Curriculum Vitae

Zainab Tariq
Ph.D. Environmental Science and Management
Montclair State University, New Jersey, USA

Education

• Ph.D., Environmental Science – Montclair State University  (2025)
  Dissertation: Life cycle assessment and life cycle costing of waste biomass for bioenergy feedstock.

• M.S., Environmental Science – SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, USA
  Thesis: Lifecycle assessment of shrub willow evapotranspiration covers vs. clay and geosynthetic covers.

• M.S., Environmental Science – International Islamic University, Pakistan
  Thesis: Renewable energy from bitter almond oil.

• B.S., Biological Sciences – University of Peshawar, Pakistan
  
  

Professional Experience

• Sustainability Intern, Carlisle Construction Materials (2025)
  Developed sustainability scenarios and carbon footprint strategies for PVC roofing materials.

• EDF Climate Corps Fellow, T-Mobile (2024)
  Designed cost-optimal Scope 3 emissions reduction pathways for supplier engagement and net-zero alignment.

• Research Associate, SUNY-ESF (2016–2019)
  Conducted LCAs of landfill cover systems and renewable energy scenarios for Pakistan.

• Environmental Analyst, Project Procurement International (2011–2012)
  Social and Environmental Impact Assessments for Infrastructure Projects.
  
  

Research Areas

• Food Waste Valorization – Environmental and economic assessment of waste-to-energy in New Jersey.

• Renewable Energy Systems – Scenario analysis of Pakistan’s energy mix and global sustainability pathways.

• Bioenergy and Bioeconomy – Life cycle assessment of biomass systems and sustainable landfill cover design.
  
  

Selected Publications

• Z. Tariq, V. Khanna, P. Lal, M. Smith, and T. Luong (2026, under review). “Life Cycle Assessment of Food Waste Valorization Pathways in New Jersey,” Sustainable Materials and Technologies.

• Tariq, Z., Smith, M., & Lal, P. (2025). Unlocking value from food waste: A cross-regional meta-analysis of economic opportunities. Bioresource Technology Reports, 102087.

• Tariq, Z., Volk, T.A., & Therasme, O. (2021). Life cycle assessment of shrub willow evapotranspiration cover compared with conventional clay and geosynthetic covers. Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 28, 45029–45040.

• Tariq, Z. (2020). Lifecycle Assessment of Shrub Willow Evapotranspiration Cover Versus Conventional Clay and Geosynthetic Covers. SUNY-ESF Thesis.

Teaching Experience

• Over 45 undergraduate credits taught in Environmental Science (ecology, earth systems, environmental law and policy, environmental economics, biomass energy, and sustainability methods).

Key Skills

• Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), Life Cycle Costing (LCC)

• Carbon footprint analysis (Scope 1–3)

• Sustainability metrics and scorecard design

• Statistical modeling and uncertainty analysis

• Environmental policy and systems thinking

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