Timothy G. Townsend

Timothy G. Townsend
Ph.D.
EducationB.S. (Dec 1989), M.E. (Aug 1992), Ph.D. (May 1995), all in Environmental Engineering Sciences, University of Florida
Known forLandfill design and bioreactor technology, construction and demolition (C&D) recycling, waste-to-energy ash, PFAS fate in waste streams
Scientific career
FieldsEnvironmental engineering, solid and hazardous waste management
WorkplacesUniversity of Florida

Timothy G. Townsend is an American environmental engineer and professor in the University of Florida's Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences. His research focuses on solid waste and sustainable materials management, recycling, landfills, and hazardous waste.[1][2]

Education and career

Townsend earned his B.S. (December 1989), M.E. (August 1992), and Ph.D. (May 1995) in Environmental Engineering Sciences from the University of Florida.[3] He joined the UF faculty in 1995 and holds the endowed Jones Edmunds Professorship in Environmental Engineering Sciences. He is a licensed Professional Engineer in Florida.[4] In 2022, he was appointed Executive Director of the Florida's Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management.[5] In 2025, he was awarded the title of Distinguished Professor by UF. [6][7]

Research contributions

Townsend’s early research focused on exploring approaches for more sustainable design and operation of municipal waste landfills and he has co-authored several books on the topic.[8][9] He coupled this work with an examination of the environmental impacts of electronic waste, the results of which were relied upon by the US Environmental Protection Agency in federal rulemaking.[10] His work on construction waste and demolition waste, including disaster debris, investigated both environmental challenges of this materials stream along with recycling opportunities.[11][12] Over the past decade Townsend’s research has concentrated on the beneficial use of large volume waste materials[13][14] and the challenge of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).[15][16]

Awards and recognition

In 2011 he was selected to give the Air and Waste Management Association Critical Review.[17] In 2015 Townsend was inducted into the Construction and Demolition Recycling Association’s Hall of Fame.[18] In 2021 he was presented the Richard I. Stessel Waste Management Award by the Air and Waste Management Association.[19] In 2026 he was appointed to the Scientific Advisory Board of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.[20]

References

  1. ↑ "Timothy Townsend PhD, PE". SWANA Website. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  2. ↑ "What America can learn from Miami's trash nightmare". Washington Post. 2025-01-28. Archived from the original on 2025-01-30. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  3. ↑ "People". Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & Environment. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  4. ↑ "DBPR - TOWNSEND, TIMOTHY GLYNDON, Professional Engineer". www.myfloridalicense.com. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  5. ↑ "Meet Our Staff – Hinkley Center for Solid and Hazardous Waste Management". Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  6. ↑ "Distinguished Professors/Curators". University of Florida Faculty Online Resource and Administration. Retrieved 2026-05-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  7. ↑ "Beyond Recycling: The Science Supporting a Path to Sustainable Materials Management - Distinguished Professor Lecture, Timothy Townsend". University of Florida Mediasite. Retrieved 2026-05-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ↑ Reinhart, Debra R.; Townsend, Timothy G. (1997-10-23). Landfill Bioreactor Design & Operation. CRC Press. ISBN 9781566702591.
  9. ↑ Townsend, Timothy G.; Powell, Jon; Jain, Pradeep; Xu, Qiyong; Tolaymat, Thabet; Reinhart, Debra (2015). Sustainable Practices for Landfill Design and Operation. doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-2662-6. ISBN 978-1-4939-2661-9.
  10. ↑ Mooallem, Jon (2008-01-13). "The Afterlife of Cellphones". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  11. ↑ Phillips, Anna; Blakemore, Erin; Joselow, Maxine; Kaplan, Sarah; Ducroquet, Simon; Mount, Bonnie Jo; Hulley-Jones, Frank; Wright, Emily (2022-11-25). "Hurricane Ian left mountains of debris. Clearing it will take months". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  12. ↑ Townsend, Timothy G.; Anshassi, Malak (2023). "Construction and Demolition Debris". Waste Management Principles and Practice. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-25013-2. ISBN 978-3-031-25012-5. ISSN 2626-6768.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: periodical has ISBN (link)
  13. ↑ "Pasco County gets nation's first permit to build roads from trash ash". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  14. ↑ "Florida eyes plan to use radioactive mining waste in roads". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  15. ↑ Udasin, Sharon (2024-06-26). "Garbage dumps may be 'burping' toxic 'forever chemicals': Study". The Hill. Archived from the original on 2024-06-27. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  16. ↑ Kluger, Jeffrey (2023-03-02). "Now We Need to Worry About Harmful 'Forever Chemicals' in Our Toilet Paper Too". TIME. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  17. ↑ Townsend, Timothy G. (2011-06-01). "Environmental Issues and Management Strategies for Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment". Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association. 61 (6): 587–610. Bibcode:2011JAWMA..61..587T. doi:10.3155/1047-3289.61.6.587. ISSN 1096-2247. PMID 21751577.
  18. ↑ "Awards & Recognition – CDRA". Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  19. ↑ "A&WMA - Richard I. Stessel Waste Management Award". www.awma.org. Retrieved 2025-07-18.
  20. ↑ "Administrator Zeldin Announces Selection of Members to the Science Advisory Board". United States Environmental Protection Agency. 2026-04-17. Retrieved 2026-05-03.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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