Dr. Gerald Speitel

Biography

Gerald E. Speitel Jr. has over 20 years of experience in treatment processes and engineered natural systems. He previously worked at the University of Houston and several consulting environmental engineering firms before joining the University of Texas at Austin. At UT Austin, he manages a group of 8 graduate research assistants and oversees various projects related to treatment processes for hazardous organic chemicals, including their fate and transport in subsurface environments and drinking water treatment. He is a registered professional engineer in Texas and is involved in several professional societies. Speitel's research has received national recognition through awards from organizations such as the American Society of Civil Engineers and the American Water Works Association. His focus areas include developing microbial cultures for the biological treatment of challenging organic chemicals, especially chlorinated solvents, and exploring biological and chemical oxidation processes that mitigate disinfection by-products in drinking water treatment. Additionally, he studies the simultaneous biodegradation and adsorption of organic chemicals using granular activated carbon columns and develops mathematical models for the fate and transport of chemicals in engineered treatment processes. His extensive experience also includes optimizing the design of treatment processes to ensure cost-effective solutions.

Research Interests