P.K. Andy Hong received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and both Masters and Doctorate in Environmental Engineering Science, all from the California Institute of Technology.  Dr. Hong joined the faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Utah in 1987 as an assistant professor and rose to the present rank of Professor.  He is a registered professional engineer (P.E., Utah) and a board certified environmental engineer (BCEE) in environmental sustainability.

Dr. Hong has been teaching engineering classes and conducting environmental engineering research throughout his tenure at the University. In his academic career, he spent a year at the Army Corps of Engineers Waterway Experiment Station, Vicksburg, MS where he conducted site remediation research projects through an Intergovernmental Personnel Agreement, and another sabbatical year at National Taiwan University where he has been a visiting professor since 2007. The University of Utah John Parker Teaching Fellowship award in Fall 2007 enabled him to pursue international collaboration for sustainable economic development. Dr. Hong is scientific advisor to the UTIER research organization based in China. He advised on several site remediation and technology demonstration projects in China and Taiwan.

 Dr. Hong’s research interest includes treatment processes for contaminated waters, soil/sediment, and hazardous chemicals, for which four US patents have been issued. Dr. Hong is currently working on clean technology for developing oil sands, on rupturing of biomass that includes algae and activated sludge for renewable energy.  He has invented the treatment of produced water and flow-back water from the oil and gas industry using expanding microbubble technologies. These works have resulted in an additional five other patents being prosecuted at various stages. Dr. Hong has authored over 60 journal papers and book chapters along with 110 conference presentations and seminars. He has graduated 7 Ph.D. students.