University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)
Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering
Overview of
Environmental Engineering Research
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http://engineering.unlv.edu/
Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering at UNLV
Dr. Rama Venkat
Dean, College of Engineering
Phone: (702) 895-1094
Email: Rama.Venkat@unlv.edu
Dr. Mohamed Trabia
Associate Dean, College of Engineering
Phone: (702) 895-0957
Email: Mohamed.Trabia@unlv.edu
Currently at UNLV, researchers are actively pursuing research in environmental
engineering. This research, which is funded by multiple agencies and industries,
specifically has addressed questions related to air and water quality.
We would like to introduce you to some of our researchers. Please feel to contact us if
we can help with future collaboration.
http://engineering.unlv.edu/
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Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Why UNLV?
UNLV is situated in the center of a metropolitan
area that is faced with serious challenges
related to the quality of air and water.
UNLV’s researchers have contributed steadily
to meet these challenges.
UNLV’s researchers have established strong
collaboration with federal and local agencies in
addition to developing strong partnerships with
industries.
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Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Faculty involved in Transportation Engineering Research
Dr. Sajjad Ahmad, P.E.
Associate Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Dr. Jacimaria Batista, P.E.
Associate Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Dr. David James
Associate Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Associate Vice Provost for Academic Programs and
Dr. Thomas Piechota
Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Associate Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research
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Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Dr. Sajjad Ahmad, P.E.
Associate Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Analysis of climate variability and change
Long lead time (> 1 year) forecasting of
stream flow and precipitation
Hydrologic and Hydraulic Modeling
Hydrologic parameters estimation (water
depth; soil moisture; flooding) using
Satellite Remote Sensing
Water Quality Modeling
Sustainable water management
Public health
Sustainable transportation
Phone: (702) 895-5456
Email: sajjad.ahmad@unlv.edu
Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Dr. Jacimaria Batista, P.E.
Associate Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Water and wastewater treatment
Water reuse
Water quality control
Adsorption processes and ion-exchange
technology
Biological nutrient removal
Bioregeneration of ion-exchange
Algal toxin treatment
Perchlorate treatment and remediation
Removal of arsenic, chromium, perchlorate,
selenium, uranium, and fluoride from water
Phone: (702) 895-1585
Email: jaci@ce.unlv.edu
Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Dr. David James
Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental
Engineering
Associate Vice Provost for Academic Programs
Paved road and vacant land
dust emissions
Dust control
Solar distillation
Light duty vehicle engine
starts
Phone: (702) 895-5804
Email: dave.james@unlv.edu
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Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Dr. Thomas Piechota
Associate Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research
Surface water hydrology
Stormwater quality in urban environments
Hydroclimatology
Water resources planning
Water resources
Geographic Information Systems
Sustainability in urban environments
Phone: (702) 895-4412
Email: thomas.piechota@unlv.edu
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Environmental Engineering Research
CV and Publications
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Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Dr. Sajjad Ahmad, P.E.
Associate Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Contact Information
College of Computer Science
Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)
Las Vegas, NV 89154-4019
Phone:
(702) 895-5456
Email:
sajjad.ahmad@unlv.edu
Specialties
Analysis of climate variability and change
Long lead time (> 1 year) forecasting of stream flow
and precipitation
Hydrologic and Hydraulic Modeling
Hydrologic parameters estimation (water depth; soil
moisture; flooding) using Satellite Remote Sensing
Water Quality Modeling
Sustainable water management
Public health
Sustainable transportation
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Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Dr. Sajjad Ahmad, P.E.
Recent Publications
• Arjun K. Venkatesan, Sajjad Ahmad, Walter Johnson and Jacimaria. R. Batista (2011), Salinity
Reduction and Energy Conservation in Direct and Indirect Potable Water Reuse, Desalination
doi:10.1016/j.desal.2011.01.007.
• Kamal Qaiser, Sajjad Ahmad, Walter Johnson and Jacimaria Batista (2011), Evaluating the impact of
water conservation on fate of outdoor water use: A study in an arid region, J of Environmental
Management 10.1016/j.jenvman.2011.03.031.
• Puri, S., Stephen, H., Ahmad, S. (2011), Relating TRMM Precipitation Radar Backscatter to Water
Stage in Wetlands, Journal of Hydrology, 401: 240-249
• William Forsee and Sajjad Ahmad (2011), Evaluating Urban Stormwater Infrastructure Design in
Response to Projected Climate Change, ASCE J of Hydrologic Engineering (in press).
• Sajjad Ahmad and Dinesh Prashar (2010), Evaluating Municipal Water Conservation Policies Using a
Dynamic Simulation Model, Water Resources Management 24(13): 3371-3395.
• Ajay Kalra and Sajjad Ahmad (2009), Using oceanic-atmospheric oscillations for long lead-time
stream flow forecasting, Water Resources Research, doi:10.1029/2008WR006855
• Mosquera-Machado S. C. and Ahmad S. (2007). Flood hazard assessment of Atrato river in
Colombia, Water Resources Management. 21: 591-609.
• Simonovic S. P. and Ahmad S. (2005), Computer-based model for flood evacuation emergency
planning, Natural Hazards, 34(1) 25-51.
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Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Dr. Jacimaria Batista, P.E.
Associate Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental
Engineering
Contact Information
Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)
Las Vegas, NV 89154-4026
Phone:
(702) 895-1585
Email:
jaci@ce.unlv.edu
Specialties
Water and wastewater treatment
Water reuse
Water quality control
Adsorption processes and ion-exchange technology
Biological nutrient removal
Bioregeneration of ion-exchange
Algal toxin treatment
Perchlorate treatment and remediation
Removal of arsenic, chromium, perchlorate, selenium, uranium, and
fluoride from water
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Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Dr. Jacimaria Batista, P.E.
Recent Publications
• Eleuterio, L. & Batista, J. R. (2010), Biodegradation studies and sequencing of microcystin-LR degrading
bacteria, Toxicon, 55(8), 1434-1442.
• Venkatesan A.K., Sharbatmaleki M., & Batista J.R. (2010), Bioregeneration of perchlorate-laden gel-type
anion-exchange resin in a fluidized bed reactor, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 177: 730-737.
• Batista J.R., Howerton A., & Jensen P.,(2007), Bioregeneration of perchlorate/nitrate-contaminated ion-
exchange resins, Battelle Press - 9th International In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Symposium, 2:
1358-1364.
• Bohlke J.K., Sturchio N.C., Gu B., Horita J., Brown G.M., Jackson W.A., & Batista J. (2005), Perchlorate
isotope forensics, Analytical Chemistry, 77(23), 7838-7842.
• Gingras T.M. & Batista J.R. (2002), Biological reduction of perchlorate in ion exchange regenerant
solutions containing high salinity and ammonium levels, Journal of Environmental Monitoring, 4(1), 96101.
• Loreto D., Batista J., Piechota T., & Singh V. (2002), Impacts of dust suppressant on the quality of urban
runoff from disturbed lands, Global Solutions for Urban Drainage, 1-18.
• Batista J.R., McGarvey F.X., Vieira A.R. (1999), The removal of perchlorate from waters using ion
exchange resins, ACS Division of Environmental Chemistry, Preprints, 39(2), 84-87.
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Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Dr. David James
Associate Vice Provost for Academic Programs
Contact Information
Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)
Las Vegas, NV 89154-4026
Phone:
(702) 895-5804
Email:
dave.james@unlv.edu
Specialties
Paved road and vacant land dust emissions
Dust control
Solar distillation
Light duty vehicle engine starts
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Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Dr. David James
Recent Publications
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China, S. and D. James, 2011. “Comparison of Laser-Based and Sand Patch Measurements of
Pavement Surface Macrotexture”, Accepted for publication in ASCE Journal of Transportation
Engineering
Santos, Noe, Aly Said, David James, N.H. Venkatesh, “Comparing Multivariate Regression and
Artificial Neural Networks ” Proceedings of the 2011 American Solar Energy Society Annual
Conference, May 2011, Raleigh, North Carolina
James, David, V. Vasudevan, P. Xi, S. Pulugurtha, D. Chan, and A. Kaiparambil, 2009, “Development
of MOBILE Vehicle Fleet Activity Input Files for Metropolitan Southern Nevada Using On-Board Data
Loggers” Transportation Research Board 88th Annual Meeting
Teng, H. V. Kwigizile, M. Karakouzian, D. James, V. Etyemezian, 2008. “Investigation of the AP-42
Sampling Method,” Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association, v.58:1422–1433
Teng, H. V. Kwigizile, D. James and R. Merle, 2007. “Identifying Influencing Factors on Paved Roads
Silt Loading,” Journal of the Air and Waste Management Association, v.57:778–784
Pulugurtha, S. and D. James, 2006, Estimating Windblown PM-10 Emissions Using GIS”, in the
Journal of Hazardous Materials, Special Edition on Generation and Control of Hazardous Dusts from
Geologic Media, Hilary I. Inyang, Guest Editor. Elsevier Press
James, David, N.H. Venkatesh, H. Hay, “Comparative Evaluation Of Effects Of Alternative Covers
And Movable Insulation On Thermal And Water Recovery Performance Of Solar Stills” Proceedings
of the 2006 American Solar Energy Society Annual Conference, July 2006, Denver, Colorado
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Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Dr. Thomas Piechota
Associate Vice President for Interdisciplinary Research
Contact Information
Howard R. Hughes College of Engineering
University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV)
Las Vegas, NV 89154
Phone:
(702) 895-4412
Email:
thomas.piechota@unlv.edu
Specialties
Surface water hydrology
Stormwater quality in urban environments
Hydroclimatology
Water resources planning
Water resources
Geographic Information Systems
Sustainability in urban environments
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Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Dr. Thomas Piechota
Recent Publications
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Lamb, K.W., T.C. Piechota, O.A. Aziz, and G.A. Tootle, 2011. A Basis For Extending Long-Term Streamflow Forecasts
In The Colorado River Basin. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, in press
Tootle, G.T., T.C. Piechota, O. Aziz, W.P. Miller, V. Lakshmi, J.A. Dracup, C. Jerla, 2009. 2009-2010 El Niño:
Hydrologic Relief for Parts of the U.S.?. EOS Transactions, 90(50), 481-292.
Tang, C., T. Piechota, 2009. Spatial and Temporal Soil Moisture and Drought Variability in the Upper Colorado River
Basin. Journal of Hydrology, 279(2009), 122-135.
Timilsena, J., T. Piechota, G. Tootle., and A. Singh, 2009. Associations of Interdecadal/Interannual Climate Variability
and Long-Term Colorado River Basin Streamflow. Journal of Hydrology, 365 (2009), 289-301
Miller, W.P., and T.C. Piechota, 2008. Regional Analysis of Trend and Step Changes Observed in Hydroclimatic
Variables Around the Colorado River Basin. Journal of Hydrometeorology, 9(5), 1020-1034.
Timilsena, J., and T.C. Piechota, 2008. Regionalization and Reconstruction of Snow Water Equivalent in the Upper
Colorado River Basin. Journal of Hydrology, DOI 10.1016/j.jhydrol.2007.12.024.
Tootle, G.A., T.C. Piechota, and F. Gutiérrez, 2008. The Relationships between Pacific and Atlantic Ocean Sea
Surface Temperatures and Colombian Streamflow Variability. Journal of Hydrology, 349(3-4,)268-276. DOI
10.1016/j.jhydrol.2007.10.058.
Timilsena, J., T.C. Piechota, H. Hidalgo, G. Tootle, 2007. Five Hundred Years of Hydrological Drought in the Upper
Colorado River Basin. Journal of American Water Resources Association, 43(3), 798-812.
Tootle, G.A., A.K. Singh, T.C. Piechota, and I. Farnham, 2007. Long Lead Time Forecasting of U.S. Streamflow using
Partial Least Squares Regression. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 12(5), 442.
Tootle, G.A., and T.C. Piechota, 2006. The Relationships between Pacific and Atlantic Ocean Sea Surface
Temperatures and U.S. Streamflow Variability, Water Resources Research, 42(7), W07411.
Tootle, G.A., T.C. Piechota, and A.K. Singh, 2005. Coupled Interdecadal and Interannual Oceanic / Atmospheric
Variability and United States Streamflow. Water Resources Research, 41(12), W12408.
Reginato, M., and T.C. Piechota. 2004. Nutrient Contribution of Nonpoint Source Runoff in the Las Vegas Valley,
Journal of American Water Resources Association, 40(6), 1537-1552.
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Environmental Engineering Research at the HRH College of Engineering, UNLV
Additional Resources
Water Resources Laboratory http://www.ce.unlv.edu/~piechota/wrl/index.htm
http://engineering.unlv.edu/
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