March 08, 2024

Mizzou Engineering’s Feng “Frank” Xiao has been recognized with an Excellence in Review Award from Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T), the premier journal in environmental engineering and science.

The award recognizes scientists who perform peer review for ES&T in their area of expertise to a consistently high standard, in a timely fashion and on a frequent basis throughout the year. From a pool of 7350 reviewers, 54 individuals (0.73%) have been recognized with the Excellence in Review Award.

Honorees were featured on the cover of the journal’s March 2024 issue.

“Receiving this award is an honor among mid-career faculty, acknowledging their service to the ES&T community,” said Xiao, an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering. “It is a privilege to be part of the peer review process, contributing to the high standards of ES&T. I am grateful to the editors for recognizing my contributions.”

Peer review is the foundation of scientific research, ensuring work is credible and reliable before entering the public domain.

Xiao is an expert in pre- and polyfluoroalkyls (PFAS), chemicals used in food and product packaging that linger in the environment, causing health problems. Xiao has demonstrated innovative ways to break PFAS down using extreme heat and to remove them from drinking water using special filtering.

He’s received both a National Science Foundation CAREER Award and an Environmental Protection Agency STAR Early Career Award for his work. Last year, he was selected as the 2023 Emerging Investigator from the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP).