Dr. Patrick Kangas is a systems ecologist with interests in ecological engineering, tropical sustainable development and general ecology. He received his B.S. degree from Kent State University in Biology, his M.S. from the University of Oklahoma in Botany and Ecology and his Ph.D. degree in Environmental Engineering Sciences from the University of Florida. After graduating from Florida, Dr. Kangas took a position in the Biology Department of Eastern Michigan University and taught there for 11 years. In 1990 he moved to the University of Maryland where he served on the faculty of the Environmental Science and Technology Department until his retirement in 2021. He has published more than 50 papers and book chapters on a variety of environmental subjects, including two books: Ecological Engineering: Principles and Practices in 2004 and A History of Radioecology in 2022.

In terms of Ecological Engineering Dr. Kangas has conducted research on constructed wetlands, living machines, rain gardens and mostly recently on algal ecotechnologies including algal turf scrubbers and rope culture of seaweeds. He has served on the editorial board of the journals Ecological Engineering and Solutions and served as President of the American Ecological Engineering Society in 2006-2007.