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Eric Fries Honored with Nicholas Reid Memorial Award 2025!

PhD Candidate’s breakthrough research on PMTs is paving the way for sustainable urban water practices.

Eric Fries is tackling one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time the accumulation of PMTs (persistent, mobile and toxic) chemicals in our waterways and aquatic ecosystems.

Eric has developed the first validated and published protocol for the identification and measurement of persistent, mobile, and toxic substances (PMTs). This is a huge research accomplishment. 

PMTS are substances that spread easily in water and do not degrade so persist in the environment and accumulate. By developing an accurate and precise protocol for the identification and quantification of PMTs, Eric has developed a critical component for the research and monitoring of these substances that authorities are incorporating into their tool kit.

"Real sustainability requires both individual action and systemic change. By understanding exactly how these toxic compounds degrade and migrate into our water systems, we can provide the hard data needed to drive policy changes"

Fries uses advanced analytical techniques to track these complex chemical pathways. His findings are critical to understanding the long-term ecological and human health risks associated with plastic breakdown.

Leadership Beyond the Lab

What sets Fries apart—and made him the clear choice for the Nicholas Reid Memorial Award—is his dedication to leadership and community building outside of his immediate research.

As an active leader within Urban Water TMU, Fries has become a cornerstone of the student research community. He is recognized by peers and faculty alike for:

  • Student Mentorship: Actively guiding undergraduate and early-stage graduate students through complex laboratory methodologies.
  • Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Fostering community across different departments, helping to break down academic silos to solve complex environmental problems through his research and presentations to visiting delegations. 
  • Education and Outreach to the Public: Eric regularly volunteers at outreach events like Science Rendezvous, Soapbox Science, and Oceanwise events.  
  • Advancing the UN SDGs: Directly contributing to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (specifically SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation) by translating laboratory science into actionable insights for policymakers.

Carrying Forward a Legacy

The Nicholas Reid Memorial Award was established to honor a man who spent his career pushing the boundaries of water management and sustainable infrastructure. In winning this award, Eric joins an elite group of young scientists recognized not just for academic excellence, but for their potential to alter the trajectory of water governance in Canada.