X Zhao, KJ Rockne, JL Drummond, RK Hurley, CW Shade, RJM Hudson

Environmental science & technology 42 (8), 2780-2786
2008

Characterization, performance modeling, and design of an active capping remediation project in a heavily polluted urban channel

K Yin, P Viana, X Zhao, K Rockne

Science of the total environment 408 (16), 3454-3463
2010

Naphthalene and phenanthrene sorption to very low organic content diatomaceous earth: modeling implications for microbial bioavailability

M Mittal, KJ Rockne

Chemosphere 74 (8), 1134-1144
2009

Halogenated flame retardants in sediments from the Upper Laurentian Great Lakes: Implications to long-range transport and evidence of long-term transformation

J Guo, Z Li, P Ranasinghe, KJ Rockne, NC Sturchio, JP Giesy, A Li

Journal of hazardous materials 384, 121346
2020

Community drinking water quality monitoring data

RM Jones, JM Graber, R Anderson, K Rockne, M Turyk, LT Stayner

Journal of Public Health Management and Practice 20 (2), 210-219
2014

Modeling and control of gas ebullition in capped sediments

P Viana, K Yin, X Zhao, KJ Rockne

Proceedings, 4th International Conference on Remediation of Contaminated …
2007

The effect of esterase enzyme on aging dental composites

SK Oskoe, JL Drummond, KJ Rockne

Journal of Biomedical Materials Research Part B: Applied Biomaterials 107 (6 …
2019

Organic contaminated sediments remediation with active caps: Nonlinear adsorption unveiled by combined isotherm and column transportation studies

K Yin, PZ Viana, KJ Rockne

Chemosphere 214, 710-718
2019

Comparison of direct benthic flux to ebullition-facilitated flux of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals measured in the field

P Viana, K Yin, K Rockne

Journal of soils and sediments 18 (4), 1729-1742
2018

Ecosystem and transportation infrastructure resilience in the Great Lakes

B Zou, KJ Rockne, S Vitousek, M Noruzoliaee

Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development 60 (5), 18-31
2018

Dynamic models of multi-trophic interactions in microbial food webs

M Mittal, KJ Rockne

Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part A 47 (10), 1391-1406
2012

• Google Scholar

I have extensive service and administrative experience including serving as the Director of the Environmental Engineering program at the NSF, Director of Undergraduate Studies, and Interim Department Head. I have served on numerous national governmental science and advisory committees. These include the National Sewage Surveillance Intergovernmental Leadership Committee chaired by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Action Collaborative for Disaster Research at the National Academy of Sciences, Chairing the Risk Mitigation Working Group for Contaminants of Emerging Concern for the National Science and Technology Committee (NSTC), and the Subcommittee on Water Availability and Quality (SWAQ) for the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), Executive Office of the President of the United States.

Post-Doctoral Research Associate

Chemical Engineering, Rutgers University (1998-1999)

Ph.D. Environmental Engineering (1997)

University of Washington, Seattle

M.S. Environmental Engineering (1992)

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

B.S. Environmental Engineering (1990)

University of Minnesota, Minneapolis

Registered Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering (PE) in the State of Minnesota (License #40584)

Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE) by the American Academy of Environmental Engineering and Sciences (AAEES)

Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP)

Elected Member, American Society of Civil Engineers-EWRI (M.ASCE)

American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE)

American Chemical Society (ACS)

Water Environment Federation (WEF)

American Geophysical Union (AGU)

1. Rockne, K. (2021) “NSF Environmental Engineering program Four Year Perspective.” Invited Speaker, National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM): Water Science and Technology Board (WSTB) Spring 2021 Meeting. Washington DC. May 26, 2021.
2. Rockne, K. (2021) “Discussion of Solution Pathways: Technical Tools.” Invited Speaker, National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM): Environmental Health Matters Initiative (EHMI) Reducing the Health Impacts of the Nitrogen Problem: Reflection and Synthesis: Proceedings of a Workshop in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Washington DC. February 25, 2021.
3. Rockne, K. (2020) “SARS CoV-2 Wastewater Surveillance Research.” Invited Speaker, National Sewage Surveillance Interagency Leadership Committee (NSSILC). Washington DC. December 9, 2020.
4. Rockne, K. (2019) “Nano-Tech Enabled Research and Development for Sustainable Water Treatment.” Invited Speaker, Water NSI 2020 Federal Meeting, National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI). Washington, DC, Feb 21, 2020.
5. Rockne, K. (2019) “NSF Environmental Engineering Initiatives”. Invited Speaker, National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Water Science and Technology Board (WSTB) meeting. Washington, DC, June 15, 2019.
6. Rockne, K. J. (2019) “Grand Challenges for Environmental Engineering in the 21st Century: The 6th Grand Challenge”. Keynote, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) Bi-Annual Meeting. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. May 15, 2019.
7. Rockne, K. J. (2018) “The Engineering Grand Challenges: Where Environmental Engineering fits into the Landscape of Transformative Research”. Keynote Speaker, American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES): Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science Awards Luncheon and Conference. National Press Club, Washington, DC. April 19, 2018.
8. Rockne, K. J., and M. Khazraee (2018) “Biogeochemical Model for Gas Ebullition in the Presence of NAPLs in Sediments”. 255^th American Chemical Society (ACS) National Meeting. New Orleans, LA. March 22, 2018.
9. Rockne, K. J. (2018) “Environmental Engineering Challenges both Grand and Small”. Invited Speaker, Colloquium. Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. February 6, 2018.
10. Rockne, K. J. (2017) “Grand Challenges and Opportunities in Environmental Engineering and Science in the 21^st Century: The National Science Foundation’s Perspective”. Invited Speaker. California Academy of Sciences. San Francisco, CA September 5-8, 2017.

1. “Modeling of Gas Ebullition and Thin Cap Processes” (1/1/2021-12/31/2021). PI Karl Rockne. Funding: $124,429 from EXXON Corp.
2. “Biochar facilitated bioremediation: A green solution for dioxin/furan pollution” (2/1/2021-1/31/2024). US PI Karl Rockne/ Vietnam PI Dang Thuong Huyen, Vietnam National University. Funding: $212,415 from USAID.
3. “Impact of Non-Aqueous Phase Liquids on Gas Ebullition in Contaminated Sediments Phase IV” (1/1/2020-12/31/2020). PI Karl Rockne. Funding: $109,000 from EXXON Corp.
4. “RO1: Confined Compression and Image Analysis of Dental Composites” (6/1/2019-5/31/2023). PI Karl Rockne. Funding: $961,855 from the National Institutes of Health National Institute of Dental and Cranial Research (NIH-NIDCR).