Lenhart, John
John Lenhart
Biography
John J. Lenhart is a Professor of Environmental Engineering and Associate Chair in the Department of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering. He is also the Co-Director of the Ohio Water Resources Center. He received his Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in 1997. He followed that with a National Research Council postdoctoral fellowship at the United States Geological Survey and a second postdoctoral position at Yale University. He joined the faculty at Ohio State In 2003. His research interests are in environmental aquatic chemistry and he has authored or co-authored more than 100 publications and is the recipient of an NSF CAREER Award.
Expertise
Professor Lenhart's research in environmental aquatic chemistry emphasizes evaluating reactions and processes that involve important natural and engineered interfaces. Such interfacial processes are important to study because of their role in controlling the fate of contaminants. To study these systems, students in Professor Lenhart's group combine careful experimentation with mathematical and theoretical modeling. Current research projects emphasize contaminant interactions in heterogeneous systems, with applications to (1) the fate and treatment of cyanotoxins produced during harmful algal blooms and (2) the recovery of rare earth elements during the treatment of acid mine drainage.