Earth Sciences Division Staff: William T. Stringfellow

Biographical Summary

William T. Stringfellow, Ph.D., is Director of the Ecological Engineering Research Program at the University of the Pacific in Stockton, CA.  He also has a joint appointment with the Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, CA.

He received his B. S. in Environmental Health from the University of Georgia (Athens, GA) in 1980 and his Master’s Degree in Microbial Physiology and Aquatic Ecology from Virginia Tech (Blacksburg, VA) in 1984. He received his Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences and Engineering from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1994 and worked as a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at the University of California at Berkeley.

Dr. Stringfellow is the first author on over 25 journal publications, has been the lead author on over 40 government reports, and has made hundreds of presentations on the subjects of water quality, water treatment, and the microbiology of engineered systems.  He has over 20 years research and consulting experience in both the US and Europe.  Dr. Stringfellow’s research interests include the assessment of NPS discharge impacts on surface waters and the use of wetland systems to mitigate NPS impacts on the environment.

Dr Stringfellow was the Chief Scientist for the San Joaquin River Dissolved Oxygen TMDL Project, an ecosystem level assessment of non-point source (NPS) impacts on water quality in the San Joaquin River in California’s Central Valley.

Education

• Ph. D., Environmental Sciences and Engineering (supporting program: Microbial Physiology and Genetics), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1994.
• M. S., Microbiology (minor: Aquatic Ecology), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1984.
• B. S., Environmental Health, University of Georgia, 1980.

Professional Experience

• 2004 to present: University of the Pacific, Ecological Engineering Research Program, School of Engineering & Computer Science, Stockton, CA,Director, EERP & Associate Professor
• 2003 to present: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Environmental Measurements Laboratory, Earth Sciences Division, Berkeley, CA,Director, EML
• 1996 to present:  Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Earth Sciences Division, Berkeley, CA,Environmental Engineer
• 2007 (fall semester):  University of California, Berkeley, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Berkeley, CA, Visiting Professor
• 1994 to 1996:  University of California, Berkeley, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Berkeley, CA, Visiting Postdoctoral Researcher
• 1990 to 1994:  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Chapel Hill, NC, Graduate Research Assistant
• 1988 to 1989:  Institut Pasteur, Departement d'Ecologie, Paris, France, Stagiaire (Visiting Researcher)
• 1983 to 1988:  Sybron Chemicals, Inc., Salem Research Facility, Salem, Virginia, Senior Research Microbiologist
• 1981 to 1983: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Department of  Microbiology and the Center for Aquatic, Ecology, Blacksburg, Virginia, Graduate Teaching Assistant
• 1980 to 1981:  Ecology and Environment, Inc., Decatur, Georgia, Hazardous Waste Site Investigator

Professional Societies

• Ph. D., Environmental Sciences and Engineering (supporting program: Microbial Physiology and Genetics), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 1994.
• M. S., Microbiology (minor: Aquatic Ecology), Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1984.
• B. S., Environmental Health, University of Georgia, 1980.

Teaching Experience and Awards

• Experience

  • Visiting Professor, Environmental Microbiology, University of California, Berkeley, Fall 2007

  • Adjunct Professor, Hydrologic Analysis and Design, University of the Pacific, Fall 2006

  • Adjunct Professor, Introduction to Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering & Computer Science, University of the Pacific, Spring 2006

  • Lecturer, Water Resources, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Fall 2005

  • Lecturer, Microbiology for Engineers, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California Berkeley, Spring 2003 and 2004

  • Graduate Research Advisor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of California Berkeley, 1999 to present

  • Undergraduate Research Advisor, Environmental Sciences Program, University of California Berkeley, 1997 to present

  • Undergraduate Research Advisor, Center for Science & Engineering Education, US Department of Energy, 1998 to present

• Awards

  • Outstanding Mentor Award, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2001

  • Outstanding Mentor Award, Department of Energy, 2002

Professional Service

• Member, Journal Editorial Board, Clean Technology & Environmental Policy, April 2007 to present
• Member, San Joaquin River Non-Point Source Discharge Technical Advisory Committee, November 2005 to present
• Member, Real-time Salt and Nutrient Drainage Load Reduction Strategies Technical Advisory Committee, November 2005 to present
• Member, San Joaquin River Dissolved Oxygen Total Maximum Daily Load Technical Advisory Committee, October 2000 to present
• Member, Earth Sciences Division Environmental Health and Safety Committee, September 1999 to June 2004
• Member, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Biological Safety Committee, May 2002 to November 2003
• Session Chair, “Bioremediation and Phytoremediation of Other Contaminants,” 2001 International Containment and Remediation Technology Conference, Orlando, FL.  June 11, 2001
• Session Chair, “Natural Attenuation of MTBE,”  In-Situ and On-Site Bioremediation Sixth International Symposium, San Diego, CA. June 7, 2001
• Reviewer, Grant Program, Oregon Sea Grant, 2007 to present
• Reviewer, Grant Program, US Army Office of Research, 2006 to present
• Reviewer, Science and Technology Program, US Bureau of Reclamation, 2004 to present
• Reviewer, Environmental Science and Technology, 2000 to present
• Reviewer, Water Environment Research, 1995 to present
• Reviewer, Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 2001 to present
• Reviewer, Bioremediation Journal, 1998 to present
• Reviewer, Waste Management Journal, 2001 to present
• Reviewer, Clean Technology & Environmental Policy, 2005 to present
• Reviewer, Kuwait Journal of Science & Engineering, 2007 to present
• Reviewer, American Geophysical Union Books, 2001 to present
• Reviewer, Journal of Environmental Management, 2009 to present
• Reader, Ph. D. Thesis, “Microbiological Transformation of Hazardous Waste During Biological Waste Treatment,” Institute of Environmental Studies, University of Karachi, Pakistan

Research Interests

The major focus of my research is the study of environmental biokinetics.  Microbial activity in both natural and engineered systems is dominated by the balance between growth and decay (cell death). In an open system, the state of the microbial community is determined by the physical and chemical conditions of the environment and is rarely, if ever, limited by availability of microorganisms. The microorganism will grow until the limiting condition is met, whether it is nutrient availability, energy supply, toxicity, or physical parameters such as available surface for attachment or washout conditions.

In engineered systems, the parameters controlling microbial activity can typically be manipulated. The condition of the system is a balance between the inputs and the standing microbial biomass in the system. This balance determines the output from the system. For example, in wastewater treatment, the system is typically maintained in a carbon-limited condition (low carbon-mass to biomass ratio) so that the output (effluent) is carbon free. How the system balances over time and responds to changing conditions is a function of the kinetic relationship between the microbial biomass, the system environment, and the growth limiting condition.  Experimental techniques and modeling are used to determine fundamental kinetic properties of microorganisms and relate those properties to engineering operations with the purpose of achieving specific environmental objectives.

My current research is focused on biokinetic issues related to achieving water quality management objectives, with a regional focus on the San Joaquin River Basin in the California Central Valley.  Water discharged from non-point sources, particularly agricultural areas and wetlands, are being regulated for the first time under a variety of programs, including basin wide management plans referred to as total maximum daily load (TMDL) programs.  On-going fundamental and applied studies examine algal growth in the San Joaquin River and tributaries; the biological production of organic carbon in wetlands and agricultural drains; and the environmental fate of pesticides in agricultural ponds and managed wetlands.