Dr. Paul L. Bishop is currently serving as Associate Dean of Engineering for Research on a part-time basis at the University of Rhode Island. He recently finished a 4 year term as the Environmental Engineering Program Director for the Division of Chemical, Bioengineering, Environmental and Transport Systems (CBET) at the National Science Foundation (NSF). In April, 2011, he retired as Associate Vice President for Research and is Professor Emeritus of Environmental Engineering at the University of Cincinnati. He also held a secondary appointment as Professor of Environmental Health in the College of Medicine.
Dr. Bishop received his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Northeastern University and his M.S. and Ph.D. from Purdue University in environmental engineering. He joined the University of Cincinnati in 1988 after 16 years as Professor and Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of New Hampshire. He has previously served as department head at the University of Cincinnati, and was the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies and Research for six years before becoming the Associate Vice President for Research. He was also the Director of the NIH-funded University of Cincinnati Superfund Basic Research Program. He has directed over $19 million of environmental research and is the author or co-author of five textbooks and over 500 technical publications. He is a Past President of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP); a Registered Professional Engineer; a Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Water Environment Federation, and the International Water Association; and a Board Certified Environmental Engineer of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers (AAEE). He served two terms on the AAEE Board of Trustees. He was also Chair of the U.S.A. National Council of the International Water Association (IWA), a member of the International Water Association Strategic Council, and served three terms on the Governing Board of the IWA. He also served on several federal boards, including the National Water Quality Monitoring Council and the National Aeronautics Research and Development Policy Working Group. He is currently a Director of the Engineering Accreditation Board of ABET. He was recently elected to the Water Environment Research Foundation Board of Directors.
Dr. Bishop’s research interests include drinking water security, biological treatment of water and wastewater using biofilms, contaminated soil bioremediation, development of environmental microsensors, solidification/stabilization of hazardous wastes, and pollution prevention technologies. In 2005, he was awarded the Frontiers in Research Award by AEESP and in 2006 received the Outstanding Service Award from the International Water Association. In 2013, he will serve as Fulbright Distinguished Chair of Environmental Engineering at the University of Parthenope, Naples, Italy.