Skip to main content

Heileen Hsu-Kim

Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Box 90287, Durham, NC 27708-0287
118A Hudson Hall, Box 90287, Durham, NC 27708

Overview


Professor Heileen (Helen) Hsu-Kim is an environmental engineer who specializes in environmental aquatic chemistry and geochemistry. Her research tackles problems related to pollutant metals and the biogeochemical processes that alter their distribution in water, soil, and air. The applications of this work include environmental remediation technologies, the impacts of energy production on water resources, global environmental health, and the environmental implications and applications of nanotechnology.

Dr. Hsu-Kim's current research projects are focused on mercury biogeochemistry, the impacts of coal ash disposal on water quality, recovering valuable materials from geological wastes, and health impacts of trace metal/metalloid exposures. A central theme to her work is the utilization of chemical speciation for understanding and predicting the persistence, mobility and bioavailability of metals and minerals in the aquatic environment.

The methodologies her group employs for this research include laboratory techniques for quantifying trace element speciation, functional measures of reactivity and bioavailability of contaminant metals, and techniques to probe interactions at mineral, water and microbial interfaces.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering · 2019 - Present Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering
Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering · 2024 - Present Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering
Professor of Environmental Sciences and Policy · 2024 - Present Environmental Sciences and Policy, Nicholas School of the Environment

Education, Training & Certifications


University of California, Berkeley · 2004 Ph.D.
University of California, Berkeley · 1999 M.S.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology · 1998 B.S.