Dr. Leigh Terry
Associate Professor
Contact
- 1108 Bevill
- phone (205) 348-1580
- fax (205) 348-0783
Research Areas
Education
- Ph.D., Environmental Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, 2017
- M.S., Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, 2013
- B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Alabama, 2012
Dr. Leigh Terry is an assistant professor in the civil, construction, and environmental engineering department at The University of Alabama.
Her current research areas focus on water quality and include biological filtration, disinfection by-product formation, organic matter characterization, trace constituents in drinking water sources such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products, life cycle assessment of sustainable drinking water treatment plants, environmentally-friendly deicing alternatives, storm water run-off, and STEM education for women and underrepresented minorities.
At UA, Terry teaches Introduction to Environmental Engineering, Environmental Engineering Microbiology, Biological Treatment Processes, and Analytical Methods in Environmental Engineering. She is an active member of the Alabama Water Institute, the Alabama Transportation Institute, and the Center for Water Quality Research.
Terry completed her bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at The University of Alabama and completed her master’s and doctorate in the department of environmental engineering at the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Affiliated Areas
Center for Water Quality Research, Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering
Selected Publications
- Arekhi M, Terry L, Clement T., 2022. Characterizing the relative efficiency of low-cost LED light sources for conducting laboratory studies to investigate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon photodegradation processes. Environmental Research. Nov 25:114951. doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2022.114951
- Skelton, L., Terry, L*, Amirkhanian, A., 2022 Novel SHRP method showed alternative deicers outperform NaCl brine for certain winter roadway maintenance applications. Journal of Environmental Management, Vol 320, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.115879.
- Arekhi M, Terry L, John G, Clement T., 2021. Environmental fate of petroleum biomarkers in Deepwater Horizon oil spill residues over the past 10 years. Science of The Total Environment. October; 791:148056-. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148056
- Vines, M., Terry, L.*, 2020. Evaluation of the biodegradability of fluorescent dissolved organic matter via biological filtration. AWWA Water Science, e1201. https://doi.org/10.1002/aws2.1201
- Terry, L., Pruisner, P., Peterson, E., Dickenson E., Wang, J., & Summers, R. S., 2019. A Scale-Up Methodology for Biological Filtration Removal of Dissolved Organic Matter. Environmental Engineering Science, 36 (4). DOI :10 1089/ees2018.0316.
Awards and Honors
- Fulbright Specialist Award, Fulbright Scholar Program, 2021
- Engineering Council of Birmingham Educator of the Year, 2022
- College of Engineering Excellence in Undergraduate Education Award, 2022
- EPA Science to Achieve Results Fellowship
- Hazen and Sawyer American Water Works Association Scholarship
Dr. Terry's Impact
With EPA Funding, UA Students to Assess Well Water
A student-led team from The University of Alabama has received a federal award for its research and efforts to help private well owners in Alabama predict and identify the risk of water contamination after flooding.
UA Engineering Faculty Receives Fulbright Award
Dr. Leigh Terry received a Fulbright Specialist Award to exchange knowledge and establish partnerships through educational and training activities within environmental science.
Alabama Water Institute Names First Faculty Fellowship Recipients
The Alabama Water Institute selected three UA faculty members as the inaugural fellows in the AWI Faculty Fellowship Program.