Christopher Schmit
Director-WEERC / Professor
Biography
Dr. Schmit currently serves as a faculty member in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering as well as the director of the Water and Environmental Engineering Research Center. Dr. Schmit joined the faculty in 1998 after receiving his doctorate degree in Environmental Engineering from Iowa State University. Dr. Schmit's primary research interests lie in the field of wastewater treatment, specifically in biological nutrient removal and anaerobic treatment of wastes. Dr. Schmit teaches several undergraduate and graduate courses in the department primarily related to wastewater treatment.
Education
- Ph.D. in civil engineering | Iowa State University | 1997
- M.S. in civil engineering | Iowa State University | 1992
- B.S. in civil engineering | UW-Plateville | 1991
Academic and Professional Experience
Academic Interests
Academic Interests
- Industrial waste treatment
- Municipal waste treatment
- Biological principles of environmental engineering
- Wastewater treatment plant design
- Design of wastewater and stormwater collection systems
- Engineering economics
Academic Responsibilities
- CEE 323 Water Supply and Wastewater Engineering
- CEE 423 Water Distribution and Wastewater Collection Systems
- CEE 482 Engineering Administration
- CEE 725 Biological Principles of Environmental Engineering
- CEE 729 Wastewater Treatment Plant Design
Committees and Professional Memberships
Committees
- Campus Master Planning and Design
- Student Union Advisory Committee
Professional Memberships
- ASCE
- WEF
Research and Scholarly Work
Areas of Research
- Biological nutrient removal
- Anaerobic digestion
- Lab-Scale biological studies
- Aerobic/anaerobic respirometry
- Kinetic parameter determination of microconstituents
Awards and Honors
- Edward Patrick Hogan Excellence in Teaching Award, South Dakota State University
- College of Engineering Researcher of the Year
- Bedell Award, Water Environment Federation
Grants
- Guanghui, H. and Schmit, C. Brookings Municipal Utilities: Performance and Evaluation of Wastewater Treatment Facility. South Dakota State University Brookings, SD; Date July 1, 2000 - Current, Current Award Amount; $256,127 Annually.
- Burckhard, S., Guanghui, H. and Schmit, C. Department of Defense - US Army Research Office: The Role of Metals and Volatile Organic Compounds in Chemical Reactions and Mechanisms in Water and Soil, Award 70104CHRIP. South Dakota State University, May 15, 2017, $256,127.
Publications
- S., Sadeghi, S., Burckhard, C., Schmit, B., Klein, 2019,” A Study of Toxic Dosage of Selenium and Hexavalent Chromium on Activated Sludge Bacteria”, International Journal of Water and Wastewater Treatment, 5 (1): 1-7.
- S., Sadeghi, S., Burckhard, C., Schmit, 2019 " Respirometry Test Manual: WEERC Laboratory” Civil and Environmental Engineering Reports and Manuals, South Dakota State University, USA.
- Hua, G., Salo, M.W., Schmit, C.G., Hay, C.H. (2016) “Nitrate and phosphate removal from agricultural subsurface drainage using laboratory woodchip bioreactors and recycled steel byproduct filters.” Water Research 102, 180-189.
Conference Papers
- S., Sadeghi, S., Burckhard, C., Schmit, 2019 "The Effect of Heavy Metals Toxicity on Bacteria Performance in Aerated Activated Sludge", AWWA ACE19, June 13th 2019, Denver, Colorado, USA.
- S., Sadeghi, S., Burckhard, C., Schmit, 2018 "Individual and synergistic effect of heavy metals on bacteria performance in activated sludge", The 12th Eastern South Dakota Water Conference, Oct 16th 2018, Brookings, SD, USA.
- J. Neville, G. Hua, C. Schmit, 2019 “Pilot Scale Evaluation of E. Coli Filtration Removal From Stormwater Using Recycled Steel Byproduct” Presented at the 2019 Water Environment Federation Technical Exposition and Conference, September 20 through September 25, Chicago, IL.
- C. Schmit, 2022 "Anaerobic digester fundamentals" SD Environment and Water Quality Conference (online).
- C. Schmit, 2022 "PFAS treatment options" South Dakota Water and Wastewater Association Annual Conference, April 20-21, Sioux Falls, SD.
Associated Areas
