William Jewell, a researcher who pioneered innovative approaches to waste treatment, renewable energy production and groundwater remediation, died Nov. 5, 2024, in Ithaca. A professor emeritus of biological and environmental engineering, he was 83.
Jewell joined the Cornell faculty in 1973. Throughout his distinguished 35-year career in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Jewell was widely recognized as a visionary leader in the field of environmental engineering. His pioneering work spanned multiple facets of environmental protection, from ecological engineering to waste management systems. His research focused on the biotreatment of toxins, pollution control and the generation of renewable energy through anaerobic methane fermentation.
Todd Walter, a professor in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering who was an undergraduate student of Jewell’s, said Jewell’s work “transformed bench experiments to operational scales,” bridging the gap between laboratory research and practical solutions to address environmental challenges. Jewell demonstrated the applications of his research through Microgen Corp., a company he founded that implemented his waste management systems on hundreds of farms across the U.S. His contributions to national energy efficiency earned him an award from the Department of Energy in 1988.
Jewell was well known for his exceptional leadership, mentorship and genuine care for his students and colleagues. Brian Richards, a senior research associate in the Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering, described Jewell’s unique management style as one that provided “encouragement, not in words alone but via his granting of significant trust and autonomy to explore promising research directions.” This leadership philosophy proved instrumental in fostering groundbreaking research and developing the next generation of environmental engineers.
For Richards, Jewell’s influence unfolded over many years, beginning with his doctoral studies and extending later throughout his decade of work on Jewell’s research team. Richards said Jewell’s mentorship style fostered an academic environment where innovative ideas could flourish. Jewell’s supportive approach reached well beyond his formal advisory relationship with him, Richards said, noting that even in recent years Jewell’s visits to their research field site – where he would walk his beloved dogs – were marked not “by the handshake of a teacher to a former student, but rather by the warm hug of an old friend well-met.”
Prior to his tenure at Cornell, he taught at the University of Texas and the University of Vermont. He received his B.S. from the University of Maine, his M.Eng. from Manhattan College and his Ph.D. from Stanford University and was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of London, Westfield College.
Anahita Verahrami is a leadership communications specialist for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
