Academy of Distinguished Alumni
R. Rhodes Trussell Ph.D., P.E., N.A.E.
Inducted to the Academy of Distinguished Alumni on
R. Rhodes Trussell received his B.S. (1966) degree in Civil Engineering and M.S. (1967) and Ph.D. (1972) degrees in Civil (Sanitary) Engineering, all from the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Trussell is a Registered Civil and Corrosion Engineer in the State of California with 35 years of consulting experience. He is Founder of Trussell Technologies, Inc., an environmental engineering firm focused on water treatment and water quality.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Trussell has authored or co-authored more than 200 publications with a primary focus on water treatment. He is the co-author of the widely-used and referenced textbook, Principles of Water Treatment, published by Wiley, now in its third edition. He is recognized worldwide as an authority in the development of advanced processes for treating water and wastewater to meet the most stringent treatment standards, including water quality standards targeted to water reuse. Dr. Trussell has worked on the process design for dozens of treatment plants, ranging from less than 1 to more than 900 million gallons per day (mgd) in capacity. He has deep experience with virtually every physiochemical and most biological treatment processes. He has a special interest in emerging water quality problems and potable reuse. For his contributions to research on water quality and treatment, Dr. Trussell was awarded the A.P. Black Research Prize in 2010, awarded annually by the American Water Works Association. He was recently (2012) honored by the International Water Association (IWA) with a global award for his many contributions to addressing global water issues.
Dr. Trussell served for more than ten years on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) in 1995 and currently serves on the NAE Membership Committee. He has also served as Chair of the Water Science and Technology Board within the National Research Council (NRC), the operating arm of the National Academies. He recently chaired a major study for the NRC on Augmentation of Water Supplies through Direct Potable Reuse. For the International Water Association, Dr. Trussell serves as a member of the Scientific and Technical Council, the Editorial Board, and the Program Committee. Dr. Trussell is presently a member of the U.C. Berkeley CEE Advisory Council.