Rate My Professor James Jensen

James N. Jensen is a professor in the Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering at the University at Buffalo School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, where he has served on the faculty since 1988. Specializing in environmental engineering, his academic journey includes a BS in Engineering and Applied Sciences from the California Institute of Technology in 1980, an MSPH in Environmental Science and Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1983, and a PhD in the same field from the same institution in 1988. Jensen chaired the Department of Engineering Education from January 2023 until Adrienne Decker was named interim chair effective January 2026. His research examines wastewater treatment, measurement and monitoring of pollutants, public water systems, drinking-water treatment, and the fundamental chemistry and application of chemical oxidants in natural and engineered systems. Supported by funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, industry, and utilities, his projects have addressed pharmaceuticals in wastewater, porous ceramic water filters, and sanitation in low-resource environments.

Jensen's influential publications include the highly cited paper 'Removal of antibiotics in wastewater: effect of hydraulic and solid retention times on the fate of tetracycline in the activated sludge process' (Environmental Science & Technology, 2005), as well as studies on tetracycline-resistant bacteria in activated sludge (Chemosphere, 2007), ultraviolet disinfection of fecal coliform (Water Environment Research, 2006), and disinfection models (Environmental Science & Technology, 2010). He has authored textbooks such as 'A Problem-Solving Approach to Aquatic Chemistry,' 'A User's Guide to Engineering,' and 'Engineering Case Studies.' For his teaching and service, he received the 2013 President Emeritus and Mrs. Martin Meyerson Award for Distinguished Undergraduate Teaching and Mentoring, the 2013 New York Water Environmental Association Kenneth Allen Memorial Award, the 2013 Distinguished Service Award from Science Exploration Day, the 2009 Engineer Educator of the Year from the Erie-Niagara Chapter of the New York State Society of Professional Engineers, and shared the 2022 inaugural UB Academic Integrity faculty award. He teaches courses including Environmental Engineering Fundamentals, Treatment Process Engineering, and Chemical Principles in Environmental Engineering.