Beth Ahner
Professor, Biological and Environmental Engineering
Senior Associate Dean, Office of the Senior Associate Deans

Beth Ahner is a Professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering and is currently serving as a Senior Associate Dean in CALS. Her professional objectives have been to explore basic science in pursuit of better engineering solutions. In particular, she seeks to understand how organisms adapt to trace metal stress in the environment and in turn, how they influence the form of metals in the environment. Discoveries in this area lead to better strategies to remediate metal contamination in the environment and to a better understanding of natural ecosystems.
Education
- Doctorate
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1994 - Bachelor of Science
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
1989
Recent Research
Professor Ahner’s research in environmental biotechnology explores how plants solubilize, take up, detoxify, and sequester metals. Her lab group focuses on questions involving intracellular detoxification mechanisms and how biological processes affect the biogeochemical cycling of metals in both the natural environment and in engineered systems. One application of this research is phytoremediation, the use of plants to remove metals from contaminated soils.
Courses Taught
Professor Ahner teaches students to recognize the complexity of environmental problems and to implement efficient and environmentally sound solutions to them. At the undergraduate level, she focuses on introductory modeling, and at the graduate level, she focuses on current research in bioremediation. Her recent courses include BEE 2510 Engineering for a Sustainable Society.
Contact Information
220 Riley-Robb Hall
Ithaca, NY 14853
baa7 [at] cornell.edu
Beth in the news
News
“CALS is in a unique position to help the world navigate global challenges, leveraging our commitment to purpose-driven science and impact for the 21st century, the solutions century,” Houlton said. “We are delighted to have Esther Angert join...
- Biological and Environmental Engineering
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
- Fish

News
The grant, awarded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture on Sept. 1 and co-led by the University of Arkansas, is among the largest grants ever awarded by the USDA, and dovetails with Cornell’s land-grant missions of research...
- Animal Science
- Animals
- Environment