Profile of Daniel B. Oerther, PhD, PE, FCIEH, FAAN

Daniel B. Oerther, PhD, PE, FCIEH, FAAN

Professor of Environmental Health Engineering, Missouri S&T

Professor of Nursing (by courtesy), School of Nursing (SON), Duquesne University

Commissioner, Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Commission

Immediate Past President, Council of Engineering and Scientific Specialty Boards (CESB)

Views my own

Environmental Engineering 3.0 was articulated by Daniel B. Oerther and Sarah Oerther.

About

I am a scholar of Consilience+Convergence, dedicated to pursuing The Vanishing Point - the future where technology succeeds because it meets a system of caring.

As a Professor of both Engineering and Nursing, I lead the transition towards V-shaped professionalism where two or more disciplines pursue a deep scientific question or solve a pressing societal need. The framework leverages Benner’s I-shaped theory of novice to expert, transcends the T-shaped approach of InterProfessional Education (IPE), and introduces a Boyer pivot to advance pioneers, translators, and guides.

My own career provides cases of serial V-shaped professionalism, including: environmental biotechnology to optimize bioreactor performance; humanitarian technology to provide access to clean water and safe food through GRoWES (Global Research on Water Sanitation and Hygiene to Eliminate Stunting); science diplomacy to support livelihoods and food security in the face of a changing climate through COAST parametric insurance; the nurse+engineer prototype of STEMpathy; as well as transparency, accountability, and verifiability supporting ethical practice in an AI-first world.

As part of updating the definition of environmental engineering maintained by the U.S. Department of Labor and rewriting the field’s Body of Knowledge, my work – known as Environmental Engineering 3.0 – reframes the discipline to overcome the “care penalty” and prioritize a fiduciary responsibility to human flourishing. EE3.0 is anchored in a career of rigorous scholarship that has improved the lives of more than 500,000 people across four continents – including initiatives in Guatemala, Brazil, Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, India, Grenada, and St. Lucia as well as in communities in urban and rural America.

In an AI-mediated world, I postulate that the professional’s highest value is the accompaniment of humanity through integrated systems of care, or a convergence I call, “Ethical Stewardship“.

TRUST SIGNALS:

First engineer to hold dual lifetime honorary fellowships in both the American Academy of Nursing (FAAN) and the Academy of Nursing Education (ANEF).

NSF CAREER Award recipient; recognized in the Top 2% of the world’s most-cited scientists (Stanford-Elsevier) and most prolific in the SciVAL topic integrating health and environmental sustainability.

Three-time Fulbright recipient, Jefferson Science Fellow, and former Senior Science Advisor to the U.S. Secretary of State.

I welcome collaborations with those interested in transdisciplinary solutions to complex challenges, leveraging engineering, health, and policy to create measurable improvements for people and planet.