1934–2024
Longtime professor helped shape Iowa’s environmental engineering program
A longtime College of Engineering professor who helped expand Iowa’s civil engineering program to include a modern environmental engineering track has died at 90.
Wayne L. Paulson, born September 5, 1934, in La Crosse, Wisconsin, is remembered as a beloved environmental engineer, devout Lutheran, and family man. He passed away on September 29, 2024.
After graduating from high school, he would serve in the U.S. Navy and earn degrees in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Coming to Iowa to teach and for doctoral studies in environmental studies (64PHD), Paulson would embark on a near-40-year career, leaving a lasting impact on the college.
Iowa’s reputation as a leader in environmental engineering research grew, heavily influenced by Paulson and his focus areas of water quality, wastewater treatment, and hazardous waste management. His research in fine pore aeration systems for the activated sludge process helped revolutionize the energy efficiency of wastewater treatment plants.
Paulson is also remembered fondly as a compassionate mentor who cared deeply about the personal and professional growth of those around him. He would work with more than 1,500 undergraduates and 400 graduate students while at Iowa. He believed in hands-on learning, field experiences, connecting academics and real-world applications, and getting to know his students.
“Paulson worked tirelessly as an inventive educator and matchmaker between veteran college alumni and aspiring engineering students embarking on their careers,” reads the introduction for his Legacy of Iowa Engineering induction in 2008. “He helped develop the undergraduate option in environmental engineering and used his vast network of graduates and colleagues to engage students in countless field trips throughout the Midwest.”
Passions for students, education, and the environment live on today through the Wayne L. Paulson Scholarship. It is awarded to a civil and environmental engineering student with an interest in environmental studies and in pursuing a career in the environmental engineering profession.
After retiring, Paulson and his wife, Nancy, whom he married in 1957, returned to live in Wisconsin and enjoyed nature, family, and travel.
Paulson is survived by Nancy; his three children, Andrew (Dawn), Jeanette (Gayle), and Ellen (Erik); eight grandchildren, Julie, Ben, Jack, Kate, Srivalli, Sitara, Luke, and Anna; and five great-grandchildren.