Jeanne Van Briesen


Jeanne M. Van Briesen is an American civil engineer who is the Dean of the UMBC College of Engineering and Information Technology. Previously, she was the Vice Provost and the Duquesne Light Company Professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Her research considers the realization of sustainable natural and engineered water systems. She is a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, Environmental and Water Resources Institute, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors and American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Early life and education

VanBriesen was born in Pennsylvania. She was a student at Northwestern University, where she first majored in chemistry and then civil engineering. Her doctoral research considered the computational simulation of biogeochemical processes in mixed waste systems.

Research and career

VanBriesen worked as a high school teacher at Evanston Township High School. She joined the faculty at Carnegie Mellon University in 1999, where she directs the Center for Water Quality in Urban Environmental Systems. Her research considers the sustainability of urban water systems and water cycles in the built environment.
In 2021, VanBriesen was appointed head of the National Science Foundation Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems.

Awards and honors