Dr. Hossain M. Azam is an Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of the District of Columbia, specializing in water and wastewater treatment, solid waste management, and environmental sustainability, with a robust research focus on resource recovery and the water-energy-food-climate nexus, and a commitment to advancing engineering education through innovative, interdisciplinary approaches.
Experience
Education
Doctor of Philosophy in Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Master of Science in Civil Engineering, North Carolina State University Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology
Roles
Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering, UDC, 2023-Present Assistant Professor of Environmental Engineering, UDC, 2019-23 Assistant Professor, Manhattan College, 2014-19 Visiting Assistant Professor and Post-Doctoral Research Scientist, George Washington University, 2013-14 Research Assistant and Post-Doctoral Research Associate, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2011-12
Courses Taught
Civil Engineering Materials Lecture & Lab Hydrology and Hydraulics Hydrology and Hydraulics Lab Environmental Engineering and Science GIS Fundamentals and Engineering Applications CE Senior Project (Capstone Project)-Environmental Engineering Fundamental of Engineering Preparation Research-Professional Practice Course-Environmental Engineering Environmental Engineering and Science Water and Wastewater Engineering Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology Environmental Chemistry Energy and the Environment Geo-Environmental Engineering Water-Energy-Food-Climate Nexus
Expertise
Fundamentals of Engineering Exam Professional Engineering License Exam D.C. Professional Engineering License
Research Focus / Works in Progress
Water and wastewater treatment; solid waste management with leachate treatment; municipal and industrial wastewater treatment; groundwater remediation; resources recovery; energy and the environment; water-energy-food-climate nexus; environmental chemistry and microbiology; experimental (field/lab) and modeling based environmental research; environmental engineering education
Leadership
Graduate Program Director, Civil Engineering, UDC, 2022-25 Member, Faculty Senate, UDC, 2023-25 Visiting Assistant Professor and Adjunct Professor/Scientist, George Washington University, 2013-14 Graduate Research Assistant and Post-Doctoral Research Associate, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 2011-12
Impact
Selected Publications
Bolen, T.J.; Hasan, M.; Conway, T.; Yameogo, D.; Sanchez, P.; Rahman, A. & Azam, H. (2022). Feasibility assessment of biogas production from the anaerobic co-digestion of cheese whey, grease interceptor waste and pulped food waste for WRRF. Energy, 254, 124144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2022.124144.
Deksissa, T., Trobman, H., Zendehdel, K., & Azam, H. (2021). Integrating urban agriculture and stormwater management in a circular economy to enhance ecosystem services: Connecting the dots. Sustainability, 13(15), 1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/su13158293
Majed, N., Real, M., Redwan, A., & Azam, H. (2021). How dynamic is the heavy metals pollution in the Buriganga River of Bangladesh? A spatiotemporal assessment based on environmental indices, International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 19.https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-021-03434-8
Kwon, M. J., Hwang, Y., Lee, J., Ham B., Rahman, A., Azam, H., & Yang, J.S. (2021). Waste nutrient solutions from full-scale open hydroponic cultivation: Dynamics of effluent quality and removal of nitrogen & phosphorus using a pilot-scale sequencing batch reactor. Journal of Environmental Management, 281.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111893
Gamwo, I. K., Azam, H., & Baled, H. O. (2022), Produced water treatment technologies: An overview. In O.I. Ogunsola & I.K. Gamwo (Eds.), Solid–liquid separation technologies: Applications for produced water. CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003091011-1
Selected Grants
D.C. Water. (2022). Implementation of partial denitrification anammox (PdNA) technology utilizing fermentate as a carbon source at DC Water’s Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater treatment plant.
United States Department of Agriculture. (2023). Next generation materials to optimize both methane (CH4) and hydrogen (H2) production economically from agricultural waste, energy crops, and food waste.
National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2022). MIRO Center for advanced manufacturing in space technology and applied research extension proposal [Aquaponics with ethylene scavengers to support human life off Earth & Synergistic roles of recoverable in-situ materials to support human life off Earth],
National Science Foundation. (2022). Integrating water-energy-food-climate nexus into undergraduate engineering and science education.
National Science Foundation. (2022). Game theory based climate change impact analysis for the protection of critical infrastructure systems.
Recognitions
Nominee, Best Teaching Award, UDC, 2023 Best Collaborator Award, UDC, 2024
Invited Participations
Azam, H. (2022). Sustainable wastewater treatment: Resources recovery as methane and struvite from next generation anaerobic digestion systems.Michigan Technological University, Virtual.
Azam, H. (2022).Sustainable wastewater treatment: Resources recovery as methane and struvite from next generation anaerobic digestion systems.Maryland Society of Professional Engineers, Virtual.
Azam, H., Conway, T., Real, I., Bolen, T., Panayiotou, T., Weeks, A., Horai, E., Tah, T., & Cleary, J. (2018). Optimization of chemical, physical and biological treatment of leachate through laboratory bench scale treatability studies. Water Environment Federation Technical and Exhibition Conference, New Orleans, Louisiana.
Azam, H. (2018). Sustainable wastewater treatment: Applications of innovative techniques, process control strategies, and analytical tools. American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists NYWEA Annual Conference, New York, New York.
Azam, H. (2016). Environment-engineering perspective with specific focus on treatment.International Conference on Business and Applied Sciences Academy of North America, New York, New York.
Kannan, A., Gerlak, S., Carbonaro, R., & Azam, H. (n.d.) Precipitation, inhibition, and dissolution characteristics of struvite in wastewater systems: Experimental and modeling studies. NYWEA Annual Conference.
