MSc in Bio-engineering (1987), with PhD in Applied Biological Sciences – Environmental Technology (1994), both from Ghent University (Belgium). His PhD dealt with monitoring, modelling and control of activated sludge processes, with special emphasis on model calibration and experimental design. He was associate professor at Ghent University since 1997, initiating the BIOMATH research team that by 2006 had grown to 25 researchers focusing on modeling methodologies for bioprocesses, mainly in environmental systems.

Since 2006 he holds the Canada Research Chair on Water Quality Modeling, allowing him to start up the modelEAU research group at Université Laval in Quebec City (Canada). This group focuses on modeling, monitoring and control of water systems. model is quickly building momentum with now 2 research assistants, 5 post-docs, 9 PhD students and 6 Master students.

These large research teams have helped him develop his publication record of over 300 peer reviewed papers. He is very active within IWA (IWA Fellow, member of IWA’s Strategic Council, chairman of the Specialist Group on Systems Analysis and Integrated Assessment, and member of a number of Task Groups) and is getting increasingly involved in WEF, where he was recently elected vice-chair of MEGA, the Modelling Expert Group of the Americas.