Peter Vanrolleghem is a bio-engineer, with a PhD in Applied Biological Sciences – Environmental Technology in 1994, from Ghent University in Belgium. His PhD dealt with monitoring, modelling and control of activated sludge processes, with special emphasis on model calibration and experimental design. As an associate professor at Ghent University, he initiated in 1997 the BIOMATH research team that by 2006 had grown to 25 researchers focusing on modeling methodologies for bioprocesses, mainly in environmental systems. Since 2006 he holds the Canada Research Chair on Water Quality Modelling, allowing him to start up the modelEAU research group at Université Laval in Quebec City, Canada. This group focuses on modeling, monitoring and control of water systems, using mathematical models to better understand and manage urban wastewater systems. modelEAU has quickly gained momentum with now 2 research assistants, 3 post-docs, 10 PhD students and 5 Master students. These large research teams have helped him develop his publication record of over 300 peer-reviewed papers.

He is very active within IWA – IWA Board, IWA Fellow, member of IWA’s Strategic Council, chairman of its is getting increasingly involved in the Water Environment Federation, where he was recently elected vice-chair of MEGA, the Modelling Expert Group of the Americas.