Daniel Oerther

Daniel Barton Oerther (born October 11, 1972) is an American social entrepreneur, diplomat, and Professor of Environmental Health Engineering. He is best known for the use of 16S ribosomal RNA-based techniques to study the ecology of bacteria in natural and engineered systems and for the creation and evaluation of programs and policies to promote access to clean water and nutritious food in developing communities.

Born in Columbus, OH, Oerther grew up in Louisville, KY, and graduated from Saint Xavier High School. In 1995, he earned a Baccalaureate of Arts in Biological Sciences and a Baccalaureate of Sciences in Environmental Engineering, both from Northwestern University. In 1998, he completed a Masters of Science in Environmental Engineering, and he completed his doctorate in Environmental Engineering in 2002, both from the University of Illinois. Since being awarded his doctorate, Oerther has studied Microbial Ecology at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Public Health at The Johns Hopkins University, and Public Administration at Indiana University.

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 the University of Cincinnati, Oerther established the Ohio Center of Excellence in Advanced Energy: Sustaining the Urban Environment. He created a campus-wide minor in sustainability, and he founded a student chapter of Engineers Without Borders.

Oerther's service in the Cincinnati community included designing the Green Learning Station at the Civic Garden Center, establishing an urban community garden, and co-chairing a Food Access Task Force for Mayor Mark Mallory to identify strategies to combat urban food deserts. To compliment efforts in sustainable development focused in Cincinnati, Oerther also collaborated with engineers in Kenya, health professionals and architects in Tanzania, and a faith-based non profit in Guatemala to learn about and practice sustainable development.

Since 2010, Oerther has been a member of the faculty of the Missouri University of Science and Technology where he held the John A. and Susan Mathes Endowed Chair of Environmental Engineering. At the Missouri University of Science and Technology, Oerther has promoted the Solar Village and appeared in a documentary that describes sustainability practices at the University. He established the Diplomacy Lab program on campus.

Oerther with Secretary Kerry and Jefferson Science Fellows

Since 2014, Oerther has been a Jefferson Science Fellow with the United States Department of State providing "accurate science for statecraft" in the Secretary's Office of Global Food Security where he supports the Feed the Future Initiative and the Global Food Security Act of 2016. His appointment is as a Foreign Affairs Officer and his responsibilities include providing expert advice on agricultural policy. He was a member of the credentialed United States delegation to the Second International Conference on Nutrition at the headquarters of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in Rome, Italy, 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.

Oerther is a Professional Engineer with a license to practice in the State of Ohio. He is also Board Certified by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES) and he is registered as a Chartered Engineer with the Engineering Council of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. From 2004-2008, he was an Associate Editor of the journal, Water Environment Research, published by the Water Environment Federation, and from 2006-2009, he was an Associate Editor of the Journal of Environmental Engineering published by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Oerther was elected to the Board of Directors of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP) from 2007-2010, and he was elected to the Board of Trustees of the AAEES from 2013-2019. He was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Sigma Theta Tau International Building Corporation from 2013-2017. 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, Karnataka, India; and a Faculty Consultant at Future University in Egypt.

Oerther was named one of 75 members of the inaugural, "Creative Class," by Cincinnati Magazine in 2003, and he received the inaugural Next Generation Leader Award in architecture, engineering, and construction from Legacy and the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce in 2010. Oerther was part of the team that won the 2011 National Prize for Creative Integration of Practice and Education in the Academy from the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards for the design and construction of the Roche Health Center in rural, Northwest Tanzania, as well as the team that won the 2013 Climate Leadership Award sponsored by Second Nature recognizing the Solar Village in Rolla, MO.

Oerther with Fulbright alum, Fulbright Commissioners, and Asst Secretary Ryan

Oerther's research, "Challenging the Structure-Function Relationship of Nitrifiers and Nitrification in Activated Sludge Using Molecular Biology and Modeling Tools," was recognized with a CAREER award from the National Science Foundation in 2003. His work overseas was supported with a Fulbright Scholar Award to India in 2005, the inaugural Fulbright-ALCOA Distinguished Chair to Brazil in 2012, and placement on the Fulbright Specialist Program roster from 2016-2021.

For excellence in the practice of environmental engineering, Oerther received the University Research Honor Award from the AAEES in 2009 for, "Improved Water Quality in Northwest Tanzania," and the Superior Award from the AAEES in 2016 for, "Improved Water Quality in Ixcan, Guatemala". For teaching excellence, Oerther received the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Engineering and Science Education from AEESP in 2004, and he received the Excellence in Environmental Engineering Education Award jointly from AEESP and AAEES in 2014.

In 2015, Oerther received a Meritorious Honor Award from the U.S. Department of State signed by U.S. Special Representative for Global Food Security, Dr. Nancy Stetson, for, "outstanding leadership and attention to detail in helping to launch a public-private initiative to promote food security and climate resilience via an innovative insurance product — the Caribbean Oceans and Aquaculture Sustainability faciliTy (COAST)," and Oerther received the Steven K. Dentel/AEESP Award for Global Outreach for his, "life-long professional and personal commitment ... to bettering the lives of humans throughout the world...".

In recognition of his collaborations with nurses and other health professionals, The Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International inducted Oerther as a lifetime honorary nurse in 2011, and he was named a lifetime honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing in 2016.