Donald Mavinic

BASc' 69, MASc' 70, PhD' 73

Professor Emeritus in UBC’s Department of Civil Engineering since 2018, Don is an internationally recognized expert in wastewater treatment. In 2019, he was appointed to the Order of Canada – one of the country’s highest honours – for his work to develop a system that transforms harmful phosphates from municipal wastewater into a clean, continuous-release fertilizer. 

Since joining the Faculty of Applied Science in 1973, Don has led numerous advances in the field of wastewater treatment, mentored 30 PhD’s and over 180 MASc’s and worked as a consultant to over 80 government agencies and engineering firms worldwide. Don has also served on the boards of numerous private and public companies and federal agencies. A constant champion of his fellow faculty members and students at UBC, Don has served as Associate Dean for both the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Faculty of Applied Science.

Don has received many awards for his exceptional work, including the Manning Innovation Award for his development of a phosphorus recovery system that turns wastewater into an eco-friendly fertilizer. This transformed a costly problem into a valuable product while addressing a major environmental concern of our time.