TRS caught up with Emily Crownover recently to talk about the company’s Research & Development program and what she enjoys most about working with clients.
Position: Managing Principal Engineer
Location: St. Charles, Missouri
TRS Employee-Owner Year Started: 2014
Specialties: Research & Development, PFAS, Emerging Contaminants, System Optimization, Bioremediation
Education: Ph.D. in Bioengineering from the University of Washington in Seattle
TRS Group: What single thing have you been most proud of during your time at TRS?
Emily Crownover: Further building and developing the Engineering and Research & Development groups at TRS. I started here in 2014, and it’s been a very positive experience helping these groups and the company grow.
TRS Group: So, has a lot changed in your time at TRS?
Emily: Definitely, particularly in our R&D program. We have continued to advance research at TRS and are now actively participating in three ESTCP projects, implementing PFAS soil and water treatment focused field demonstrations with Department of Defense support.
TRS Group: What is the most satisfying aspect of your job?
Emily: Helping clients solve problems cost effectively. I like helping clients identify feasible solutions. It’s not just, this will work, but this will work within a budget and project constraints.
TRS Group: Can you think of a project that was particularly satisfying because there was a challenge that you were able to help a client work through?
Emily: I think that’s probably every project because each has new and interesting challenges to overcome. But that makes every project exciting.
For example, at a site TRS remediated on a college campus, we heated around multiple utilities that serviced the university. We designed a system that heated around the utilities without damaging them. We heated near fiberoptics, high voltage, sewer, water, and gas utilities without compromising their integrity.
Every project has multiple examples of challenges like that.
TRS Group: What attracted you to the environmental remediation field?
Emily: I like the fast pace of it. As new technologies are developed, we’re able to implement them quickly. PFAS thermal remediation is a great example of how TRS initially evaluated the concept in the lab, patented the process, and ultimately brought it to the field with our research partners, through Department of Defense funding.
TRS Group: How did you get involved in research?
Emily: I first started performing research as an undergraduate, participating in a summer research program at Georgia Tech and Emory University. I loved it. I had a great mentor and thoroughly enjoyed the research process, designing experiments, analyzing data, and drawing conclusions from the results. This experience made me excited to subsequently pursue my doctorate in engineering.
TRS Group: What is it like leading the research program at TRS?
Emily: It has been a great experience influencing the direction of research projects and further advancing technologies. I get to work with numerous hard-working and intelligent people who are passionate about their work. It is a lot of fun to be part of this group.
