Rate My Professor Lynn Katz

Lynn Katz is Professor of Environmental and Water Resources Engineering, holding the Hussein M. Alharthy Centennial Chair in Civil Engineering and serving as Director of the Center for Water and the Environment in the Maseeh Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin's Cockrell School of Engineering. She also serves as Faculty Ombudsperson and Associate Director of the Multi-University Western Water (M-WET) Center. Katz earned her B.S. in Environmental Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University in 1980, M.S. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1984, M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Michigan in 1990, and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Michigan in 1993.

With over thirty years of experience, Professor Katz applies aquatic surface chemistry to study the fate and transport of contaminants in the environment and to develop treatment technologies for contaminated water and soil, with a current focus on improving water treatment for underserved communities. Her research interests include contaminant fate and transport, combined abiotic/biotic treatment systems for in-situ remediation, and environmental surface chemistry. Throughout her career at UT Austin, she has held key leadership positions, including Chair of the Engineering Faculty Women’s Organization, Chair of the Faculty Women’s Organization, co-chair of the University Faculty Gender Equity Council, Associate Chair of the Department of Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering, and Chair of the Cockrell School of Engineering Faculty Promotion and Review Committee. Her contributions to teaching, research, and service have earned her the University of Michigan CEE Alumni Merit Award (2025), AEESP Distinguished Lecturer Award (2024-25), UT Austin Civitatis Award (2023), Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science Education Award (2021), induction as AEESP Fellow (2020), and NSF CAREER Award (1997).