Civil and environmental engineering alumnus and adjunct professor appointed chair of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board
Charles B. Bott Ph.D. ’00, chief technology officer at Hampton Roads Sanitation District (HRSD) and adjunct professor of civil and environmental engineering since 2001, has been appointed chair of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Science Advisory Board, which provides independent scientific advice to the EPA for public health and environmental decisions.
The board, appointed after a rigorous merit-based selection process, is made up of 37 distinguished scientists, engineers, economists, and behavioral scientists who are each nationally and internationally recognized experts in their fields.
“Charles is a truly extraordinary individual,” said Amy Pruden, the W. Thomas Rice Professor and University Distinguished Professor, who has co-advised numerous graduate students at Virginia Tech with Bott. “I can think of nobody more equipped or who has proven themselves more dedicated to serve our nation in the capacity as chair of the U.S. EPA.”
Since joining HRSD in 2009, Bott has overseen the organization’s research, development, and implementation of cutting-edge technologies across its wastewater treatment plants and regional interceptor system. His work focuses on improving treatment efficiency, enhancing resource recovery, and advancing sustainable water management solutions that position HRSD as a national leader in the field. Under his leadership HRSD has attained 10 active patents, with four additional patents pending. Bott has worked closely with Virginia Tech to address the need for a sustainable long-term groundwater supply in the region through the Sustainable Water Initiative for Tomorrow (SWIFT).
“Dr. Charles Bott’s appointment as chair of the EPA Science Advisory Board is a tremendous honor — for Charles personally and for HRSD as an organization. It affirms what we have long believed: that practical, utility-driven science has a vital role to play in shaping sound national environmental policy,” said HRSD general manager and CEO Jay Bernas. “Charles has spent his career proving that the best science happens where research meets real-world operations, and there’s no one better suited to lead this board.”
In addition to his role at HRSD, Bott serves as an adjunct professor in civil and environmental engineering at Virginia Tech. He earned his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in 2000.
“My time as a Ph.D. student set the stage for my career,” Bott said. “Virginia Tech graduates have had a huge impact on the global practice of engineering in the water and wastewater treatment sectors and I am honored and humbled to have been part of that legacy.”
Bott is a fellow of the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and has held numerous leadership and advisory positions, including serving on the Science and Technology Advisory Committee to the Chesapeake Bay Program Executive Council, the Virginia Board of Health, and the National Science Foundation Engineering Directorate Advisory Committee. He also previously served on the WEF Board of Trustees.
Read the original announcement from EPA headquarters.
