Dr. Amy Childress

Biography

Amy Childress joined the Civil Environmental Engineering (CEE) Department in the summer of 2013 as a professor and director of CEE's environmental engineering program. She earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Maryland College Park and the University of California, Los Angeles, respectively, where she also received her Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Previously, she served as a professor and chair of the Civil Environmental Engineering Department at the University of Nevada, Reno. Over the past 20 years, her scholarly interests have focused on membrane processes for desalination, water treatment, and wastewater reclamation. Dr. Childress has directed numerous research projects funded by various federal and local agencies and leads a research group producing numerous peer-reviewed publications and patents. Her current research addresses the global challenge of freshwater scarcity, focusing on membrane contactor processes, pressure-driven membrane technologies, and optimizing sustainability in water treatment processes. Dr. Childress aims to advance solutions to wastewater reclamation and seawater desalination challenges, particularly in Southern California, and seeks to minimize environmental footprint through innovative engineering solutions in water-energy interdependence.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards