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About Daniel B. Oerther

Professor Daniel B. Oerther (pronounced O'thur) is renowned for interprofessional education pioneering modified mastery learning to advance the V-shaped profession of the nurse+engineer and community-based participatory research improving access to clean water and nutritious food, local to global, through sustainable technology and improved social contracts.

Dan teaches in the Department of Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering. He holds an earned doctorate in environmental engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and he completed post graduate coursework in environmental health, public health, and public affairs.
Professor Oerther is a licensed Professional Engineer, Board Certified in Environmental Engineering, and a Chartered Engineer in the United Kingdom. He is a Certified Environmental Health Specialist and a Diplomate Laureate of the American Academy of Sanitarians. Dan is a Board Certified Environmental Scientist and a Chartered Environmentalist in the United Kingdom.

Prior to joining Missouri S&T, Dr. Oerther taught at the University of Cincinnati, where he served as Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Dan was a Foreign Affairs Officer and served as the Senior Science Advisor in the Secretary's Office of Global Food Security at the United States Department of State as well as a Fulbright Scholar to England, Fulbright-ALCOA Distinguished Chair to Brazil, and Fulbright-Pai Endowed Professorship / Fulbright-Nehru Visiting Scholar, both to India.

Examples of Dan's prior leadership positions include: Past President, Graduate Faculty Missouri S&T; Past President, American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists; and Past Chair, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (London, UK).

Examples of Dr. Oerther's professional recognition include Fellowship in the following organizations: Academy of Fellows for Teaching and Learning of the University of Cincinnati (AFTL), Academy of Nursing Educators of the National League for Nursing (ANE), American Academy of Nursing (AAN), Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP), Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), Institute for Public Health and Water Research (IPWR), Jefferson Science Fellow (JSF), Presidential Engagement Fellow of the University of Missouri System (PEF), Royal Society for Arts (RSA), Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), Society for Environmental Engineers (SEE), Society for Operations Engineers (SOE).

Named awards received by Professor Oerther include: Sigma's Edith Moore Copeland Founders Award for Excellence in Creativity and Innovation; NEHA's Joe Beck Educational Contribution Award; WEF's Gordon Maskew Fair Distinguished Engineering Educator Award; AAEES's Stanley K. Kappe Distinguished Lectureship; NLN's Lillian Wald Humanitarian Award; ASEE's Robert G. Quinn Award; Missouri's C. Brice Ratchford Memorial Fellowship; AWWA's Dr. John L. Leal Award; AAEES's Stanley E. Kappe Service Award; EESF's Frederick George Pohland Medal; AEESP's Steven K. Dentel Award for Global Outreach; Missouri's John A. and Susan Mathes Endowed Chair of Civil Engineering; CCNY's Bruce Podwal Memorial Lecturer; UC's Neil Wandmacher Teaching Award for Young Faculty; UIUC's Mavis Memorial Fund Scholarship for Teaching; and UIUC's Richard S. and Mary E. Engelbrecht Fellowship.

Positions

2023 - Present Teasurer, Engineers Without Borders-USA
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2022 - Present Chair, Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Commission
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2022 - Present Past President, American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES)
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2017 - Present Associate Editor, Journal of Environmental Engineering, ASCE
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2010 - Present Professor, Missouri University of Science and Technology Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering
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2014 - 2021 Foreign Affairs Officer, U.S. Department of State
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2014 - 2019 Jefferson Science Fellow, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine
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2000 - 2009 Faculty Member, University of Cincinnati ‐ Civil and Environmental Engineering
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Curriculum Vitae




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Professional Service and Affiliations

2020 - Present Trustee, Deputy-Chair, and Chair, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH), United Kingdom
2019 - Present Board Certified Environmental Scientist (BCES), American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists
2017 - Present Diplomate, and Diplomate Laureate, American Academy of Sanitarians
2017 - Present Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv), Society for the Environment of the United Kingdom
2016 - Present Chartered Engineer (CEng), Society of Operations Engineers
2005 - Present Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE), American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists
2004 - Present Professional Engineer (PE), DC, MO, OH
2013 - 2023 Treasurer, Vice President, President-elect, President, and Past President, American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES)
2022 - 2022 Trustee, American Academy of Sanitarians
2013 - 2021 Treasurer, Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI) Honor Society of Nursing Building Corporation
2007 - 2010 Trustee, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors
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Honors and Awards

  • James M. Montgomery Consulting Engineers Master’s Thesis Award, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, (1999)
  • CAREER Award, National Science Foundation, (2003)
  • Fellowship for Microbial Ecology, Office of Naval Research, (2003)
  • Ohio Young Engineer of the Year, National Society of Professional Engineers, (2004)
  • Outstanding Educator, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, (2004)
  • Ohio Engineering Educator of the Year, National Society of Professional Engineers, (2005)
  • Fulbright-Nehru Visiting Scholar, United States Department of State and Indian Institute of Science, (2006)
  • Fulbright-Pai Endowed Professorship, United States Department of State and Manipal University, (2006)
  • Elected Fellow, Institute for Public Health and Water Research, (2006)
  • Distinguished Service Award, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, (2007)
  • Honor Award for University Research for Improved Water Quality in Northwest Tanzania, American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, (2009)
  • John A. and Susan Mathes Endowed Chair of Environmental Health Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, (2010)
  • Distinguished Service Award, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, (2010)
  • Lifetime Honorary Membership, Sigma Theta Tau the International Honor Society of Nursing, (2011)
  • Fulbright-ALCOA Distinguished Chair in the Environmental Sciences and Engineering to Brazil, United States Department of State, (2012)
  • Jefferson Science Fellowship, United States Department of State and United States National Academies, (2014)
  • Excellence in Environmental Engineering Education Award, American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists and Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, (2014)
  • AEESP Dentel Award for Global Outreach, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, (2015)
  • Meritorious Honor Award, United States Department of State, (2015)
  • Superior Honor Award for Improved Water Quality in Ixcan, Guatemala, American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, (2016)
  • Fulbright Specialist Roster, United States Department of State, (2016)
  • Lifetime Honorary Fellow, American Academy of Nursing, (2016)
  • President’s Award for Cross-Cultural Engagement, University of Missouri System, (2017)
  • The Frederick George Pohland Medal, American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, (2017)
  • Fellow, Royal Society of Arts, (2017)
  • Fellow, Royal Society for Public Health, (2017)
  • Stanley E. Kappe Award, American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, (2018)
  • Service Learning Award, Missouri University of Science and Technology, (2018)
  • Dr. John Leal Award, American Water Works Association, (2018)
  • Fellow, Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, (2018)
  • Lifetime Honorary Fellow, Academy of Nursing Education, (2018)
  • Fellow, Society of Environmental Engineering, (2018)
  • C. Brice Ratchford Memorial Fellowship, University of Missouri System, (2019)
  • Engineering Education Excellence Award, National Society of Professional Engineers, (2019)
  • Robert G. Quinn Award, American Society for Engineering Education, (2019)
  • Fulbright Scholar to King’s College London, United States Department of State, (2019)
  • Lillian Wald Humanitarian Award, National League for Nursing, (2019)
  • Honor Award in Environmental Sustainability for COAST, American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, (2020)
  • Fellow, Society of Operations Engineers, (2020)
  • Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, Who’s Who, (2020)
  • Fellow, Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, (2020)
  • Fair Distinguished Engineering Educator Medal, Water Environment Federation, (2020)
  • Kappe Distinguished Lecturer, American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, (2020-2021)
  • Presidential Engagement Fellow, University of Missouri System, (2021-2022)
  • Exceptional Leadership Award, Engineers Without Borders-USA, (2022)
  • Outstanding Teaching Award, Missouri University of Science and Technology, (2022)
  • Experiential Learning Award, Missouri University of Science and Technology, (2022)
  • Mortenson Center Global Humanitarian Award, (2023)

Courses


Education

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2002 PhD, University of Illinois
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1998 MS, University of Illinois ‐ Environmental Engineering
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1995 BS, Northwestern University ‐ Environmental Engineering
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1995 BA, University of Northwestern ‐ Biological Sciences
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Post Doctorate Training, Indiana University ‐ Public Administration
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Post Doctorate Training, The Johns Hopkins University ‐ Public Health
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Post Doctorate Training, Marine Biological Laboratory ‐ Microbial Ecology
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Contact Information

220 Butler-Carlton Hall
1401 N. Pine St.
Rolla, MO 65409-0030

Phone: (573) 341-6072

Email:



Research Works (150)