Former Graduate Research Assistant
Ph.D. Student, Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

llogan2@illinois.edu

Curriculum Vitae

Biography

Lauren H. Logan is a Ph.D. student in the Energy-Water-Environment Sustainability program in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.  Her research focuses on thermoelectric power plant water usage for cooling (both withdrawals and consumption) and its effects on aquatic stream ecology. She uses modeling techniques and real-world data to track the mixing of thermal pollution from power plant discharge into rivers. Lauren uses quantitative aspects of thermal pollution risk assessment to aid decision-makers in formulating effective environmental policy. Additionally, Lauren is interested in the economic tradeoffs between electricity generation and environmental degradation.

Lauren’s work, both inside and outside the university, aims to bridge the gap between science and engineering, motivating the next generation of students to be proactive in using science and engineering research to change policy and promote sustainability in areas like energy and water. In addition to active involvement with multiple organizations, Lauren is serving on the Engineering Graduate Student Advisory Board, as president of the Central Illinois Alumni Chapter of Tau Beta Pi, and as vice chair of the CEE Graduate Student Advisory Board. She enjoys participating in recruitment events specifically aimed at underrepresented groups in engineering, such as the SURGE program and WE GO CEE, and mentoring undergraduate students through the MUSE program.

Research Topics

• Thermal water pollution and its effects on aquatic stream ecology
• Links between science and policy related to electric power generation
• Economic benefits transfer methodologies

Publications

• L.H. Logan and A.S. Stillwell. (2017). “Probabilistic assessment of aquatic species risk from thermoelectric power plant effluent: Incorporating biology into the energy-water nexus.” Applied Energy, In press.
• L.H. Logan, E.M. Karlsson, H.E. Gall, J. Park, N. Emery, P. Owens, D. Niyogi and P.S.C. Rao. (2013). “2.11 – Freshwater Wetlands: Balancing Food and Water Security with Resilience of Ecological and Social Systems,” in Climate Vulnerability. R.A. Pielke, ed. Academic Press, Oxford, pp. 105-116.
• L.H. Logan, N.C. Emery, and A.S. Stillwell. (2014). “The Science Not Yet Behind Wetland Policy: Ecology, Hydrology, Public Perception, and Conservation.” Proceedings of the World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2014, 2054-2065.

Education

• M.S. in Biological Sciences in the Ecological Sciences and Engineering Interdisciplinary Graduate Program, Purdue University, 2013
  Tau Beta Pi Centennial Fellow, Knox Fellow
• B.S. in Electrical Engineering, Ohio University, 2010
  Cutler Scholar, graduated top in engineering class
• B.S. in Geological Sciences, Ohio University, 2010

Awards

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
• Mavis Future Faculty Fellow
• Illinois Distinguished Fellowship
• CEE Distinguished Fellowship
• Carver Fellowship
• SURGE Fellowship
• Best Poster Award, 2013 Annual Research Symposium, National Organization for Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers, Purdue University
• Interdisciplinary Excellence Award, 2013 Purdue University Interdisciplinary Graduate Program Spring Reception