Emily M. Elliot

As Professor of Environmental Biogeochemistry at the University of Pittsburgh, I lead an integrated research program through the Pitt Isotope Tracers Lab and in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory . This dual role enables my team to develop cutting-edge isotope methods while ensuring our science informs the infrastructure investments, policy decisions, and management strategies that protect water resources.

My research focuses on understanding reactive nutrient dynamics across atmospheric, terrestrial, and aquatic systems using stable isotope biogeochemistry. We've pioneered methods for tracking pollution sources in urban streams, quantifying atmospheric deposition impacts, and developing sustainable agricultural technologies. Through community-engaged research partnerships built by the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory with water utilities, state agencies, and regional organizations, we aim to translate our research findings into actionable insights.

I have secured over $7 million in competitive research funding (as Lead PI or Sole PI) and mentored graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who have gone on to careers spanning academia, government, and the private sector. My commitment to inclusive mentoring was recognized with the AGU Sulzman Award for Excellence in Education and Mentoring (2018), and I was named a Fellow of the Ecological Society of America (2023).  Beyond traditional academic metrics, I measure success by whether our science reaches decision-makers, supports communities, and trains the next generation of researchers who understand that rigorous science and societal relevance are inseparable.

What drives my work is the conviction that environmental science is most powerful when it addresses real-world needs. Through the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory and my lab's stakeholder partnerships, I work to ensure that sophisticated isotope analysis tackles questions communities and decision-makers are asking, and that evidence reaches the people who can act on it.