NRC Water Science and Technology Board and the Board on Environmental Studies and Toxicology. Dr. O’Melia earned a Ph.D. in Sanitary Engineering from the University of Michigan. In 1989, Dr. O’Melia was elected to the National Academy of Engineering for significant contributions to the theories of coagulation, flocculation, and filtration leading to improved water-treatment practices throughout the world.

Robert E. Pitt is the Cudworth Professor of Urban Water Systems in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Alabama (UA). He is also Director of the UA interdisciplinary Environmental Institute. Dr. Pitt’s research concerns the effects, sources, and control of urban runoff, which has resulted in numerous development management plans, stormwater ordinances, and design manuals. Dr. Pitt has also developed and tested procedures to recognize and reduce inappropriate discharges of wastewaters to separate storm drainages. He has investigated the sources and control of stormwater toxicants and examined stormwater effects on groundwater. He has also carried out a number of receiving water impact studies associated with stormwater. These studies have included a variety of field monitoring activities, including water and sediment quality, fish and benthos taxonomic composition, and laboratory toxicity tests. His current research includes developing a nationwide database of national stormwater permit information and conducting comprehensive evaluations of these data. Dr. Pitt received a B.S. in engineering science from Humboldt State University, an M.S. in civil engineering from San Jose State University, and a Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Wisconsin.

Edward T. Rankin is an Environmental Management Associate with Ohio University at the Institute for Local Government Administration and Rural Development (ILGARD) which is the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs located in Athens, Ohio. He had previously been a Senior Research Associate in the Center for Applied Bioassessment and Biocriteria within the Midwest Biodiversity Institute (MBI). Prior to 2002, he was an aquatic ecologist with Ohio EPA for almost 18 years. Mr. Rankin’s research centers around the effects of stormwater and other urban stressors on aquatic life, development and application of stream habitat assessment methodologies, development and application of biological criteria and biological-based chemical criteria for aquatic life, and improving the accuracy of total maximum daily loads for nutrients and sediment. He is particularly interested in the application of research to management of aquatic life issues and has extensive experience with the development of tiered aquatic life uses and use attainability analyses in streams. Mr. Rankin received his B.S. in biology from St. Bonaventure University and his M.S. in zoology from The Ohio State University.