By Jackey Locke

Dr. Bing Chen, professor and head of the Department of Civil Engineering, has been elected as a fellow of the Canadian Society for Civil Engineering (CSCE).

Established in 1887, the CSCE has been the leading learned society of civil engineers in Canada and creating impacts across the world.

Dr. Chen received the prestigious honour in recognition of his outstanding contributions to environmental engineering and marine oil spill response, as well as his long-time service to the CSCE in various leadership roles, such as vice-president International, NL Section chair and Environmental Division vice-chair.

He was recently re-elected as vice-president for his second term in the CSCE (Virtual) Annual General Meeting and continues his leadership in CSCE’s global operations and development.

“I feel honoured to be elected as a fellow of CSCE,” said Dr. Chen. “As a civil engineer, I am proud to be a member of this great organization, which has over 130-year history of dedication, excellence and achievements in the civil engineering profession. Together with my peers and fellows, we will be continuously dedicated to the development and maintenance of high standards of civil engineering research and practice and the enhancement of the image of our profession in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada and worldwide.

Dr. Chen has been a professor of civil engineering at Memorial University since 2006, teaching mainly environmental systems engineering and management. Prior to joining Memorial, he received his PhD from the University of Regina and continued his research at the University of British Columbia as an NSERC post-doctoral research fellow.

He is an internationally respected leader in environmental engineering research with exemplary achievements in environmental emergency responses, water and wastewater treatment.

He is the founding director of the CFI-funded Northern Region Persistent Organic Pollution Control (NRPOP) Laboratory that has been recognized worldwide for its pioneering contributions to marine pollution control research and oil spill response and cleanup, especially in cold regions and harsh environments.

Dr. Chen also serves as the founding director of the global Network on Persistent, Emerging and Organic PoLlution in the Environment (PEOPLE) – a global research and training consortium network targeting emerging environmental problems and technologies. The Network brings together over 160 leading researchers from 14 Canadian and 15 foreign institutions and over 50 private, public, and community partners in over 10 countries. This one-of-a-kind international network has positioned Canada as a global leader in emerging contaminant research and technology development. Dr. Chen and his team have been recently secured the six-year funding from the NSERC Collaborative Research and Training Experience Program (CREATE) for training of next-generation researchers and engineers.

He has (co-)authored over 380 technical publications, including over 130 refereed journal articles, three books and six patents/disclosures. He has led over 40 research and industrial projects as the principle investigator (PI) or co-PI valued at more than $16 million. He has trained over 70 thesis-based graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.

Dr. Chen has served as senior advisor of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), vice-president of the Canadian Association on Water Quality (CAWQ), vice-president of the Sigma Xi Avalon Chapter, member of the Royal Society of Canada’s Expert Panel, associate editor or editorial member of five refereed journals, and adjunct/visiting professor of six institutions worldwide (e.g., University of California Berkeley and Peking University). He has delivered over 70 keynote/invited speeches and guest lectures in conferences, workshops and seminars and served as conference (co-)chair, session (co-)chair, and committee member for more than 40 national and international conferences.

Dr. Chen is a registered professional engineer in Newfoundland and Labrador. He was inducted to the Royal Society of Canada’s College and received many other awards such as the Water Environment Federation A.S. Bedell Award and Terra Nova Young Innovator Award.

“Congratulations to Dr. Chen on this national recognition,” said Dr. Greg Naterer, dean, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science. “Dr. Chen’s important contributions to research, education and leadership in the fields of environmental engineering and oil spill response, among others, make him very deserving of this honour.”