Two Professors of Practise appointed to the field of water engineering
Elin Lavonen, PhD, has been appointed Professor of Practice from 1 May 2023 to 30 April 2028. Ilkka Miettinen, DSc, will begin his five-year term on 1 June 2023. Both professorships are in the field of Clean Water Technologies.
At the same time, Elin Lavonen continues to work as a water specialist and sales and marketing manager at BioCell Analytica AB in Uppsala, where she has worked since 2021. Previously, she has worked in expert tasks related to drinking water and water engineering at Veolia Water Technologies, Norrvatten and Stockholm Vatten och Avfall, responsible for water and waste management in Stockholm.
Lavonen defended her doctoral thesis at the Swedish University for Agricultural Sciences (SLU) in 2015 in the field of environmental assessment. Her research topics include natural organic matter, effect-based methods and novel drinking water treatment technologies.
Contact information
Elin Lavonen
elin.lavonen@aalto.fi (from 1.5.2023)
elin.lavonen@biocellanalytica.se
Ilkka Miettinen continues his main job as a Chief Researcher at the National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), where he has worked in various assignments since the 1990s. His special field of interest is microbiological water research. Miettinen is an expert in water epidemics, water microbiology and domestic water production.
Miettinen has been a Docent in environmental microbiology and drinking water treatment at the University of Eastern Finland since 2003. He defended his doctorate in environmental sciences at the former University of Kuopio in 1999.
Contact information
Ilkka Miettinen
ilkka.miettinen@thl.fi
ilkka.miettinen@aalto.fi (from 1.6.2023)
‘Clean water and the reliability of water supply are a critical factor for human well-being. In Finland, we are used to taking it for granted, but we need research and instruction to ensure that our world-renowned water expertise remains at a high level. New experts are constantly needed in the field,’ says Riku Vahala, Professor of Water and Wastewater Engineering.
The professorships have been donated by Erkki Paasikivi foundation, which supports Finnish research and education projects in clean domestic water and building services engineering, as well as related national and international co-operation.
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