Dr. Daniel B. Oerther, professor of environmental engineering, has co-authored an article in the Journal of Environmental Engineering, a publication of the American Society of Civil Engineers.

He wrote the article, titled “Environmental Engineering 3.0: Faced With Planetary Problems, Solutions Must Scale-up Caring,” with Dr. Sarah Oerther, assistant professor at the Goldfarb School of Nursing at Barnes-Jewish College and Dr. Linda McCauley, dean of the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University. McCauley was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2008 for her work at the intersection of nursing and environmental sciences.

The invited forum article discusses the future of environmental engineering practice, addressing technological advancements supporting planetary health and improved social contracts ensuring human welfare. Oerther, who serves as executive director of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, helped secure an updated definition of environmental engineering in 2023 as “developing solutions to problems of planetary health,” according to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.