Scovazzo
When Paul Scovazzo joined the University of Mississippi School of Engineering faculty in January 2003, he wanted an opportunity to focus on teaching.
“I wanted my teaching to be as important as the research,” said the associate professor of chemical engineering. “Knowing that I am helping train engineers and, hopefully, good citizens is most rewarding.”
Scovazzo teaches several courses, including general engineering Thermodynamics, Honors Thermodynamics, Environmental Organic Chemical Transport, Energy Balances, Separation Science, Introduction to Chemical Engineering and Technical/Oral Communications. His excellence in teaching has yielded him an Outstanding Engineering Faculty Member of the Year award.
“I’ll admit I am proud to have received that recognition, which came from a consensus of Ole Miss alumni, faculty and students,” he said. “I hope I am teaching people how to think like an engineer. This award said my hope is not in vain.”
Besides his duties as an instructor and researcher, Scovazzo was appointed acting chair of chemical engineering for spring 2013, a member of the advisory board for UM’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and to various undergraduate curriculum committees, including the development of the chemical engineering emphases.
Scovazzo earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He received his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from Pennsylvania State University, with additional studies in environmental engineering.
Other institutions of higher education he attended include Notre Dame Institute in Arlington, Va., and Eastern Connecticut State University, along with a sabbatical at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal.
“I do have a sense of achievement in being granted a Professional Engineering license and the successful completion of engineering projects that have returned polluted land to beneficial use, supported the advancement of space science and advanced membrane sciences,” Scovazzo said.
“My primary interest and expertise are transport phenomena, separation, membrane technologies and room-temperature ionic liquids. I have worked on numerous projects for the energy, manufacturing and government sectors with applications in the fields of biotechnology, microgravity, environmental systems, environmental engineering and advanced life support systems.”
Scovazzo’s current research projects are in magnetic surfactants, membrane systems for air conditioning systems (patent pending), membranes for dehumidification of biomethane, membranes for carbon (dioxide) capture, biofilm control via signal delivery and open cycle coolers for humanitarian missions.
Scovazzo has been a welcome addition to the Department of Chemical Engineering.
“Paul has taken on some hard jobs for the department,” said Clint Williford, chair and professor of chemical engineering. “He served as interim chair and worked through establishing emphasis areas. Recently, he chaired our faculty search committee.
“Due to his diligence and judgment, the candidate pool was exceptionally strong and will contribute to reinvigorating our faculty.”
Before entering academia, Scovazzo worked as manager of engineering services at WAPORA/Kemron Environmental Services in McLean, Virginia. In this role, he was the program, project and technical manager/engineer on multimillion-dollar, multidisciplinary environmental remediation projects. Scovazzo routinely modeled chemical transport in the environment, designed and implemented chemical separation and treatment systems and served as a point of contact for vice presidents of Fortune 200 companies and government agencies for WAPORA/Kemron.
“My highest profile projects have been the environmental assessment of Camden Yards to clear its redevelopment into a ball park in Port Covington,” he said. “In space technologies, I served on hardware research and development in multidisciplinary research teams working on advanced life support for spacecraft. We developed processes for microgravity plant growth, including a membrane condenser, microgravity irrigation, atmospheric treatment and environmental controls used on space shuttle missions STS-77, STS-83 and STS-94.”
A chemical engineer for Radian Corp. in McLean, Virginia., Scovazzo studied the process streams and waste production of the wood preserving industry for support of environmental/human health impact assessments and regulations. At Tetra-Tech NUS in Gaithersburg, Maryland., he was a senior engineer for a DOD Site Remediation Project involving groundwater natural attenuation.
A native of Scranton, Pennsylvania., Scovazzo’s leisure interests include backpacking, canoeing, outdoor activities, travel and studies in philosophy.