Rate My Professor Craig Evans

Dr Craig Evans is a Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Environmental Science and Management within the School of Science at the University of Newcastle, Australia, part of the College of Engineering, Science and Environment. He obtained a BSc majoring in biochemistry from the University of New England, followed by a BSc (Honours) and PhD in Science from the University of Newcastle. Since completing his PhD, he has taught, researched, and supervised postgraduate students at the University of Newcastle. His teaching areas include water quality science and treatment, emerging contaminants and pathogens, advanced water quality monitoring and analytical techniques, water supply and resource management, freshwater systems, microbiology, biochemistry, and general biology.

Evans' academic interests center on applied and environmental microbiology, water quality science, contamination source tracking, freshwater ecology, and metabolism in humans and equines. His research investigates emerging contaminants in recycled wastewater, microbiological stability in drinking water distribution networks using ATP and molecular profiling, sterols and optical brighteners for faecal contamination tracking in waterways, wastewater impacts on estuarine aquaculture and ocean outfalls, cyanobacterial dynamics in drinking water reservoirs, bacterial diversity and variability in rainwater harvesting systems, actinobacteria-related taste and odour episodes, ecology and biocontrol of invasive aquatic plants, and metabolic disturbances associated with autistic spectrum disorder. These studies represent world firsts, including evidence of Streptomyces growth in aquatic systems, dynamic micro-ecologies in rainwater tanks, and wind influences on roof-harvested rainwater microbes. He applies chromatography, mass spectrometry, fluorescence spectrometry, PCR, and cultivation techniques. Fields of Research: surface water quality processes and contaminated sediment assessment (35%), environmental assessment and monitoring (35%), environmental management (30%). Evans has led 24 grants totaling $724,141 from funders including Hunter Water Corporation, Central Coast Council, and NSW Environmental Trust. Key publications include 'Environmental DNA as a tool for detecting ocean outfall impacts' (2025), 'The use of sterol profiles... in rural catchments' (2023), 'Benthic infaunal assemblages adjacent to an ocean outfall' (2022), 'Turning Routine Data into Systems Insight' (2020), and 'Wind, Rain and Bacteria' (2006), contributing to 1,803 citations across 38 works.