Biography

Dr. Rao Surampalli is currently President, CEO and Chief Technology Officer of the Global Institute for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (GIEES); an organization dedicated to providing consulting, technical and research services for the development of sustainable communities and societies across the world. He earned a master’s from Oklahoma State University and a PhD from Iowa State University, both degrees in environmental engineering, and is a Registered Professional and Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE). He was with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for 30 years, retiring as engineer director. Rao is a pioneer in developing innovative and sustainable technologies for environmental protection, social good and global sustainability. He is the author of 27 refereed books and 173 book chapters, owns 22 patents, published over 400 refereed journal articles, and is Editor-in-Chief of two refereed journals. He also is a Distinguished Visiting Professor in several universities abroad. A noteworthy humanitarian, he has provided technical assistance to over 25 countries on six continents. He serves or has served on over 85 national and international committees or as a board of director. A Distinguished Alumnus and Hall Fame inductee of both the Oklahoma State and Iowa State Universities; he was elected to the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA), the U.S. National Academy of Construction (NAC), Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (F.AAAS), Distinguished Fellow of the International Water Association (IWA) and Fellow of the Water Environment Federation (WEF), and recognized as a Distinguished Member of the American Society of Civil Engineers – the highest honor of ASCE. He has received over 30 national awards/honors and several awards from ASCE; including its Simon Freese Environmental Prize, Hering Medal, Greely and Horner Medals, the State-of-the-Art of Civil Engineering Award, and the Lifetime Achievement Award.