Our Faculty

Urban Water Sustainability Leadership Conference - Module 1
Nancy Ahern, Deputy Director, Seattle Public Utilities
Michael Carlin, Deputy General Manager, San Francisco Public Utilities Commission
Adel Hagekhalil, Assistant Director, City of Los Angeles - Bureau of Sanitation
Angela Licata, Deputy Commissioner, New York City Department of Environmental Protection
Howard Neukrug, Water Commissioner, City of Philadelphia
James (Tony) Parrott, Executive Director, Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati
Bruce Roll, Watershed Management Director, Clean Water Services, Portland
Kevin Shafer, Executive Director, Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
William J. Bertera, Executive Director, Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure

Urban Water Sustainability Leadership Conference - Module 2
Dan Rodrigo, Vice President, CDM Smith Inc.
Kellie Rotunno, Director of Engineering & Construction, NEORSD
Robert Brown, Director, Cleveland City Planning Commission, City of Cleveland
Kyle Dreyfuss-Wells, Manager of Watershed Programs, NEORSD
Lillian Kuri, Program Director for Architecture, Urban Design, and Sustainable Development, The Cleveland Foundation
Terry Schwarz, Director, Cleveland Urban Design Collaborative
Catherine Nagel, Executive Director, City Parks Alliance 

Urban Water Sustainability Leadership Conference - Module 3
Dr. Les Lampe, Vice President, Black & Veatch
Terry Leeds, Director, Kansas City MO Water Services
Mayor Pro Tem Cindy Circo, Kansas City
Ron Coker, Vice President, Burns & McDonnell, (Missouri Overflow Control Program)
Lara Isch, Outreach & Education Coordinator, Kansas City MO Water Services
Dennis Murphey, Chief Environmental Officer, City of Kansas City MO
Kristin Riott, Executive Director, Bridging the Gap
Mary Ann Dickinson, President & CEO, Alliance for Water Efficiency

Urban Water Sustainability Leadership Conference - Module 4
Dr. Cindy Paulson, Senior Vice President, Brown and Caldwell
Jackson Jenkins, Director, Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department
Alan Forrest, P.E., Director, City of Tucson Water Department
Paul Green, Executive Director, Tucson Audubon Society
Jeff Prevatt, Ph.D., Regulatory Compliance Manager, Water & Environment Sustainability Center, Pima County Regional Wastewater Reclamation Department
Claire Zucker, Sustainable Environment Program Director, Pima Association of Governments 

Urban Water Sustainability Leadership Conference - Module 5
Alan Vicory, Chair, CONFLUENCE Water Technology & Innovation Cluster
Lisa Darling, South Platte Program Manager, City of Aurora
Pete Frost, Executive Director, Douglasville Douglas County Water & Sewer Authority
MaryLynn Lodor, Environmental Program Manager, Metropolitan Sewer District of Greater Cincinnati

Urban Water Sustainability Leadership Conference - Module 6
Brian Marengo, Senior Technologist Water Resources, CH2M Hill
Matthew J. Millea, Deputy County Executive for Physical Services, Onondaga County
Maarten Jacobs, Director, Near Westside Initiative, Office of Community Engagement, Syracuse University
Robert Kukenburger, Vice President, CDM Smith
Mark Lichtenstein, Executive Director, Syracuse Center of Excellence/Center for Sustainable Community Solutions
Matthew J. Marko, Green Infrastructure Program Manager, CH2M Hill
Steve Rogowski, Director of Operations/Maintenance, Metro Wastewater Reclamation District

James Borton has been working in the water treatment industry for over 20 years. Borton is the Utilities Division Manager for the City of Wooster, Ohio. His certification titles include Class IV Wastewater Operator and Class I Wastewater Laboratory Analyst for the state of Ohio. Currently, Borton serves as the Ohio Water Environment Association (OWEA) Publications Committee Chairman. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Management – Watershed Policy and Planning from The Ohio State University, and holds an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science in Laboratory Research at the Ohio State University’s Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, Ohio. Most recently, he acquired a Master of Science Degree in Environmental Science – Environmental Business Option from the University of Maryland.

Allan R. Budris, P.E., is an independent consulting engineer who specializes in training, failure analysis, troubleshooting, reliability, efficiency audits and litigation support on pumps and pumping systems. With offices in Washington, NJ, he can be contacted via e-mail at budrisconsulting@comcast.net.

Brad Buecker has nearly 30 years of experience in or affiliated with the power industry, much of it in steam generation chemistry, makeup and cooling water treatment, air quality control, and results engineering positions with City Water, Light & Power (Springfield, Illinois) and Kansas City Power & Light Company’s (La Cygne, Kansas) station. He has an A.A. in pre-engineering from Springfield College in Illinois and a B.S. in chemistry from Iowa State University, with additional course work in fluid mechanics, material and energy balances, and advanced inorganic chemistry. He is a contributing editor for Power Engineering, and has written many articles and three books for PennWell on steam generation topics.

Steve Canter has been working in the environmental engineering field for 38 years. He is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.E.), Class III Wastewater Operator, and Class I Water Supply Operator, all in the state of Ohio. His experience and training in the water and wastewater industries have led to professional positions ranging from a field technician to his current position as the president of his own company, Environmental Engineering Service, which he began in 1984. Canter holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.

Donald Chase has worked in the water and wastewater industries for 23 years. Currently, Chase holds a professional position as Assistant Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Dayton in Dayton, OH. Since 1989, he has also worked for WaterWare Consultants in Miamisburg, OH, as a Water Resources Consulting Engineer. He is registered as a Professional Engineer in Kentucky and Ohio. Chase is also actively involved in many organizations including ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers), AWWA (American Water Works Association), and WATER FOR PEOPLE, which is an organization dedicated to bringing potable water and sewerage services to people in developing countries. He also chairs the ASCE Environmental Engineering Task Committee to Develop a Manual on Design and Construction of Water Distribution Systems. Chase holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Degree, a Master’s of Science in Civil Engineering Degree, and a Ph.D from the University of Kentucky.

The Water and Wastewater Training Program at the Texas Engineering Extension Service (TEEX) is one of the largest water and wastewater operator training organizations in the United States. TEEX provides training to thousands of operators every year. TEEX’s mission is to provide continuing education in engineering and engineering-related applied sciences. TEEX is a member of The Texas A&M University System, one of the largest systems of higher education in the United States.

Michael Fagan, Manager of Technology and Applications at US Peroxide, has been selected by the Water Environment Federation to serve on its Industrial Wastewater Committee. The Industrial Wastewater Committee provides technical information exchange, communication of regulations, and policy and guidance. Programs addressing industrial and hazardous waste treatment, disposal, prevention, remediation, reuse, and minimization are developed by the committee.

Mr. Fagan is a key member of US Peroxide’s Technical Management Team, which oversees the application of technology and overall compliance of municipal, industrial, and oil, gas and refinery wastewater treatment programs. He has more than 23 years’ experience in the development of chemical treatment technologies, from laboratory phase through full scale program implementation. This includes extensive experience with municipal odor and corrosion control programs. Mr. Fagan holds three US Patents related to the application of hydrogen peroxide in wastewater treatment, and has authored/presented technical papers at various state and international trade conferences including WEFTEC. He is one of the inventors of US Peroxide’s Peroxide Regenerated Iron-Sulfide Control (PRI-SC™) technology which is being applied successfully in numerous large municipal sewage collection and treatment systems.

He has managed or overseen more than 50 projects related to the design and operation of odor and corrosion (sulfide) control processes in municipal wastewater collection and treatment systems and bio-solids (sludge). Mr. Fagan has significant industrial wastewater and process water treatment experience, having developed chemical treatment programs for sulfides, BOD/COD, cyanides, landfill leachate, microbiological control, phenol oxidation (Fenton’s Reagent) , total reduced sulfur compounds (TRS), and volatile fatty acids (VFA’s), to name a few.

Dr. Ford is the Chairman of RWE’s Technical Advisory Committee. Dr. Ford is the esteemed Adjunct Professor in the Graduate School of Civil & Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas. He is the direct protégé of the legendary Wes Eckenfelder, and is arguably the heir apparent for the next generation. Probably the best textbook ever written on Biological Wastewater was co-authored by Davis and Wes, being released in 2008. Davis has consulted to almost all of the major Oil Company's Wastewater Operations over his 45-year career. Davis and David Kujawski have worked together at Chevron El Segundo, and mentored Mr Kujawski at University of Texas.

Dr. Ford is a practicing environmental engineer with over forty-five years of experience in the field. In addition, he serves on the faculty at The University of Texas at Austin as an adjunct professor, has published more than one hundred technical papers, has co-authored or contributed to ten textbooks, and written two biographies and co-authored one children’s book. He has lectured extensively throughout the United States and in countries of Europe, South America, and Asia.

Ford received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering at Texas A&M University and his master and doctorate degrees in environmental engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a Distinguished Engineering Graduate of both Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of Texas A&M.

Ford was elected into the prestigious National Academy of Engineering (NAE). He has served as president of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and chairman of the Academy Ethics Committee. His honorary affiliations include Tau Beta Pi, Sigma Xi, and Chi Epsilon.

Ford serves on the Board of a publicly owned oil and exploration company (CWEI, NASDAQ) and the Board of the Texas A&M University Press.

Ralph Franco, PE, has spent the last 24 years in the water treatment profession. He has a BS in Chemical Engineering from Penn State University as well as an MBA from Point Park University.  He is a licensed Environmental Engineer. Franco currently serves as Director of Sales, UV Technologies Division, at Calgon Carbon Corp. He originally worked in the industrial side of the business designing high purity ion exchange and reverse osmosis systems primarily for the cogeneration and chemical processing sectors. Franco then moved into the chemical side of the business with Nalco Chemical.  He has also worked in the specialty membrane separations market and the municipal low pressure membrane market as a product manager. Franco joined Calgon Carbon seven years ago as a Regional Sales Manager covering the Eastern United States for the UV Technologies Division.

Sheree Gossett-Johnson has been actively involved and worked in the water and wastewater industries for 26 years. She currently is registered as a Class II Laboratory Analyst and a Class III Wastewater Operator in the State of Ohio, and she is also certified by WET (Water Education for Teachers) as a facilitator. Since 1994, Ms. Gossett-Johnson has worked for the Ohio EPA as an Environmental Specialist II in the Division of Surface Water. She also serves as a Wastewater Treatment Operations Trainer for the Ohio EPA.

Michael Hogan has been working in the water and wastewater industries for 22 years. Currently, he works for Duke’s Sales & Service in Syracuse, New York. He is a member of the American Public Works Association, the Georgia Water & Pollution Control Association, Trenchless Technologies, WEFTEC (Water Environment Federation technology Trade Show), and NASSCO (National Association of Sewer Service Companies). Hogan holds a Bachelor of the Arts Degree in Business Administration from the University of Florida.

Professor at U of California-Berkeley, 45 years

Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, and Marketing degrees.

University of California, Berkeley, Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Environmental Engineering. Ph.D. Public Health Engineering, King's College, University of Durham, England 1960. First Class Honors B.Sc., Birmingham University, England 1957.

Elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2001. The Berkeley Citation, University of California at Berkeley in 1999. Gordon Maskew Fair Medal, Water Environment Federation in 1995. Samuel H. Jenkins Medal, International Association of Water Pollution Research and Control in 1992. Geogre Bradley Gasgoine Medal, Water Pollution Control Federation in 1989. Simon Freeze Award and Lectureship, American Society of Civil Engineers in 1988. Harrison Prescott Eddy Medal, Water Environment Federation, in 1974, 1985, 1988.

Top Ranked Expert on Filamentous Bacteria & TSS Control in Biological Wastewater Systems.

33 years of Operations, Process & Environmental Engineering. Experience in 47 oil refineries Environmental Engineering, Chemistry, and Marketing degrees.

Prior employers include Nalco, Betz-Dearborn, Baker-Petrolite, US Filter-Siemens, Chevron El Segundo Refinery, Sybron Biochemical, and Ashland Oil.

Former Process Engineer for Chevron’s El Segundo Refinery, Wastewater Operations.

Former Associate Vice-President of Latin America for US Filter’s Hydrocarbon Processing Industry. Experienced in Refinery Processes on the Oil Side, Refinery Upstream Source Control, Remediation of Contaminated Soils & Groundwater, Hazardous Waste Treatment and Disposal, all aspects of Supply Water and Wastewater Treatment, Wastewater Plant Design and Process Control, Biokinetic Modeling, Boiler & Cooling Water Treatment, Desalting, Oil Side Corrosion and Fouling Prevention, Laboratory Analytical Methods, Polymer Technology, Microbiological Analyses, Benzene-Neshap Air Quality Compliance, EPA \ State Water Quality Board \ POTW Regulatory Permitting & Compliance.

Featured in 9 major trade magazines for creative Refinery Sour H2O Reclamation and Wastewater Biokinetic Modeling work.

Speaker on the Eckenfelder Lecture Series Foundation Team. Guest Lecturer at Ok. St. Univ., UC-Irvine, and Texas State U. at Lamar.

Professor & University Scholar Director of Environmental Sustainability Research Center

Education: BS, Chemical Engineering, Tatung University, Taipei, Taiwan, 1991, MS, Environmental Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC, 1995, PhD, Environmental Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 1998, Post-doctoral Fellow, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 1999

Expertise: Biological wastewater treatment and bio-augmentation techniques, Membrane technology and fouling control, Reactor design and bio-kinetic analysis, Optimization of biological cultures and treatment processes, Biogas production and anaerobic digestion.

Registration & Qualifications: Registered professional engineer in the State of Ohio, Principal investigator of 50+ projects funded by NSF, DoD, EPA, USDA & TCEQ.

15+ years in water and wastewater treatment. 100+ publications with 800+ peer-reviewed journal citations

Michelle Lomago is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and has recently joined Calgon Carbon as an activated carbon application engineer based out of Pittsburgh, PA. She is currently providing engineering support to the technical sales team and is responsible for providing recommendations for equipment and carbon, carbon systems, carbon adsorption usage rates, training, troubleshooting, coordination of lab studies, and carbon seminars. Prior to working for Calgon Carbon, Lomago was an operations manager for Proctor and Gamble in their Mehoopany, PA papermaking plant.

13 Years’ experience with all aspects of fluid dynamics including; high purity water and wastewater treatment technology. Earned degrees in Engineering and Business with a LEED AP certification and PE licensed in several states.

Mr McAfee’s experience includes: Technology expert consultant for the EPA / Global design and project management / International technology and product supply chain management / International government relations / International desalination / Extensive system troubleshooting expertise / Collaboration with engineering firms, universities, and industry for new technology development / Patent discoveries and technology inventions / Skid design and construction for unique circumstances / EPA compliance negotiations and discharge permit writing / Expert in turning waste into profit / Expert in engineering return on investment opportunities / Extensive experience using technologies that impact global mega trends, particularly in the areas of sustainable energy, environment, health and wellness, and preservation of natural resources.

Roger K. Noack, P.E., S.P.A. is Desalination Practice Lead and a Senior Project Manager/Senior Professional Associate at the engineering firm HDR. He has a B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Wisconsin, 1977, and is Registered in Texas as a Professional Engineer. Noack works for HDR Engineering in Austin, Texas. He has over 32 years of experience in the industry. His principal field of experience is in civil and environmental engineering. He worked on the first municipal membrane water treatment plant in the State of Texas in 1979 and has been working with membranes in drinking water ever since.

Kendra L. Ryan is an Applications Engineer with Calgon Carbon Corp., currently providing activated carbon applications support to the Municipal Drinking Water market. She received a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering from Youngstown State University in 2008. Prior to working at Calgon Carbon, Ryan worked for Case Western Reserve University as an undergraduate research student working on proton exchange membrane fuel cells, and also Fireline/TCON Inc., an industrial ceramics manufacturer, as an engineering intern.

Steven Safferman has been working in the water and wastewater industries for 21 years. From 2000-2005, he held the position of Associate Professor and Graduate Faculty at the University of Dayton in Dayton, OH, where he conducted research on bioremediation and physical treatment technology for liquid and solid wastes. Currently, Safferman is Associate Professor in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at Michigan State University. He is also a registered Professional Engineer in the State of Ohio. Safferman holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering Degree, a Master’s of Science Degree in Environmental Engineering, and a Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of Cincinnati

20 plus years experience covering all applications of water and waste treatment technology. Leading expert in Compliance & Permitting at all levels of Regulatory Agency interaction, with particular focus on RCRA and Hazardous Waste.

10 plus years experience managing a commercial Hazardous Waste Treatment, Disposal, & Storage facility.

10 plus years experience in water and waste treatment system Capital Projects Management. Manager of Project Management Teams for RWE’s Midwest Region. Additional experience in Remediation of Contaminated Soils & Groundwater, Wastewater Equipment Design, Laboratory Analytical Methods, and Benzene-Neshap Air Quality Compliance.

Professor at UCLA, 35 years.

Mike is the second longest tenured Professor in the Civil & Environmental Department at UCLA, and was the former Chairman of the Department.

Dr. Stenstrom is respected as a top authority on wastewater aeration and energy considerations, as well as on the most recent advancements in Biological wastewater process control strategies. B.S., (1971), Clemson University. M.S., (1972), Clemson University. Ph.D., (1976), Clemson University

Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, Water Quality Award, 2005. Regional Water Quality Control Board, Innovation in Water Quality, 2002. DOW Chemical Company, Environmental Care Award, 1996. Water Environment Federation, Harrison Prescott Eddy Research Medal, 1992. Diplomate, American Academy of Environmental Engineers, 1989. American Society of Civil Engineering, Walter L. Huber Civil Engineering Research Prize, 1989. Engr. Sci-Assoc. of Environmental Engr. Professors Award for the best doctoral thesis relevant to sanitary engr. practice, 1975. High Honors Undergraduate, Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi, Chi Epsilon, Undergraduate Scholarships,NSF graduate fellowship, 1969

Richard Stratton, P.E., is West Region Drinking Water Business Class Lead and a Senior Project Manager/Senior Professional Associate at HDR.

Don Thompson, Ph.D., P.E., is a senior vice president at CDM. He is an environmental engineer with more than 30 years of experience in water and wastewater treatment process and design, with a focus on membrane technologies. Dr. Thompson has completed large-scale potable water planning and alternatives analyses; piloting and design of membrane water treatment plants; process studies and detailed design involving ultraviolet light, ozone, and aeration; indirect potable water treatment plant studies and design; and construction management. He is CDM's Drinking Water market leader.

37 years experience in all environmental disciplines, consulting to most major petrochemical plants in Texas and Louisiana during his career.

Acknowledged as a top authority in the Modeling of Wastewater Discharge Effects and in the Modeling of Volatile Organic Carbon (VOC) Emissions from Wastewater.

Received his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering directly under the legendary Dr. Wes Eckenfelder; Also has B.S. in Civil Engineering.

Former Director of The Texas Water Development Board’s Engineering Division.

Consulting Advisor to the American Petroleum Institute.

Served on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Stakeholder Committee that reviewed acceptance of Wastewater Treatment VOC Modeling.

Frequently retained as an Expert Witness in Environmental Litigation and frequently retained in various roles for client EPA Permit Applications.

Alan Tucci has been actively involved in the water industry for 28 years.  Since 1981, Mr. Tucci has held the professional position of Safety Coordinator for the Board of County Commissioners Sanitary Engineering Division in Cleveland, OH.  During his tenure in Cleveland, he has improved the safety program for the Sanitary Engineering Division in 7 separate years.  Tucci is also the chairman of the Ohio Water Environment Association Safety Committee, the Governor’s Community Traffic Safety Network Committee for Cuyahoga County, and of the Member Information Subcommittee of WEF (Water Environment Federation). Tucci holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biological Science from Ohio State University and a Masters of Public Administration – Program Development Specialty from Cleveland State University.

Don Vandertulip, P.E., has more than 36 years of experience in program management; studies, planning, design, and construction of water and wastewater treatment facilities; potable and recycled water pump, storage, and distribution systems; and wastewater collection and pumping. He is an active member of the Water Environment Federation (WEF), American Water Works Association (AWWA), and WateReuse Association (WRA). He currently serves as Chair of the WEF Water Reuse Committee; a member of the WEF Municipal Wastewater Treatment Committee; President of the WateReuse Association, Texas Section; and Quad-Chair for the WateReuse Symposium. He also authored two sections of the WEF MOP 8 update and Chapter 2 of AWWA M-24, 3rd Edition.