Skip to Main Content

New ABE professors water safety research assumes prominent role during pandemic

Starting in a new position during the middle of a pandemic is challenging. For Caitlin Proctor, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering (ABE) and environmental and ecological engineering, it was also in keeping with an already tumultuous year.   

Proctor began in her position this semester, after two years as the Lillian Gilbreth Postdoctoral Fellow in the College of Engineering. During her fellowship, Proctor researched drinking water and the ecological and biological interactions that affect its safety.     

“I have been working in water safety for a while,” Proctor said. “I found this niche early on in my career. It’s not just a matter of science; water safety is also about understanding infrastructure, codes and policies.”   

Proctor collects water samples as part of her research.
Proctor collects water samples as part of her research.

Proctor’s work, which focuses chiefly on water quality within buildings, became especially relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic, as buildings and their water systems stood dormant for months at a time. “When water sits still in the pipes for long periods of time it creates a perfect environment for bacteria to grow and metals to get into the water,” she explained.   

Over the past year, Proctor worked with other Purdue researchers on a National Science Foundation (NSF) funded study exploring what happens to a building’s plumbing ecosystem when it shuts down for long periods. The study, published in the American Water Works Association Water Science journal, garnered significant press coverage, including from The New York Times.   

Proctor is now engaged in regional work regarding water safety that involves issuing guidance and best practices for when buildings reopen to the public and employees. Proctor said the work would continue even as she begins in her new faculty position.  

“Traveling during a pandemic can be complicated,” Proctor added. “But teaching during a pandemic, that’s a whole new kind of adventure.”   

Featured Stories

Researchers with a spectroscopy
Light-based tool continuously monitors vaccine quality during production

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated the need to rapidly develop, produce and...

Read More
Members of the Purdue Student Farm holding the TEAM Award.
Purdue Student Farm wins 2025 TEAM Award

The Purdue Student Farm (PSF), a small-scale sustainable farm managed by the Department of...

Read More
Ellen Van Loo standing in front of the entrance to the Boilermaker Market.
New professor brings expertise in consumer food behavior research

Ellen Van Loo, an expert in the field of consumer food behavior, has joined Purdue...

Read More
rows of corn growing
Cultivating industry partnerships in agriculture: Plant breeding, Beck’s Hybrids and The Data Mine

After decades of recording detailed information about different varieties of crops, their traits...

Read More
Tyler Hoskins collects zebrafish from wetlands near Purdue.
Working together to mitigate forever chemicals

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are a group of chemicals used to make consumer...

Read More
Steve Lindemann wearing lab coat in a lab
Researchers explore connections between human and animal health

Steve Lindemann, associate professor of food science and head of the Diet-Microbiome Interactions...

Read More
To Top