University of Illinois CEE alumnus and award-winning environmental engineer and educator Mackenzie "Mack" Davis (BS '64, MS '65, PhD '68) passed away on July 13, 2025.
Born August 13, 1941, in Brooklyn, NY, Davis attended Virginia Military Institute for two years before joining the Army ROTC program at University of Illinois, earning his BS, MS, and PhD from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering. His MS thesis focused on the "Fate of Zinc in a Small Stream" and PhD thesis, “Modeling Urban Atmospheric Temperature Profiles” was completed with Professor Richard Engelbrecht serving as his advisor. While at Illinois, he also met and married Elaine, his beloved wife of 63 years.
Davis went on to become a Captain in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps and conducted air pollution surveys at Army ammunition plants. He then spent several years as Branch Chief for the U.S. Army Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL) in Illinois.
However, his passion was for teaching, and in 1973 Davis (Dr. D, to his students) accepted a position as an environmental engineering professor at Michigan State University. He worked relentlessly to support his students, including coaching the Concrete Canoe team and advising the AWMA Student Chapter. Over the next three decades, Davis taught and conducted research in air pollution control, hazardous waste management, and water and wastewater engineering, retiring in 2003.
In addition to his academic work, Davis served on assignment with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Solid Waste, where he conducted technology assessments related to land disposal restrictions under the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments. His service bridged research and practice with significant national impact.
Davis received numerous accolades throughout his career, including the Lyman A. Ripperton Award from the Air & Waste Management Association, the Educational Professional of the Year award from the Michigan Water Environment Association, and several teaching awards from MSU, ASCE, ASEE, Chi Epsilon, and others. He was elected as a Diplomate of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and a Fellow of the Air & Waste Management Association.
His contributions to environmental engineering education are enduring. He authored Water and Wastewater Engineering: Design Principles and Practice and co-authored Introduction to Environmental Engineering (with David Cornwell) and Principles of Environmental Engineering and Science (with Susan Masten). These texts continue to guide students and practitioners, continuing his legacy around the world.
A full obituary can be read here.