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Harry R.(Rick) Diz, Ph.D., P.E.

Associate Professor, Chair
Department of Environmental Science & Engineering

Zurn Science Center, Room 339
Gannon University,  Erie, PA 16541-0001

Office: (814) 871-7633
Lab: (814) 871-5564
FAX: (814) 871-7382
Email: diz@gannon.edu

 

Education:

• Ph.D., Civil Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
• M.S., Environmental Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University
• M.A., Biology, Northern Arizona University
• B.A., Zoology, Duke University

Teaching and Research
Depending on the term, my courses include undergraduate and graduate courses in introductory and advanced environmental engineering. Advanced courses include water and wastewater treatment and hydrologic and water quality modeling using GIS and the latest EPA sponsored software. I typically mentor environmental science and environmental engineering students in the areas of industrial wastewater treatment, and environmental modeling and assessment.

Externally funded projects have included microbial production of hydrogen gas from organic-rich wastewater, assessment of contamination in Erie Harbor sediments, and modeling of the hydrodynamics and pollution transport of streams flowing through the City of Erie into its harbor, and other streams along the Pennsylvania Lake Erie shoreline.

These projects require documenting land use using GIS, making detailed measurements of the stream channel geomorphology, monitoring flow and sediment transport in the stream, and the input of this information into sophisticated hydrodynamic models such as ArcView, BASINS, SWAT, AQUATOX, and other appropriate computer tools. This work will result in a planning tool for decision makers to use when evaluating stream restoration alternatives to control flow (reduce flooding), and slow the transport of sediment and associated pollutants from the urban watershed into Presque Isle Bay and Lake Erie. We also hope to continue our interesting work relating to the elevated levels of arsenic in Presque Isle State Park pond sediments.

Research Activities:

• Microbial Production of Hydrogen Gas from Organic Rich Wastewater
• Sediment Transport Modeling of Mill Creek, Erie, PA
• Arsenic in Presque Isle Sediments
• Hydrology and Pollutant Transport in Cascade Creek, Erie, PA.
• Habitat and Physico-chemical Survey of the Presque Isle Bay Watershed
• Assessment of Contaminated Sediments in Presque Isle Bay
• Nitrogen Transformations at the Erie Wastewater Treatment Plant
• Restoration Plan for the Cascade Creek Corridor

Professional Certification and Memberships

• Licensed Professional Engineer (Pennsylvania, Virginia)
• Chi Epsilon, National Civil Engineering Honor Society
• Phi Kappa Phi, National Academic Honor Society
• American Society of Civil Engineers
• Water Environment Federation
• International Association for Great Lakes Research
• International Association for Hydrogen Energy
• Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors

Representative Publications & Presentations:

• Diz, H.R. 2005. An Assessment of Sediment Contamination in Presque Isle Bay, PA, with Historical Comparisons. Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management, 8(1)21-31.
• Diz, H.R. & R. Johnson. 2002. Physical and Chemical Assessment of Presque Isle Bay Watershed Streams. Report to Erie County Conservation District and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. June, 2002.
• Diz, H. R. 2002. An Assessment of Sediment Quality in Presque Isle Bay, Erie, Pennsylvania. Report to the Great Lakes National Program Office, US Environmental Protection Agency. GLNPO Project No. GL97504701-01-0. August, 2002.
• Murnock, J. & H. R. Diz. 2001. Distribution of Arsenic In Presque Isle, PA, Pond Sediments. Report to the Pennsylvania Sea Grant Program. November, 2001.
• Diz, H.R., J.T. Novak, J.D. Rimstidt. 1999. Iron Precipitation Kinetics in Synthetic Acid Mine Drainage. Mine Water and the Environment - Journal of the International Mine Water Association. 18(1):1-14.
• Diz, H.R. and J. T. Novak. 1999. Modeling Bio-Oxidation of Iron in a Packed-Bed Reactor. ASCE Journal of Environmental Engineering 125(2):109-116.
• Diz, H. R. 1998. The Selective Oxide SystemTM: A New Active Treatment for Acid Mine Drainage Which Avoids the Formation of Sludge. Mine Water and the Environment - Journal of International Mine Water Association 17(1): 1-7.
• Diz, H.R. and J. T. Novak. 1998. A Fluidized Bed for the Removal of Iron From Acid Mine Drainage. ASCE Journal of Environmental Engineering 124(8):701-708.
• Diz, H.R. and J. T. Novak. 1997. Heavy Metal Removal in an Innovative Treatment System for Acid Mine Drainage. Proceedings of the 29th Mid-Atlantic Industrial and Hazardous Waste Conference, Technomic Publishing, Lancaster, PA.
• Diz, H.R. 1997. Chemical and Microbiological Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage. Presentation to the Virginia Water Environment Association, Roanoke, VA.
• Diz, H.R. 1997. Poster session: An Innovative Treatment System for Acid Mine Drainage. US EPA STAR Graduate Fellows Conference, Research Triangle Park, NC.
• Diz, H.R. and G. D. Boardman. 1995. Removal of nutrients and ammonia from crab processing waters. in Waste Management and Byproducts Recovery for the Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus) Industry. Virginia Sea Grant Program, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, pp. 319-437.
• Diz, H.R. and G.D. Boardman. 1994. Anaerobic/Aerobic Pretreatment of Crab Cooker Wastewater. Proceedings of the 8th Annual Food Industry Environmental Conference. Georgia Tech Research Institute, Atlanta, GA.