Nick Landes Joins Texas Tech Engineering Academy
Nick Landes, Ph.D., PE, has been inducted into the Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering Academy at Texas Tech University, joining five fellow Freese and Nichols employees who have received the honor. Nick’s induction recognizes his professional accomplishments, industry leadership and continued commitment to supporting engineering education at Texas Tech.
Nick is an Associate and process engineer at Freese and Nichols who manages the firm’s Research and Applied Process (RAP) Lab in Fort Worth. He has more than 16 years of experience in water and wastewater treatment, process optimization, biological nutrient removal and water reuse.
Nick holds both a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in environmental engineering from Texas Tech.
He helps clients uncover opportunities within existing treatment facilities using advanced modeling tools, including computational fluid dynamics, whole-plant process models and water chemistry models. His professional research has included large-scale pilot studies involving Integrated Fixed-Film Activated Sludge and Moving Bed Biofilm Reactor processes, deammonification and algae-based nutrient recovery.
Nick also maintains strong ties to Texas Tech through mentoring, teaching, committee service and student engagement. His contributions to engineering education complement his technical work to improve water quality, sustainability and community resilience.
Nick joins five Freese and Nichols colleagues previously inducted into the Academy:
- Alan Greer, 2006: A Senior Vice President responsible for Government Affairs representing Freese and Nichols in our political advocacy and legislative affairs, Alan helps build lasting client relationships, advance strategic pursuits and deliver projects tailored to community needs. He joined Freese and Nichols in 1992 and also supports the firm’s Strategic Pursuit Program and Strategic Teaming Partners initiative. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Texas Tech. One of his most rewarding opportunities to give back has been hiring Texas Tech engineers and watching them grow into leadership positions at Freese and Nichols, which he sees as a testament to the quality of the university’s graduates.
- Trooper Smith, 2012: A Vice President, Principal and Southeast United States Division Manager, Trooper has experience in water and wastewater infrastructure, process evaluation, construction management and program management. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental engineering from Texas Tech. One of his most rewarding opportunities to give back was helping establish the Water Environment Association of Texas (WEAT) Student Design Competition and supporting Texas Tech’s participation. He also has mentored Texas Tech students, offering guidance on college, internships and the transition into the engineering profession.
- Heather Keister, 2018: Heather is a Vice President and Principal who helps communities across West Texas and New Mexico address transportation, water infrastructure, stormwater and public works needs. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in civil engineering from Texas Tech. One of her most rewarding opportunities to give back has been connecting talented Texas Tech students with opportunities at Freese and Nichols, then watching them progress from internships into full-time roles and grow throughout the firm.
- Kevin Johnson, 2019: As Executive Vice President for Operations, Kevin oversees Freese and Nichols offices across the South Central U.S., Central Plains and Western U.S. regions. Since beginning as an intern in 1998, he has helped clients deliver multimillion-dollar infrastructure projects and develop capital improvement and bond programs. Kevin holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Texas Tech and serves on the university’s Engineering Dean’s Council. He also has found it rewarding to serve on the Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering Industry Advisory Board, where he has worked directly with department leadership to provide industry input on the curriculum and help shape the education of future engineers and Freese and Nichols employees.
- Erin Flanagan, 2024: Erin helps clients address water and wastewater treatment needs across North and West Texas. Her expertise includes facility planning, preliminary treatment, disinfection, water reuse, treatment plant expansions and pump station design. Erin holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in environmental engineering from Texas Tech and serves on the Industry Advisory Board for the university’s Department of Civil, Environmental, and Construction Engineering. One of her most rewarding opportunities to give back to Texas Tech was serving as an adjunct professor for the environmental engineering capstone course.