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Ali Ling

Assistant Professor

Civil Engineering

  • Education
  • PhD, Civil Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder
    MS, Civil Engineering, University of Colorado at Boulder
    BCE, Civil Engineering, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities
  • Expertise
  • Water treatment, wastewater treatment, PFAS, microbial ecology, advanced oxidation

  • Research Interests
  • Engineered circularity, PFAS treatment and source reduction, microbial ecology of engineered systems, techno-economic analyses of developing technologies

Dr. Ali Ling's career has focused on using basic science concepts from environmental chemistry and microbiology to solve engineering problems. Her previous research leveraged microbial ecology tools to understand the built environment, including indoor air and wastewater collection and water distribution systems. During nine years in consulting, Ali addressed developed water and wastewater treatment solutions for clients across municipal, mining, and manufacturing sectors. She also served as a subject matter expert for regulatory reports, including a recent report on the costs of removing PFAS (“forever chemicals”) from wastewater effluent. 

Ali has shared insights about environmental issues across multiple media, including textbooks, podcasts, and public speaking engagements. She is a registered professional engineer in Minnesota and a member of the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and the American Water Works Association (AWWA). 

Courses taught at St. Thomas:

  • ENG 100:  Intro to Engineering Design
  • ENG 467:  Water Resources Engineering
  • ENG 468:  Environmental Engineering
  • ENG 488:  Water and Wastewater Treatment

Alison Ling and John Tillotson. 2021. How DNA sequencing can aid integrated microbiome management in water systems. The Analyst Technology Supplement. Association of Water Technologies. Fall 2021. 42-50.

Alison Ling, Julie Korak, and Anna Schleip. 2018. Lead and Copper Corrosion in Distribution Systems: Current Understanding and Outlook. Breeze Magazine. Minnesota Chapter of the American Water Works Association. Summer 2018 174:22-23.

Alejandro Caicedo-Ramirez, Alison L. Ling, and Mark T. Hernandez. 2016. Diffusion susceptibility demonstrates relative inhibition potential of sorbent-immobilized heavy metals against sulfur oxidizing acidophiles. J Microbiol Methods.131:42-44. doi: 10.1016/j.mimet.2016.09.024.

Alison L. Ling, Charles E. Robertson, J. Kirk Harris, Daniel N. Frank, Cassandra V. Kotter, Mark J. Stevens, Norman R. Pace and Mark T. Hernandez. 2015. High-resolution bacterial community succession in microbially induced concrete corrosion in a working sanitary manhole. PLoS One. 10(3):e0116400. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0116400.

Alison L. Ling, Charles E. Robertson, J. Kirk Harris, Daniel N. Frank, Cassandra V. Kotter, Mark J. Stevens, Norman R. Pace and Mark T. Hernandez. 2014. Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen Sulfide Associations with Regional Bacterial Diversity Patterns in Microbially Induced Concrete Corrosion. Environ Sci Technol. 2014 Jul 1;48(13):7357-64. doi: 10.1021/es500763e.

Alison L. Ling, Mark T. Hernandez, Norman R. Pace, and Timothy M. LaPara. 2013. Tetracycline Resistance and Class 1 Integron Genes Associated with Indoor and Outdoor Aerosols. Env. Sci. Technol. 79(9): 4046-4052.

Deng, Qian, Xinyang Li, Jian-E Zuo, Alison Ling, and Bruce E. Logan. 2010. Power generation using an activated carbon fiber felt (ACFF) cathode in an upflow microbial fuel cell. J. Power Sources. 195(4): 1130-1135.

Alison Ling and Mark Hernandez. Delivery of Heavy Metals for the Inhibition of Microbially Induced Concrete Corrosion. United States Provisional Patent. Filed 11/11/2013. Serial Number 61/902,673.