Cal Poly Experts Directory - Environmental Design
Climate • Electromagnetic Fields • Environmental Ethics • Environmental Politics •Natural Resources • Noise Pollution • Pollution Cleanup & Restoration • Waste Treatment & Renewable Energy
Climate
William Preston, Ph.D.
Professor of Geography
(805) 756-2210/2752 e-mail: wpreston@calpoly.edu
Special interest in environmental change in California.
Current research on environmental history of California, Native Californians and colonial wildlife.
Author of a book on the San Joaquin Valley and several articles on Native Californians.
Areas of expertise:
* human impact on the Earth: salinization, desertification, deforestation
* climate change and greenhouse warming
* historical geography of the San Joaquin Valley
* Native Californians: Yokuts, San Joaquin Valley
Electromagnetic Fields
Saul Goldberg, Ph.D.
Professor of Electrical Engineering
(805) 756-2441/2781 e-mail: sgoldber@calpoly.edu
Co-author of Power Frequency Magnetic Fields and Public Health (1985).
Consultant and expert witness for U.S. Justice Dept. and U.S. Attorney Office.
Consultant for Lawrence Livermore National Labs on electric power projects.
Consultant for Pacific Gas and Electric on reliability and modeling of electric distribution systems.
Consultant for California Public Utility Commission.
Consultant for Sea World in San Diego to analyze design for new electric distribution system.
Author, more than 35 technical articles, professional papers.
Served as director of the Cal Poly Electric Power Institute for 15 years.
Areas of expertise:
* electric power transmission and distribution
* modeling and simulation of power systems
* power-frequency magnetic fields / electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and public health
* analysis of power systems using electromagnetic transients program
David Hafemeister, Ph.D.
Professor of Physics, Emeritus
On leave 2000-2001 in Washington, D.C.
(202) 334-2868 e-mail: dhafemei@nas.edu
Recipient, The American Physical Society's 1996 Leo Szilard Award for Physics in the Public Interest. Chairman, American Physical Society Panel on Public Affairs (1996). Staff science adviser on the spread of nuclear material, U.S. Senate Governmental Affairs Committee (1992-93).
Staff technical lead on Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty I and II, Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty, nuclear test-ban treaties, and other arms-control matters, U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (1990-92).
Expert witness on nuclear arms issues, testimony before Senate Foreign Relations Committee (1988). Technical lead, nuclear testing issues, U.S. State Dept. (1987). Special assistant to the undersecretary of state for security assistance, science and technology, expert consultant to the deputy assistant secretary of state for nuclear nonproliferation policy, U.S. State Department (1977-79). Science adviser to Sen. John Glenn (1975-77).
Areas of expertise:
* the physics of nuclear weapons
* nuclear arms control treaties and compliance
* Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) I and II
* nuclear test bans
* Conventional Forces in Europe Treaty
* electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and public health
William F. Horton, Ph.D.
Professor of Electrical Engineering
(805) 756-1426/2781 e-mail: whorton@calpoly.edu
Senior member, Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers.
Author, articles on reliability of electrical distribution systems.
Co-author of Power Frequency Magnetic Fields and Public Health (1995).
Areas of expertise:
* magnetic fields
* reliability of electrical distribution systems
* characterizations of magnetic fields from transmission and distribution lines, transformers, sub-stations, and electrical appliances
Environmental Ethics
Tal Scriven, Ph.D.
Professor of Philosophy
(805) 756-1397/2041 e-mail: tscriven@calpoly.edu
Visiting fellow & professor, U. of Colorado, Boulder ('90-91).
Author of Wrongness, Wisdom and Wilderness.
Author of several articles on environmental ethics, philosophy of economics, political philosophy and social decision theory (including game-theoretic analysis).
Areas of expertise:
* environmental ethics
* philosophy of art
Environmental Politics
Richard Kranzdorf, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science
(805) 756-2842/2984 e-mail: rkranzdo@calpoly.edu
Co-author of book chapter on Africa in The Other World: Issues and Politics in the Third World (4th ed., 2000).
Summer Fulbright awards, Poland & Hungary (1995) and Pakistan (1990).
Areas of expertise:
* national and international environmental politics
* African politics
* globalization
Allen Settle, Ph.D.
Professor of Political Science
(805) 756-2624/2984 / e-mail: asettle@calpoly.edu
Co-author of public administration text and contributor to three textbooks on emergency management.
Mayor, former council member, and former planning commissioner, city of San Luis Obispo.
Areas of expertise:
* urban affairs
* FEMA and legal issues
* elections and campaigns
* election surveys
* public opinion
* ballot measures
* government policy
* municipal and intergovernmental relations
* land-use planning and litigation
* civil and urban law
* public finance
Natural Resources
David Chipping, Ph.D.
Professor of Geology
(805) 756-1695/2448 e-mail: dchippin@calpoly.edu
Author of Geology of San Luis Obispo County.
Consultant to Regional Water Quality Control Board, California Fish & Game Department and Coastal Conservancy on groundwater and other topics.
Areas of expertise:
* geology
* earthquakes and other earth hazards
* geohydrology
* mine reclamation
* general identification of geologic problems
* evaluation of water resources
* geology and distribution of plant communities
Timothy G. O'Keefe, Ph.D.
Professor of Forestry
(805) 756-2021 / (805) 756-2702 e-mail: tokeefe@calpoly.edu
Fellow, Society of American Foresters (SAF); SAF-certified forester.
Certified arborist, International Society of Arboriculture.
Researcher, U.S. Forest Service.
Special interest in distance-learning technology.
Author of several brochures about urban forestry, urban stream management, wood energy, and agroforestry.
Continued work in international forestry; presented research in Finland and Holland (1996).
Member, Eucalyptus Improvement Association, Upper Salinas-Las Tablas Resource Conservation District, California Urban Forestry Council, International Union of Forest Research Organizations.
Director, Agroforestry/Community Forestry Project, Forest Products Research Society.
Areas of expertise:
* international tropical hardwood management
* city tree management
* urban interface fire management
* use of wood residue as energy supplements
* "smart wood"
* wood recycling; use of green tree waste
* use of trees in agriculture and ranching to improve yields
* holistic ecosystem management, including tree harvesting and endangered species
* trees and air quality
* Christmas tree/wood-lot management
* biodiversity and ethics
* technology transfer
* extended education in forestry
John C. Phillips, Ph.D.
Professor of Crop Science
(805) 756-6146/1237 e-mail: jphillip@calpoly.edu
Member, American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, Soil Science Society of America.
Creator of curriculum featuring interdisciplinary team-taught courses.
Areas of expertise:
* chickpea (garbanzo) production
* agricultural ecology
* soil and water conservation
* soil quality
* holistic management
* agricultural systems and cropping systems
Doug Piirto, Ph.D.
Professor of Forestry
(805) 756-2968/2702 e-mail: dpiirto@calpoly.edu
Author of 10 textbook study guides, two detailed Web-page-enhanced courses, and more than 87 articles and reports.
Registered professional forester in California; Forest Service-certified silviculturist.
Recipient, Dole Outstanding Teacher Award, College of Agriculture (1995).
Recipient of the 2000 Plant Science Award for Outstanding Service to Cal Poly's College of Agriculture.
Forestry project director, Cal Poly's Swanton Pacific Ranch (near Santa Cruz).
Member, planning committees, Coast Redwood Conference (1992) and Giant Sequoia Conference (1996).
Expert witness for congressional and state legislative committees.
Areas of expertise:
* silviculture practices
* forest protection and products
* pest management
* wood properties and quality
* fire ecology
* giant sequoia and coast redwood
* uneven-aged forest management
* environmental impact analysis
James R. Vilkitis, Ph.D.
Professor of Natural Resources Management
(805) 756-1262/2702 e-mail: jvilkiti@calpoly.edu
Director, Cal Poly Coastal Resources Institute.
Consultant.
Author of a habitat management and monitoring plan for endangered species.
Research: constructed wetlands to abate point- and non-point-source pollution.
Named among American Men & Women in Science (1997).
Author of Development in Harmony with Natural Systems, a symposium on oak woodlands.
Areas of expertise:
* environmental impact analysis
* natural resources planning and management
* National Environmental Policy Act and California Environmental Quality Act
* habitat and environmental audits
* environmental and social impact inventories and analysis
* policy planning
* habitat conservation plans
* endangered species and wetlands
* interpretative signage
* environmental ethics
Noise Pollultion
David Dubbink, Ph.D.
Professor of City and Regional Planning
(805) 756-1474/1315 e-mail: ddubbink@calpoly.edu
Recipient, American Planning Association Award for Technological Innovation (1993).
Author of many articles on community noise management.
Consultant to FAA, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, Transport Canada, and National Environmental Office of Germany.
Member, American Planning Association, American Institute of Certified Planners, and International Association for Impact Assessment.
Former director, California Coastal Commission and California Tahoe Regional Planning Commission.
Areas of expertise:
* airport noise compatibility planning
* growth management
* environmental planning
* city planning
Pollution, Cleanup and Restoration
Raul J. Cano, Ph.D.
Professor of Biology
(805) 756-1358/2788 e-mail: rcano@calpoly.edu
Director, Cal Poly Environmental Biotechnology Institute and Unocal Professor of Environmental Studies. Recipient, American Academy of Microbiology's 1997 Carski Foundation Distinguished Teaching Award. Contributor to four textbooks and author of more than 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals, including papers announcing the first revival of Dinosaur-Age bacteria (1995) and the first extraction, from insects preserved in amber, of viable Dinosaur-Age DNA (1993).
Isolated bacterial DNA from lung tissue of Copper Age "Iceman" found in 1991 in Tyrolean Alps. Fellow, American Academy of Microbiology, and member, American Society for Microbiology, Society for Industrial Microbiology and American Association for the Advancement of Science. Consultant to four biotech companies and San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office and certified public health microbiologist. Visiting researcher at hospitals in Seville and Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Fluent in Spanish.
Areas of expertise:
* molecular evolution and paleobiology
* molecular diagnostics
* microbial diversity
* transmission, diagnosis and prevention of disease
* fossil DNA and DNA typing
* forensic biology--use of biology in criminal investigations
* revival of ancient one-celled organisms such as bacteria
* food microbiology
* Listeria, a pathogen found in dairy products and other food
* detection of Salmonella and other disease-causing agents
* sexually transmitted diseases
* bioremediation -- using bacteria and natural processes to clean up oil spills and other contamination
* botanical remediation -- using native plants to restore polluted areas
Harold Cota, Ph.D.
Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering
(805) 756-2559/2947 e-mail: hcota@calpoly.edu
Director, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency West Coast Training Center.
Member, California Air Resources Board Research Screening Committee.
Fellow, Air & Waste Management Association.
Diplomate, American Academy of Environmental Engineering.
Registered professional engineer.
Contributor to four books on various environmental Engineering subjects.
Areas of expertise:
* air pollution control
* hazardous waste management
* noise control: measurement, acceptable levels, and modeling
Christopher Kitts, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
(805) 756-2949/2788 e-mail: ckitts@calpoly.edu
Associate Director, Cal Poly Environmental Biotechnology Institute.
Teaches introductory microbiology, microbial physiology, microbial ecology.
Researcher in variety of topics from petroleum bioremediation to bacteria in milk powder, including E. coli contamination and intestinal microbial communities.
Areas of expertise:
* microbial physiology and ecology
* structure and dynamics of microbial communities
* petroleum bioremediation / using bacteria to clean up oil spills
* intestinal microbial communities
* tracking E. coli and other bacterial contamination in the environment
Daniel J. Levi, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Psychology
(805) 756-6159/2033 e-mail: dlevi@calpoly.edu
Author of more than 30 published articles on the human impact of technology, manufacturing technology, electronic mail, computer-integrated manufacturing, and concurrent engineering.
Current research on workers' responses to technology in the U.S. and Japan.
Areas of expertise:
* technology and society
* psychological impact of computers and other technology in factories and offices
* social impact of, and individuals' response to toxic contamination and technologies to clean it up
* social and environmental effects of computer use and the Internet
* relationship between Internet use and an individual's relationship to the natural environment
Thomas J. Rice, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Soil Science
(805) 756-2420/2261 e-mail: trice@calpoly.edu
Certified professional soil scientist.
Author of Land Use Planning (1994) and Soil Resource Inventory (1995) lab manuals.
Author of Clean Lakes Assistance Program for Lake Nacimiento (1994) and Morro Bay Watershed Monitoring Program (1994) and professional journal articles on soil science and soil geomorphology.
Consultant and expert witness in cases involving land development and subdivisions, soil erosion, personal injury due to landslide, water quality monitoring, and mercury and chromium levels in stream sediments.
Areas of expertise:
* soil resource inventories
* soil classification and mapping
* environmental assessment of soil
* environmental and water quality monitoring
* land-use management
* wetlands characterization
* mineralogical analysis
* agricultural management
Waste Treatment & Renewable Energy
Robert Lang, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Civil & Environmental Engineering
(805) 756-2137/2947 e-mail: rland@calpoly.edu
Member, American Society of Civil Engineers.
Registered professional engineer.
Areas of expertise:
* water and wastewater management
* computer modeling of contaminant transport in the environment
Donald E. Morgan, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus of Industrial & Manufacturing Engineering
(805) 756-2341 e-mail: dmorgan@calpoly.edu
Consultant to Pertamina Oil Co., Indonesia, in continuing education.
Developed conceptual design of space habitation for 10,000 for NASA.
Member, American Institute of Industrial Engineers and the Human Factors Society.
Areas of expertise:
* industrial and municipal wastes disposal
* grey water purification and utilization
* salt water desalination
* waste treatment and renewable energy
* management
* space habitations
* maintenance management
* business re-engineering
* product quality management
* mathematical modallins
* desalination and wastewater reclamation
* human factors and ergonomics
Douglas W. Williams, Ph.D.
Professor of Agricultural Engineering
(805) 756-6153/2378 e-mail: dwwillia@calpoly.edu
Recent grants totaling $160,000 to demonstrate technology for methane recovery and conversion into electricity.
Member, American Society of Agricultural Engineers.
Professional mechanical engineer.
Author of articles on anaerobic digestion of agricultural wastes, including "Construction and Operation of a Covered Lagoon Methane Recovery System for a Flush Dairy," "Design of a Municipal Solid Waste Anaerobic Digester System at Folsom Prison" and "Anaerobic Treatment of Flushed Dairy Manure for Pollution Control and Energy Recovery."
Expert witness in farm machinery accidents.
Areas of expertise:
* renewable energy and sustainable agricultural concepts
* biomass energy from agricultural and other organic wastes
* anaerobic digestion technology
* treatment of agricultural wastewater
* composting of organic wastes
* ozonation of hazardous wastes
* farm machinery accidents
* energy use in agriculture
* precision farming