My research interests center around process development for water and wastewater treatment systems, including mathematical modeling and optimization. More recently I have applied these mathematical techniques to urban runoff and stormwater issues. Recent experimental work has focused on estimating oxygen transfer in activated sludge plants, including high purity oxygen plants. Field studies are being conducted at plants to ascertain fine pore diffuser fouling rates and develop cleaning techniques. This work is coupled with theoretical and laboratory scale work to better determine the effects of surfactants on oxygen transfer through dynamic surface tension measurements.My most recent funded research relates to energy conservation at water and wastewater treatment plants. We have developed a Windows-based tool for monitoring energy efficiency with the objective of helping plant managers identify cost-effective projects to conserve energy. In the past several years, we have worked extensively with stormwater issues. We developed a model to predict pollutant emissions to Santa Monica Bay from non-point sources. We have also developed several non-point source pollutant controls and evaluated several commercially available units. Our largest project evaluated first flush runoff from California highways and resulted in analytical definitions of storm and seasonal first flush, as well as creating an extremely large data base of high runoff water quality.

Google Scholar

• 42 million gallons of sewage entered L.A. waterways in past 15 years | Los Angeles Daily News, April 2022
• Hyperion Sewage Spill Caused By Systems Failure, Human Error, Official Report Says | Los Angeles Daily News, February 2022
• RainAg and Moleaer launch new nanobubble-infused fertilizer that improves crop yields and reduces quantities of fertilizer | Global News Wire, July 2021

• Ph.D. (1976), Clemson University
• M.S. (1972), Clemson University
• B.S. (1971), Clemson University

• AAEES Board Certified Environmental Engineer (1989)
• AEESP - Best Doctoral Dissertation (1976), Frederick George Pohland Research Medal (2013), Fellow (2020), Charles R. O’Melia Distinguished Educator (2021)
• ASCE - Huber Prize (1989), Fellow (1997), Standards Development Award (2004)
• California Regional Water Quality Control Board - Innovation in Research (2002, 2005)
• CASQA - Best Stormwater BMP Award (with Boeing and Geosyntec 2013)
• Dow Chemical Company - Environmental Care Award (1995) for aerator improvements
• International Water Association – Fellow (2015), Distinguished Fellow (2020)
• Water Environment Federation - Harrison Prescott Eddy Awards (1992, 2014, 2020), Fellow (2012), Camp Applied Research Award (2017) Gordon Maskew Fair Distinguished Educator Medal (2019)