Liza Wilson Durant

Liza Wilson Durant is a professor of engineering in George Mason University's College of Engineering and Computing (CEC), and the associate dean for strategic initiatives and community engagement within CEC. She also serves as associate provost of strategic initiatives and commmunity engagement at Mason.

Her research currently focuses on the use of microorganisms and biological processes to control the fate and transport of hazardous waste and to diminish contamination in the subsurface environment. She has extensive consulting experience on projects related to the feasibility and economics of hazardous waste management and remediation, contaminant fate and transport in the environment and risk assessment and reduction, and environmental dispute resolution.

She was awarded the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences Environmental Science and Engineering Fellowship twice. During her tenure as an AAAS fellow, she served as a science advisor to the Environmental Protection Agency in the National Center for Environmental Assessment and in the Immediate Office of the Assistant Administrator of the Office of Research and Development.

Wilson-Durant received her bachelor’s in agricultural engineering from Cornell University, her master’s in environmental engineering from Stanford University, and her Ph.D. in environmental engineering from Johns Hopkins University.