Dr.
James R. Mihelcic is a Professor of Civil & Environmental
Engineering at Michigan Technological University. He serves
as the Director of the Master’s International Program
in Engineering. He is also an Adjunct Graduate Faculty
at Southern University and A&M College (Baton Rouge,
Louisiana).
Dr.
Mihelcic has performed extensive research in biological
processes applied to natural and engineered systems, green
engineering and sustainability, and engineering of the
developing world. He led development of several research
and education sustainability initiatives on the Michigan
Tech campus including a new Graduate Certificate in Sustainability
(see www.sfi.mtu.edu).
In addition, he directs a unique graduate program that
allows students to combine their graduate degree in civil
or environmental engineering with service in the U.S.
Peace Corps as a water/sanitation engineer (see www.cee.mtu.edu/sustainable_engineering).
Dr.
Mihelcic is currently PI or co-PI on $4.7 million dollars
of research funded by NSF, Industry, and the State of
Michigan and has published over 50 articles in peer-reviewed
journals. He serves as an elected member of the Board
of Directors for the Association of Environmental Engineering
and Science Professors (AEESP) and was awarded the AEESP-Wiley
Interscience Award for Outstanding Contributions to Environmental
Engineering & Science Education in 2002. He currently
serves as the AEESP Vice President and will assume the
duties of President in fall 2007.
In
the past year he was invited to speak at the National
Academies for their Government-University-Industry Research
Roundtable (GUIRR) meeting on the topic of "Science
and Engineering: Strategies for Capacity Building in Africa,
and Their Long-Term Impact on the U.S." (June 7,
2005) the Chemical Sciences Roundtable “Green Chemistry
and Engineering Education Workshop” (November 7-8,
2005).
He
has co-written one textbook (Fundamentals of Environmental
Engineering, 335 pages, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
New York, 1999) and devoted personal and professional
time in several countries working on community-based water
and sanitation projects. He is also a former AAAS/EPA
Environmental Policy Fellow and recently completed a project
supported by the State of Michigan to develop a middle
school math and science curriculum related to pollution
prevention and energy.
