Dr. Susan Richardson, 2026 Clarke Prize Laureate
National Water Research Institute (NWRI) is pleased to announce that the 2026 Clarke Prize Laureate is Dr. Susan Richardson, recognizing her extraordinary and enduring contributions to water science and humanity.
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Dr. Richardson has fundamentally changed how the world understands drinking water chemistry. Her pioneering discoveries have revealed previously unknown contaminants, transformed our understanding of disinfection byproducts (DBPs), and provided the scientific foundation for protecting public health in an era of increasing water insecurity.
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Dr. Richardson will deliver the 2026 Clarke Prize Lecture during the award ceremony on October 24, 2026. The venue and time of the 2026 Clarke Prize Award Ceremony will be announced soon at www.nwri-usa.org/clarke-prize​
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​Susan Richardson is the Arthur Sease Williams Professor of Chemistry in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, McCausland College of Arts and Sciences, at the University of South Carolina. She was formerly with the United States Environmental Protection Agency.
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Richardson is considered the pioneering leader in the chemistry of drinking water DBPs—harmful compounds that form when water is treated to kill pathogens. DBPs are formed when disinfectants, such as chlorine, react with naturally occurring organic compounds or manmade contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals, during the drinking water treatment process. Human epidemiologic studies show some adverse health effects from DBPs, yet the DBPs responsible for these effects are still not completely understood.
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“My current research investigates DBPs, toxins from harmful algal blooms, and transformation of emerging contaminants during advanced oxidation treatment for water reuse,” said Richardson. “We use mass spectrometry to identify contaminants in microplastics and assess water for toxic compounds in South Carolina using new methods created in our lab. We are also developing new testing methods to improve extraction and measurement of contaminants in complex matrices.”
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Among her many accomplishments and awards, Richardson is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, is Executive Editor and Associate Editor for Environmental Science & Technology, and is a past President of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry. Most recently, she was named to the Analytical Scientist Power List and received the 2026 South Carolina Governor’s Award for Excellence in Scientific Research.
Over her career, she has published 226 articles, delivered more than 400 presentations and seminars and contributed to more than 200 other presentations. She has a PhD in Chemistry from Emory University and a BS in Chemistry & Mathematics from Georgia College & State University.
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NWRI presents the annual $50,000 prize to recognize researchers that solve real-world water problems.
The Clarke Prize was established in 1993 in honor of NWRI’s co-founder, the late Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke.