Paul Okweye’s Biographical Notes
Dr. Paul S. Okweye is an Environmental Chemist and Water Quality Specialist. He earned his doctorate
degree in 2009 from the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences, Alabama A&M
University. He has over 20 years of experience teaching General Chemistry; Applied Chemistry;
Environmental Chemistry; and Chemistry Research and Seminar as well as working as a researcher in
water quality and environmental protection through the Department of Physics, Chemistry and
Mathematics at Alabama A&M University (AAMU), USA.
Dr. Okweye is a member of:
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American Chemical Society (ACS)
American Chemical Society Division of Environmental Chemistry (ACS-ENVR)
American Water Resources Association (AWRA)
National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and
Chemical Engineers (NOBCChE)
1890s Land Grant Universities Water Quality Center (USDA-NIFA Research Group),
Virginia State University, Petersburg, Virginia.
Interdisciplinary Center for Health Sciences & Health Disparities and Materials
(ICHSHDM); USDA - Evans Allen Research Group since inception in 2010 with
renowned physicist - Dr. Mathew Edwards as its Director. The primary mission of
environmental scientific research at this center is to develop new and better ways of
providing the needs of Alabama's citizens, while protecting our natural resources for longterm sustainability.
1862s Southern Region Integrated Water Resources Coordinating Committee (SERA–43) to
foster multi-state, multi-disciplinary collaboration to address high priority water resource
issues.
Water Education Summit (WES) / North Carolina State University, North Carolina.
Research Interests:
Dr. Okweye’s research interests are focused on the structural mechanisms of toxicity and the development
of risk assessments for humans towards PPCPs, VOCs and heavy metals. He specializes in Water Quality
and Ecosystem Modeling and his current research interests include:
• Water Quality studies on drinking, surface and ground waters and the development of risk assessments.
• Water Quality modeling & remediation of contaminants in the environment.
• Bioaccumulation of mercury and other heavy metals in fish and risk assessment for humans.
• Tracking the fate and attenuation of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) and pharmaceutical and
personal care products (PPCPs) in ambient waters, and in depositional sediments.
The major thrust of his PhD research was applying hydrologic principles to fundamental problems of
chemical pollution in aquatic environments. Of particular interest are the influence of urbanization and
changes in land use/land cover; and prediction of risks of heavy metal and synthetic organic pollutants to
human health and benthic organisms in the Flint Creek and Flint River Watersheds of Northern Alabama.
He has been involved in several U.S. government agency projects dealing with Water Quality. Prof.
Okweye is an expert member of national agencies and panels dealing with human and environmental
toxicology (ACS-ENVR, USDA, Alabama Agency for Safety and Human Health, Environment and
Water Quality, and USEPA). Prof. Okweye has published a number of scientific papers and presented
over 100 oral communications in local, national and international scientific meetings. He is also the
author of several reports dealing with exposure and cumulative toxicity of PPCPs, HAA5, VOCs and
heavy metals.
Most Recent Research Publications:
a. Okweye, P.*, K. Garner and T. Tsegaye (2013). Occurrence and Assessment of Pharmaceuticals
and other Toxic Industrial Chemical Pollutants in the Lower Tennessee River Basin.
International Journal of Chemical, Environmental and Pharmaceutical Research. 4(1), pp. 3145, 2013. (Abstracted in CAS, American Chemical Society, USA and CAB (I), UK)
http://www.ijcepr.in/current-issue.html
b. Okweye, P.*, and K. Garner, (2013). Distribution and Seasonal Variation of Total Metals in
Surface Water of the Tennessee River Basin. International Journal of Agriculture and
Environmental Biotechnology. 6(1): pp. 31-38, 2013. - http://www.ndpublisher.in/IJAEB.htm
c. Okweye, P.*, (2013). Physicochemical Parameters and Heavy Metal Assessment in Surface
Water of the Wheeler Lake Basin. Research Journal of Chemistry and Environment. 17(3): pp.
67-77, 2013. - www.chemenviron.net
d. Okweye, P.*, and K. Golson-Garner, (2013). Assessment of Temporal Variation in Heavy Metals
and Water Quality in Rural and Urban Watersheds of a River Basin. Environmental Science and
Pollution Research – Springer Research Publishers. (manuscript screened and under peer
review) - http://link.springer.com/journal/11356
e. Okweye, P.*, K. Garner, T. Tsegaye, (2013). Factor-Cluster Analysis and Effect of Particle Size
on Total Recoverable Metal Concentration in Sediments of the Lower Tennessee River Basin.
International Journal of Environmental Engineering – InderScience Publishers. (manuscript
under peer review) - http://www.inderscience.com/info/inauthors.php
Book Publications:
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General Chemistry Laboratory Manuals, 1st and 2nd Edition- ISBN 0-534-62340-9, 2005.
Publishers: Cengage Publishers. 3rd Edition in press.
Okweye, P. and K. Bhat (co-authors). Laboratory Experiments for General Chemistry,
1st and 2nd Editions - Thomson/Brooks/Cole Publishers. (*This book had been in use for General
Chemistry Labs for over ten years)
ii. Okweye, P. and M. Gilmore (co-authors). General Chemistry Laboratories Part I (under review
by- McGraw Hill Publishers).
iii. Okweye, P. and M. Gilmore (co-authors). General Chemistry Laboratories Part II (under review
by McGraw Hill Publishers).
Recent Proposals funded:
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SAES-USDA-NIFA. Watershed-Based Environmental Decision Making on Climate Change
Impacts on Microbiological Water Quality and Public Health; Co-I (PI: Dr. Tsegaye);
($501,000.00) (Funded); 2008-2011.
National Science Foundation (NSF). Undergraduate Research and Mentoring in
Environmental Biology at Alabama A&M University (NSF); Research Mentor for Chemistry
Unit (PI: Dr. Sharma); 2011-2013. ($1,000,000.00) (Funded)
USDFA-Evans Allen. Contaminated Drinking Water in Triana, AL: Impacts on Human
Health and Wellness; Dr. Paul Okweye-PI, (Co-I: Dr. K. Golson-Garner); 2010-2011.
($20,000.00/year) (Funded)
USDA-Evans Allen. Distribution of Mercury in Flint Creek Watershed: Implications for
Mercury Bioaccumulation; Dr. Paul Okweye – PI, (Co-I: Dr. K. Golson-Garner); 20112012. ($21,200.00/year) (Funded)
USDA-NIFA. Water Quality Grant # 2010-38821-21614 for the support of a project entitled,
“Establishing 1890s Land Grant Universities Water Center”, 2012-2014. ($564,000.00)
(Funded)
Dr. Paul Okweye, Principal Collaborator: Submitted Subcontract Agreement between
Virginia State University and Alabama A&M University for multi-institutional/disciplinary
project that will establish virtual 1890s Water Center to showcase water and related activities
conducted at the above and eight other 1890s institutions in the areas of Research, Teaching,
and Extension.
*Submitted Mini-1 travel proposal to Portland, Oregon for $5,000.00 (Funded)
*Submitted Mini-2 research and extension proposal to above grant for $15,000.00 (Funded)
*Submitted Mini-3 research proposal to above grant for $25,000.00 (Funded)
USDA NIFA. (Co-PI). Capacity Building Grants Program (CBGP) for 1890 HBCU’s.
Award # 2012-38821-20091. Addressing Critical and Emerging Safety Issues in Human,
Animal, and Environmental Health through Extension and Outreach. ($249,437.00 for three
years) (Funded for 2013, 2014 and 2015)
Evans Allen. Seasonal Differences in Mercury Concentrations in Fish from Flint Creek
Alabama: Implications for Monitoring; Dr. Paul Okweye-PI, (Co-I: Dr. K. Golson-Garner);
2013-2014. ($19,000.00/year) (Funded)
Faculty Achievements / Accolades / Teachings:
a. American Chemical Society (ACS) committee on Education selected AAMU Chemistry Club
Faculty Advisors - Drs. Paul Okweye and Malinda Gilmore for special recognition for the
programs and activities described in their 2010-2011 annual reports. They were honored at the
243rd ACS National Meeting in San Diego, CA, March 25, 2012.
b. USDA-NIFA: Southern Regional Water Program Coordinator for AAMU - A Partnership of
USDA NIFA and Land Grant Colleges and Universities. http://srwqis.tamu.edu/programinformation/contacts/
c. Dr. Okweye is a regular invitee to the Board of Directors’ meetings by the Partnership-A-Drug
Free Community – Huntsville and Madison Counties Mayors’ Drug Take Back Coalition.
Paul Okweye, PhD.
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Alabama A&M University
Office: Carter Hall, Room 407
Phone: (256) 372 - 4931
E-mail: paul.okweye@aamu.edu