The UW CEE community fondly remembers faculty members who helped advance and grow the department in numerous ways.

Professor Emeritus Richard Bogan

Professor Emeritus Richard Bogan specialized in water and waste treatment and solid waste disposal during his 45 years with the department. He worked on pioneering programs to address water pollution in the 1950s and was involved in several notable projects locally and nationally, from investigating radioactive waste problems at the Hanford Site in Washington to wastewater handling for vehicles in space.

The life and contributions of professor Colin Brown

A distinguished faculty member who served as department chair and was a member of the UW Faculty Senate, professor Colin Brown made many contributions to the department during his 24-year tenure. During his time as chair, he saw much college-wide growth, as well as more support for students and minorities. 

Dean and chair emeritus Dale Carlson

During his time at UW, dean and CEE chair emeritus Dale Carlson served as chair of Civil & Environmental Engineering from 1971-1976 and dean of the College of Engineering from 1976 to 1980. Following his appointment as dean, Carlson initiated the Valle Scholarship and Scandinavian Exchange Program, which he continued to administer on a part-time basis after his retirement in 1983.

Assistant professor Nirnimesh Kumar

Described as a “rising star in the field” by his colleagues, assistant professor Nirnimesh (“Nirni”) Kumar made substantial contributions to the field of physical oceanography in a short amount of time. His legacy includes developing models that are already being used by coastal scientists to better understand the region of the ocean near the shoreline. Generous with his time, encouragement and support, Kumar is also remembered for his mentorship to students and fellow colleagues.

Associate professor emeritus Joseph Kent

The CEE community fondly remembers associate professor emeritus Joseph Kent, who passed away in December 2018 at the age of 96. A beloved faculty member whose classes exceeded capacity, Kent also worked on notable projects including the Mercer Island floating bridge, Seattle Aquarium and the Ballard Locks.

Professor emeritus Ronald Nece

Many words describe the late professor emeritus Ronald Nece: humble, witty, a punster and lover of baseball. But the word that surfaces most often is teacher— and for good reason. A highly respected and passionate educator, Nece taught at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and received several awards for his teaching throughout the years.

Professor emeritus Scott Rutherford

Professor emeritus Scott Rutherford, who specialized in the transportation field, is remembered as an exemplary colleague, friend and mentor who advanced the department in numerous ways. Highlights during his career include serving as department chair, implementing the campus-wide U-PASS program and founding a new online master’s degree program.

Professor Emeritus Demetrios “Dimitri” Spyridakis

Professor Emeritus Demetrios “Dimitri” Spyridakis dedicated his life’s work to keeping waterways pristine. A longtime CEE faculty member who taught courses in water and soil chemistry and conducted research on water pollution, Spyridakis passed away in October 2021.

Professor Emeritus David Stensel

With a lifelong passion for returning clean water to the environment through natural biological processes, Professor Emeritus David Stensel was truly a fount of knowledge. During 32 years of teaching and conducting research with the department, he made notable research advancements, authored a textbook and was recognized with numerous awards.