Marc Edwards (professor)

Marc Edwards
Edwards testifying during the Flint water crisis hearing, March 2016
Born1964 (age 59–60)
NationalityAmerican
EducationState University of New York at Buffalo (B.S.)
University of Washington (M.S., Ph.D.)
Alma materState University of New York at Buffalo
University of Washington
OccupationProfessor
EmployerVirginia Tech
Known forWater-supply safety and engineering
TitleCharles P. Lunsford Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
TermAugust 23, 2004–present
PredecessorClifford Randall
Board member ofAssociation of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (president, 2001–2005)
Children2
AwardsMacArthur Fellow, 2007
Outstanding Faculty Award, 2007
Praxis Award in Professional Ethics, 2010

Marc Edwards (born 1964) is a civil engineering/environmental engineer and the Charles Edward Via Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech.[1] An expert on water treatment and corrosion, Edwards's research on elevated lead levels in Washington, DC's municipal water supply gained national attention, changed the city's recommendations on water use in homes with lead service pipes, and caused the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to admit to publishing a report so rife with errors that a congressional investigation called it "scientifically indefensible." He is considered one of the world's leading experts in water corrosion in home plumbing,[2] and a nationally recognized expert on copper corrosion.[3] He is also one of the whistleblowers in the Flint water crisis, along with Dr. Mona Hanna-Attisha.

Edwards was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2007.[4] The program cited him for "playing a vital role in ensuring the safety of drinking water and in exposing deteriorating water-delivery infrastructure in America’s largest cities."[4] In 2004, Time magazine featured him as one of the United States' most innovative scientists.[5]

  1. ^ "Welcome to the homepage of Marc Edwards". Faculty. Blacksburg, VA: Virginia Tech. May 19, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference prism was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Pinhole Leaks in Copper Pipes". Research. Laurel, MD: Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission. Archived from the original on May 20, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Marc Edwards". MacArthur Fellows 2007. Chicago: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. September 2007. Archived from the original on October 27, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2011.
  5. ^ August, Melissa (April 12, 2004). "The Plumbing Professor: getting the lead out". Time. New York. Archived from the original on April 8, 2004. Retrieved June 15, 2011.