Daniel Oerther

Daniel Barton Oerther (born October 11, 1972) is an American Professor. He is best known for leadership bridging engineering and nursing to advance environmental health practice through science diplomacy. Oerther uses 16S ribosomal RNA-targeted techniques for fundamental studies of the ecology of bacteria in engineered and natural systems. He promotes transdisciplinarity among engineers, nurses, and sanitarians to improve access to clean water, nutritious food, and energy efficiency in developing communities. And Oerther practices innovation in the scholarship of teaching and learning.
Life and education.
Born in Columbus, OH, Oerther grew up in Louisville, KY, and graduated from Saint Xavier High School. He earned a Baccalaureate of Arts (BA) in Biological Sciences (1995) and a Baccalaureate of Sciences (BS) in Environmental Engineering (1995) from Northwestern University. He earned a Masters of Science (MS) in Environmental Engineering (1998) and a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) (2002) from the University of Illinois. He completed post-doctoral training in microbial ecology at the Marine Biological Laboratory, environmental health at the University of Cincinnati, public health at The Johns Hopkins University, and public administration at Indiana University.
Employment.
University of Cincinnati.
From 2000 through 2009, Oerther was a member of the faculty of the University of Cincinnati where he served as Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. At Cincinnati, he established the Ohio Center of Excellence in Advanced Energy: Sustaining the Urban Environment, created a campus-wide minor in sustainability, and founded a student chapter of Engineers Without Borders. Oerther's recognition at Cincinnati included being named an inaugural Master Engineering Educator in the College of Engineering, being named an inaugural member of the University-wide Academy of Fellows for Teaching and Learning, and being named a recipient of the President's Excellence Award from Nancy L. Zimpher in 2007.
Missouri University of Science and Technology.
In 2010, Oerther joined the faculty of the Missouri University of Science and Technology as the John A. and Susan Mathes Endowed Chair of Environmental Engineering. At Missouri, he promoted the Solar Village, established the Diplomacy Lab program on campus, and led student study-abroad to Kenya, India, and Brazil. Oerther's recognition at Missouri includes being named the recipient of the Missouri University of Science and Technology's Faculty Service Learning Award, the University of Missouri System's C. Brice Ratchford Fellowship for advancing the institution's land grant mission, and the University of Missouri System's President's Award for Cross-Cultural Engagement from Mun Choi in 2017.
United States Department of State.
From 2014–2019, Oerther was a Foreign Affairs Officer at the United States Department of State in the Secretary's Office of Global Food Security where he provided expert advice on agricultural policy. At State, he led the creation of COAST - the Caribbean Oceans and Aquaculture Sustainability faciliTy. Oerther represented the United States at the Second International Conference on Nutrition, the launch of the Blue Growth Network in St. George's, Grenada, the second Our Ocean Conference in Valparaiso, Chile, and the 43rd plenary session of the Committee on World Food Security in Rome, Italy. For his efforts to create COAST, in 2015 he was recognized with a Meritorious Honor Award by Ambassador Nancy Stetson. Oerther's additional recognitions from the State Department include the 2005 Fulbright-Nehru Scholar to the Indian Institute of Science, India, the 2012 Fulbright-ALCOA Distinguished Chair to the Federal University of Western Para, Brazil, the 2014 Jefferson Science Fellowship, the 2017 "New Frontiers of Global Public Health" Alumni Thematic International Exchange Seminar (Alumni TIES), and the 2019 Fulbright Scholar to King's College London, UK.
American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists.
In 2013, Oerther joined the Board of Trustees of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists as Treasurer. He was elected Vice President in 2019, and will lead the Academy as President-elect (2021), President (2022), and Past-president through 2023. His recognition from the Academy includes the 2009 University Research Honor Award for, "Improved water quality in northwest Tanzania," the 2014 Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science Education Award, the 2016 Superior Achievement Award for, "Improved water quality in Ixcan, Guatemala," the 2018 Stanley E. Kappe Award, and the 2020 Environmental Sustainability Honor Award for, "COAST: Caribbean Ocean and Aquaculture Sustainability faciliTy." Throughout 2020, Oerther served as the Academy's Kappe Distinguished Lecturer delivering two different lectures to universities around the world. The first lecture presented his work with nurses using community based participatory research to eliminate childhood stunting in Guatemala through the GRoWES project, and the second lecture presented his work with the World Bank using science diplomacy to promote climate resilience and food security in the Caribbean through the COAST parametric insurance product.
Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.
In 2011, Oerther was inducted as a lifetime honorary member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (2011). From 2011-2013, he was appointed to the Presidential Task Force to secure Special Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. From 2013-2017, Oerther was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Sigma Theta Tau International Building Corporation, and he was reappointed to a second term from 2017-2021. In 2019, Oerther was elected Treasurer of the Building Corporation.
Political appointments.
In 2007, Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory (D) appointed Oerther to the Climate Protection Steering Committee, which created the first Green Cincinnati Plan. Mallory also appointed Oerther to co-chair the Cincinnati Food Access Task Force, which created the first comprehensive plan to eliminate food deserts in Cincinnati. In 2014, Oerther was appointed to the Green Practices Commission of the City of University City, Missouri. Oerther was elected to the Phelps County, Missouri Extension Council, and served from 2017 to 2019. Missouri Governor Eric Greitens (R) recommended Oerther for appointment to the Missouri Board of Nursing in 2018. In 2020, Oerther was appointed to the Missouri Hazardous Waste Commission by Governor Mike Parson (R).
Additional appointments.
Oerther is a Visiting Professor at the Institute of Science and Technology for Advanced Studies and Research, Gujarat, India; an Adjunct Professor in the School of Life Sciences, Manipal University in Karnataka, India; a Faculty Consultant at Future University in Egypt. He was previously an Adjunct Professor at UFOPA and a visiting scholar at King's College London.
Oerther is a member of the Board of Trustees and Deputy Chair of the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (2020-2022), and a member of the Board of Directors of Engineers Without Borders – USA (2021-2024). Previously he was a member of the Board of Directors and the Chief Information Officer of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (2007-2010).
Oerther is an Associate Editor of the "Journal of Environmental Engineering", published by the American Society of Civil Engineers, and a member of the International Advisory Board of "Perspectives in Public Health", published by the Royal Society for Public Health. Previously he was an Associate Editor of the journal, "Water Environment Research", published by the Water Environment Federation.
In the United States, Oerther is a Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing (2016), the Academy of Nursing Education of the National League for Nursing (2018), and the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (2020).
In the United Kingdom, Oerther is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (2017), the Royal Society for Public Health (2017), the Society of Environmental Engineers (2018), the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (2018), and the Society of Operations Engineers (2020).
Social Entrepreneurship.
Oerther has practiced award-winning social entrepreneurship by implementing the UN MDGs and the UN SDGs to achieve sustainable development, local to global. His efforts span multiple areas, including:
Food security and nutrition.
Oerther co-led studies to address food deserts in urban Cincinnati, and rural Missouri. And he has worked to eliminate childhood stunting in Brazil, Guatemala, and South Africa through the Global Research on WaSH - water, sanitation, and hygiene - to Eliminate childhood Stunting (GRoWES) project.
Health and well-being.
Oerther helped to design, finance, construct, and equip community health clinics in Tanzania and Ghana.
Water, sanitation, and hygiene.
Oerther helped bring clean drinking water and community latrines to villages in Kenya, Tanzania, and India.
Decent work.
Oerther co-founded PulaCloud, LLC to bring entry-level jobs in human computation supporting the knowledge-economy to Kenya and to rural Missouri.
Housing.
Oerther and his family demonstrated small-home living in Missouri.
Protecting the ocean.
Oerther helped to design and launch an innovative parametric insurance product, which aims to formalize the artisanal fishing sector throughout the Caribbean as a way of improving governance and sustainable management of catch fisheries.
Scholarly Activities.
Oerther is a proponent of Boyer's model of scholarship in higher education, including: discovery, integration, engagement, and teaching. Examples of his scholarly activities include:
Environmental Biotechnology.
Oerther is part of a diverse team of faculty pioneering discovery in the field of environmental biotechnology – where 16S ribosomal RNA-targeted techniques and microbial genomics are used to advance the fundamental understanding of ecology in engineered and natural systems used by environmental engineers and scientists to treat water, soils, and gases. His contributions have included:
Interprofessional Environmental Health.
Oerther leads integrated teams of engineers, nurses, and other health care professionals to work alongside developing communities around the world as part of community-based participatory research (CBPR). His contributions have included:
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning.
Oerther studies how to bring course content and pedagogical approaches from diverse fields to improve student learning in environmental engineering and science. His contributions have included:
Awards.
Oerther's awards include:
Bibliography.
Oerther has more than 100 publications listed on Scopus that have been cited a total of more than 2,000 times, giving him an h-index of more than 20. Examples of his most-cited articles include: