Ramanitharan Kandiah, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, D.WRE, ENV SP, F.EWRI, F.ASCE, a professor of environmental engineering and the chair of the Department of Water Resources Management at Central State University, Wilberforce, Ohio, has been named a fellow by the ASCE Board of Direction.
Kandiah also serves as the director of the C.J. McLin International Center for Water Resources Management. His research areas include Climate Smart Small Farms, Sustainable Infrastructure, Transportation-Energy-Environment-Society Nexus, Equity in Engineering Education, and the History of Water. The National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Defense, and U.S. Department of Agriculture have supported his projects.
He is a member of the following committees: Environmental Sustainability Committee of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES), Diversity Equity and Inclusion Committee of the American Institute of Hydrology (AIH), Air Quality and Odor Control Committee of the Water Environment Federation (WEF), and P12 Representatives Committee of the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE). He is a program evaluator for the EAC of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). He is chair of the Groundwater Quality Committee of the Environmental and Water Resources Institute (EWRI). He chaired the Membership and Demographics Committee of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors and received AEESP’s Distinguished Service Award in 2019.
The book he co-authored, Introduction to Water Resources, is currently used as a textbook for introductory natural science courses. Additionally, he co-edited Sustainable Water: Resources, Management, and Challenges.
Beyond his professional circles, Kandiah has been involved with community organizations to promote civil and environmental engineering education and implement water resources volunteer projects. His E42 Motto for his profession is “Earth Environment Energy Engineering Empathy Education Endeavor Engagement Evolution Enterprise Excellence Ethics Experience Expertise Equality Equity.”
His significant contribution to the civil and environmental engineering community has been enhancing workforce diversity, equity, and inclusion by recruiting, educating, mentoring, and supporting students from underrepresented communities. Hence, he believes his most significant accomplishments relate to the Water Resources Management and Environmental Engineering programs in an HBCU he has dedicated as a faculty, chair, and director.
Kandiah is a registered professional civil engineer in Ohio, and a Certified Professional Hydrologist (PH). He received his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, an M.Sc. in Environmental & Water Resources Engineering from Hohai University, Nanjing, China, a master of science in environmental engineering from Marquette University, and a doctorate in civil engineering from Tulane University. He did his postdoctoral research at Northeastern University, Boston, where he also holds a graduate certificate in geographic information systems and remote sensing.
