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Internationally renowned for her pioneering research into bioremediation of pollutants, Elizabeth Edwards, of chemical engineering and applied chemistry in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering, has been named .  

Edwards has published more than 120 peer-reviewed journal articles as well as government and industrial reports, book chapters and conference papers, and is a dedicated mentor of students. She oversees two multidisciplinary research networks at U of T that envision using micro-organisms to address such challenges as renewable plastics, less expensive pharmaceuticals and energy-from-waste.

“As a pioneering researcher in the field of bioengineering, Professor Edwards has found a way to clean hard-to-access underground reservoirs of pollutants naturally and safely using microbe cultures,” Provost Cheryl Regher said. “Her innovative work represents a new paradigm in bioengineering and demonstrates the best in cross-disciplinary collaboration, connecting two fields – engineering and microbiology. 

“Her authority as a leading researcher in the field of environmental engineering has also had an enormous impact on women in engineering. She has paved the way for many women in STEM, providing mentorship to both colleagues and students, and is known for including students in all of her research activities.”