Expert Bio

As WPI’s Director of Sustainability and a professor of environmental engineering, Paul Mathisen studies and works to promote sustainability, especially in the areas of water, energy, transportation, and waste management. His research focuses on climate adaptation, protection of water quality, and water resources. He studies the environmental effects of wastewater, stormwater pollution mitigation, urban water infrastructure, flood mitigation, and green infrastructure. He is part of a team at WPI that developed a soft robot, similar to a lizard, that can access areas of buildings that may be impossible or difficult for people to access, behind walls, for example, to make inspections easier and better assess things such as energy loss.

American City & County
The right resources can help agencies reach key sustainability targets

How can municipal governments meet their sustainability goals? Funding is only one part of the equation. Paul Mathisen, Director of Sustainability, and professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, & Architectural Engineering, offers suggestions in this article by American City & County. 

Worcester Magazine
Facing the future: Worcester’s green plan to prepare for climate change

Paul Mathisen, director of sustainability, spoke with Worcester Magazine about the Green Worcester Plan. The goal of the plan is to make the city more energy sustainable and climate resilient. “A sustainable society really needs to be resilient, in that it can make an efficient recovery from the impact of various weather events,” Mathisen told the magazine.

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