New Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Kelsey Pieper Joins Environmental and Water Resources Engineering

Dr. Kelsey Pieper is an assistant professor in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering. Her research focuses on understanding the barriers communities face in accessing safe drinking water in the United States, especially those served by unregulated private wells and municipal systems that do not always meet drinking water standards. She explores how and why contamination happens—both in everyday conditions and during emergencies like floods—and applies that knowledge to strengthen protection and recovery efforts. A central part of her work is partnering with residents, health departments, and drinking water utilities to address drinking water concerns and develop practical solutions that are accessible, available, and affordable. She was selected as a 2021 Early-Career Research Fellow by the National Academies’ Gulf Research Program and named to the 2025 “40 Under 40” Recognition Program by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists. She received her Ph.D. in Biological Systems Engineering and M.S. in Civil Engineering at Virginia Tech, and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Binghamton University.