Research areas
Environmental Engineering; wastewater treatment and reclamation; biological processes in wastewater for biotransformation of emerging contaminants; biomethane recovery from anaerobic digestion; fate and transport of pollutants, applied microbial ecology
B.S., Environmental Health Engineering, Northwestern University
M.S., Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University
Ph.D., Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University
Autumn 2027-28 – Please reach out to Professor Gough to inquire about their ability to admit new students.
Topic areas might include methanogenesis in anaerobic digestion, alternative on-site sewage treatment, and anaerobic treatability of pulp mill and biorefinery waste.
Courses
- ESRM 426 | Wildland Hydrology (4) - Fall
- SBSE 410 | Industrial Wastewater Treatment and Reduction (5) - Winter
Current sponsored projects
A pilot study for treating CECs in wastewater: a focus on PBDEs (Washington State Department of Ecology)
Instrumentation for monitoring and optimizing anaerobic digestion and acetate-producing biochemical processes (UW STF)
Selected publications
Chowyuk, A. N., El-Husseini, H., Gustafson, R. R., Parker, N., Bura, R., & Gough, H. L. (2021). Economics of growing poplar for the dual purpose of biorefinery feedstock and wastewater treatment. Biomass and Bioenergy, 153, Article 106213.
El Shahawy, A., Mohamed, A., El-Shatoury, S., Ahmed, D., Aboulfotoh, A., Dohdoh, A., & Gough, H. L. (2024). Using Phragmites australis biochar bio-augmented with actinomycetes for enhancing UASB reactor performance: A field study. Journal of Water Process Engineering, 68, Article 106461.
Kargol, A. K., Cao, C., James, C. A., & Gough, H. L. (2022). Wastewater reuse for tree irrigation: Influence on rhizosphere microbial communities. Resources, Environment and Sustainability, 9, Article 100063.
Kargol, A. K., Dahal, S., & Gough, H. L. (2026). Soil nitrogen cycling dynamics in a poplar-vegetated land application system under long-term wastewater irrigation. Applied Soil Ecology, 221, Article 106934.
Kargol, A. K., Montes, D., Dahal, S., & Gough, H. L. (2025). Populus species mitigate nitrogen breakthrough in wastewater infiltration systems for year-round treatment and recovery. Journal of Environmental Engineering, 151(12), Article 04025082.
Nessem, N., Dohdoh, A., El-Shatoury, S., Ahmed, D., Aboulfotoh, A., Gough, H. L., & El Shahawy, A. (2025). Upgrading upflow anaerobic sludge blanket (UASB) reactors with rice straw biochar: A smart pathway for rural sanitation, bioenergy recovery & agricultural reuse. RSC Advances, 15(58), 49826–49840.
Santos, P. A., James, C. A., & Gough, H. L. (2025). Polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) removal from wastewater: A perspective on advancing microbial technologies. Water Emerging Contaminants & Nanoplastics, 4(1), Article 7.