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Civil and Environmental Engineering Faculty

Dr. Richard Watts

Richard Watts

Professor

Office:

Dana 211

Phone:

(509) 335-3761

Fax:

(509) 335-7632

Email:

rjwatts@wsu.edu

Education

  • Ph.D., Civil & Environmental Engineering, Utah State University, 1984
  • B.S., Environmental Toxicology, University of California, Davis, 1977

Certifications

  • Professional Civil Engineering, State of California, License No. C041234

Professional Experience

  • Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering, WSU, 1997-present
  • Associate Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering, WSU, 1990-97
  • Assistant Professor, University of Nevada, 1985-90
  • Environmental Engineer, Naval Energy and Environmental Support Activity, 1984-85
  • Research Assistant, Utah Water Research Laboratory, Utah State University, 1979-83

Awards

  • Outstanding Research Faculty, Civil & Environmental Engineering, 2008-09
  • Leon Luck Award, Civil & Environmental Engineering, WSU, 1995
  • Outstanding Research Faculty, Civil & Environmental Engineering, 1994
  • Outstanding Teaching Faculty, College of Engineering & Architecture, 1992
  • Award for Distinguished Service, ASCE, 1987
  • First Place, national Dissertation Competition, 1984
  • Special Recognition Award, Naval Energy & Environmental Support Activity, 1984
  • First Place, Utah Water Pollution Control Association Graduate Student Publication Contest, 1982, 1981
  • Outstanding Young Men in America, 1981
  • Who’s Who in American Colleges and University, 1980

Research Interests

  • Physicochemical treatment processes, particularly chemical oxidations applied to the treatment of contaminated soils and groundwater

Teaching

  • Hazardous Waste Treatment and Remediation
  • Hazardous Waste Engineering
  • Environmental Organic Chemistry

Publications

  • Mitchell, S. M., Ahmad, M., Teel, A. L., and Watts, R. J. 2013. Degradation of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) by Reactive Species Generated through Catalyzed H2O2 Propagation Reactions. Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ez4000862.
  • Ahmad, M., Teel, A. L., and Watts, R. J. 2013. Mechanism of Persulfate Activation by Phenols. Environ. Sci. Technol. 47:5864–5871.
  • Ahmad, M., Teel, A. L., Furman, O., and Watts, R. J., 2012. Oxidative and Reductive Pathways in Iron-Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) Activated Persulfate Systems. J. Environ. Engr. 138:411–418.
  • Furman, O., Teel, A. L., Ahmad, M., Merker, M. C., and Watts, R. J. 2011. Effect of Basicity on Persulfate Reactivity. J. Environ. Engr. 137:241–247.
  • Furman, O., Teel, A. L., and Watts, R. J. 2010. Mechanism of Base Activation of Persulfate. Environ. Sci. Technol. 44:6423–6428.
  • Ahmad, M., Teel, A. L., and Watts, R. J. 2010. Persulfate Activation by Subsurface Minerals. J. Contam. Hydrol. 115:34–45.
  • Furman, O., Teel, A. L., and Watts, R. J. 2010. Volume Reduction of Nonaqueous Media Contaminated with Polychlorinated Hydrophobic Organic Compounds Using Superoxide. J. Agric. Food Chem. 58:1838–1843
  • Furman, O., Laine, D. F., Blumenfeld, A., Teel, A. L., Shimizu, K., Cheng, I. F., and Watts, R. J. 2009. Enhanced Reactivity of Superoxide in Water-Solid Matrices. Environ. Sci. Technol. 43:1528–1533.