Sharon Just

Environmental Engineering

Sharon Just

Professor of the Practice
Email Address
sharon.just@ce.gatech.edu
Telephone
404-229-3502
Office Building
Ford Environmental Science & Technology (ES&T) Building
Office Room Number
3218
Biography

Sharon Just, P.E., F.ASCE, is an environmental engineer/entrepreneur with over 30 years of broad consulting experience who joined the faculty at Georgia Tech in December 2022.  She received her undergraduate Civil Engineering degree from Georgia Tech (with highest honor) in 1989, and received her graduate M.S. degree in Environmental Engineering and Science from Stanford University (with distinction) via a GRA with Dr. Perry McCarty in 1990. She completed a senate intern program for Senator Sam Nunn in Washington D.C., and then returned to Atlanta where she joined Engineering-Science (the Parsons Corporation) and became a registered engineer. 

During 11 years at Parsons, she held various roles of increasing responsibility, including treatability lab coordinator, industrial waste process deputy manager, client service manager for a Fortune 100 top 10 client, and wastewater and air process group manager, culminating in being appointed a Parsons Associate.  In 2001, she founded Just Engineering & Associates, Inc. and spent an additional 21+ years consulting on industrial wastewater treatment and compliance issues in multiple states, with services ranging from treatability testing through process engineering, detailed design, construction management, start-up, and operator training.  She is passionate regarding access for the disabled within their communities, with personal experience having raised three children including a special needs son.

 

Research

Since joining Georgia Tech, Just has started a Treatability Lab, with particular focus on phys/chem treatment of waters and wastewaters, along with capabilities to extend to biological treatment, to address real-world samples from external sponsors. She has led undergraduate and graduate students in conducting hands-on treatment testing for purposes such as: optimizing removal of taste and odor compounds from a Chattahoochee drinking water supply using PAC/GAC, removing high levels of phosphate/fluoride in a MS Superfund leachate via single and two-stage precipitation, conducting air stripping for nitrogen removal to evaluate design parameters for a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), and similar challenges.

Education
M.S. Environmental Engineering and Science (with Distinction) Stanford University 1990
Graduate work in Technology and Science Policy Georgia Institute of Technology 1990
B.S. Civil Engineering (with Highest Honor) Georgia Institute of Technology 1989
Minor certificate in German Georgia Institute of Technology 1989

 

Teaching

Just teaches the Environmental Engineering section of the senior capstone design course, which involves recruiting real-world projects from client sponsors each semester and mentoring teams of students to complete the projects, in roles similar to that of a consulting firm. In addition, she teaches several other 4000-level courses, including: Industrial Wastewater Process Engineering & Design; Hazardous Substance Remediation; Hands-On Treatability and Design; and Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) Management.  These courses are available to senior level undergraduate students as well as students pursuing MS/PhDs with interest in the topics.

Distinctions & Awards
  • Recipient of GT Center for Teaching & Learning “Thank a Teacher” recognitions for Industrial Wastewater course (2025) and Hands-On Treatability course (2025).
  • Lead faculty advisor to 5 teams (19 students) and supporting advisor to a 6th team (4 students) presenting at the Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) student design competition in Columbus, GA (2025).  Prof Just mentored the ENV capstone teams that won 1st and 2nd place overall, as well as the treatability course team that won 3rd place. 
  • Lead faculty advisor for environmental capstone Soil Vapor Extraction (SVE) team winning 1st place CEE award at GT Design Expo (Spring 2025).
  • Named an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Fellow (2024)
  • Lead faculty advisor to 6 teams (23 students) presenting at the GAWP student design competition in Dalton, GA (2024).  The teams competed in a field of 10 teams, won 1st and 2nd place overall, and were designated 1st place in water and 1st place in wastewater. 
  • Lead faculty advisor for environmental capstone NASA team winning 1st place CEE award at GT Design Expo (Spring 2024).
  • Lead faculty advisor for student team competing at WEFTEC’s international student design competition in Chicago, IL (2023).  Team won 1st (internationally) in the water category.
  • Lead faculty advisor to 4 teams (16 students) presenting at the GAWP student design competition in Columbus, GA (2023).  Teams competed against teams from Georgia and South Carolina, and won 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place.
  • Georgia Tech's Civil & Environmental Engineering External Advisory Board (2010-2016)
  • GT CEE External Advisory Board Membership Chair (2011-2016)
  • The Computer School - P.A. Co-President & School Leadership Team Chair Designee to Manhattan District 3 Presidents' Council
  • Midtown Neighbors’ Association Board Member (2012; 2013)
  • SPARK Girl Scout Troop Founder/Co-Leader (2010-2011); Leader (2011-2013)
  • Georgia Tech Alumni Association, Executive Committee (2012-2013)
  • Springdale Park Elementary Local School Council Chair (2013-2014); Member (2012-2013)
  • Advocacy Director and Board Member, Atlanta Down Syndrome Association (2009-2010)
  • Selected for state-wide Partners in Policy Making Training Program, Atlanta Alliance on Developmental Disabilities (AADD) (2009)
  • Georgia Tech Alumni Association, Board of Trustees (3-year term; 1995-1998)
  • Phi Kappa Phi National Award (Fellowship) (1989)
  • Taulman Company Environmental Engineering Award (1989)
  • Stanford GRA (1989)
  • Society of Women Engineers, Outstanding Woman Leader (1988)
  • Rotary Club of Atlanta, outstanding student at Georgia Tech Award (1987)
  • YWCA, Atlanta College Woman of Achievement (1988)
  • Georgia Tech Student Body President (1987-1989)
  • Ms. Georgia Tech
  • ANAK
  • Tau Beta Pi, Chi Epsilon, Phi Kappa Phi, Golden Key, Lambda Sigma, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Eta Sigma, and Order of Omega Honor Societies
  • Who's Who – Various Registries
  • H.S. Valedictorian, Lexington Catholic High School, Lexington, Kentucky (1984)
  • Awarded spot as KY representative to National Symposium at West Point for tadpole malathion research presented at KY Junior Science & Humanities Symposium (1983)
Publications
  1. Just SR, Flores C, Pope N, and Lei D (July 2024). "Treatment Evaluation of Multiple Powdered Activated Carbons for Removal of Taste and Odor Compounds,” Georgia Association of Water Professionals Annual Conference & Expo, Savannah, GA.  Prepared by Just, Flores, Pope, and Lei.  Presented by Flores and Pope.  
  2. Just SR (Just Engineering & Associates, Inc.), Moore B & Zhou Y (GE Global Research) (2006). “Selenium Analysis in McAllen Wastewater”, presented to City of McAllen, Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and EPA Region 6.
  3. Just SR (1999). “Comparison of Oily Wastewater Treatment Methods,” presented at Georgia Water & Pollution Control Association (GWPCA) Annual Conference and Expo, Macon, GA.
  4. Just SR & Mizell DE (1998). “Bench and Pilot Scale Testing of a Petroleum Refinery Effluent to Achieve Toxicity Reduction,” presented and published at Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC), Orlando, FL.
  5. Scruton K, Just SR, Fagan T, Klaff T, & Mitchell K (1998). “Risks Posed by PCBs in Non-Liquid Materials,” poster presentation, Society for Risk Analysis, Phoenix, AZ.
  6. Just SR, Gupta M, Craig S & Krishnamachari S (1997). “Removal of Arsenic, Selenium, and Chromium from Construction Dewatering Flows,” presented and published at Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC), Chicago, IL.
  7. Just SR & Hill Baughman H (1997). “Removal of Chelated Nickel from a Metals Finishing Wastewater,” presented and published at Water Environment Federation’s Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC), Chicago, IL.
  8. Harper SR, Just SR, & Donohoe C (Parsons Engineering Science) and Carson D (U.S. EPA) (1995). “Design Elements Associated with Leachate Recirculation at Existing, Unlined Landfills,” Landfill Bioreactor Design and Operation, Wilmington, DE, in EPA/600/R-95/146 Seminar Publication.
  9. Just SR (1994). “Comparison of Soil Gas Field Screening and Groundwater Sampling Methods and Results,” presented at Hazardous Materials Control Research Institute (HMCRI) Superfund XV (15th Annual Superfund Conference), Washington, D.C.
  10. Donnelly JR, Ahlert R, Ayen RJ, Just SR, & Meckes MC (1994). Innovative Site Remediation Technology Solvent/Chemical Extraction Monograph, Wastech cooperative program (1992-1994) funded by the U.S. EPA, DOD, and DOE and sponsored by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, copyright by American Academy of Environmental Engineers.
  11. Just SR & Stockwell KJ (1991). “A Comparison of the Effectiveness of Emerging In-situ Technologies and Traditional Ex-situ Treatment of Solvent Contaminated Soils,” presented at the I&EC Special Symposium, Emerging Technologies for Hazardous Waste Management, American Chemical Society (ACS), Atlanta, GA. 

 

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