Ritchie D. Taylor, Phd, Ms Email & Phone Number

Bowling Green, Ky, Us

Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States

As the Faculty Fellow for Research in the WKU College of Health and Human Services (CHHS), I have the privilege of catalyzing cutting-edge applied research and innovation for the college. My role is to encourage our faculty to create student-centered applied research opportunities that will develop students into professionals that work to improve health and human services in their communities, and ultimately improve the health and humans services workforce in Kentucky and beyond. In this leadership role I work with WKU administration, faculty, staff, and students to inspire the research and innovation enterprise for CHHS. The development of the Community Health Sciences Complex is a major initiative that will house five CHHS Applied Research Centers, which includes two that will be in operation in 2023. This portfolio of centers spans the seven academic schools and departments in the college, as well as engaging faculty, staff, and students across all disciplines within CHHS and disciplines across WKU. My work includes leading invention and modernization of academic programs that will meet the needs and future demands in the health and human services fields.In addition to leading research and innovation for CHHS, a primary role is to oversee grants and contracts development, grants and contracts approval and management processes, grants accounting for CHHS, both internal and external, and faculty research development. In this role I work to ensure faculty and staff have the resources and assistance needed to pursue local, state, and federal funding, and engage in intellectual property exploration and advancement. This includes moving research to practice, and transforming ideas to innovation, and ultimately producing business ventures. In addition, my leadership of the CHHS research portfolio and budget results in revenue that is used to create opportunities for faculty, staff, and students to expand the applied research endeavor of CHHS.

Bowling Green, Kentucky

Environmental and Occupational Health Science Professor specializing in teaching, research, and service at Western Kentucky University and in the communities served. The founding Director of the Center for Environmental and Workplace Health, led the development of the Environmental and Occupational Health Science programs and certificates, and have conducted community based research to improve firefighter health, improve preparedness for hazardous materials incidents, advance environmental and occupational health in the workforce and community, and improve stormwater management for small to medium sized communities. Dr. Taylor has partnerships with local industries, agencies, and organizations to guide the EOHS academic programs and develop internship and research opportunities for students. The opportunities Dr. Taylor has created for students have resulted in the development of EOHS practitioners throughout the United States that improve the lives of those they serve, and are recognized experts in their professions. Current funded research is focused on preparation of the next generation of environmental health and safety professionals, firefighters exposures to fire smoke contaminants and occupational hazards, assessment of hazardous materials transport and risks, and watershed health impacts from stormwater runoff. His current international work is part of a team assessing road environment risks to youths in Sub-Saharan Africa as well as developing academic exchanges in Africa.

Bowling Green, Ky

The Center for Environmental and Workplace Health has a focus to conduct applied research, outreach, and service focused on protecting human health in the environment and workplace. Research conducted by the center ranges from studies to understand occupational exposures to chemicals and other hazards, to potential community risks from hazmat transportation, to workplace health promotion, and stormwater management and education. Center faculty and staff work with businesses, municipalities, other institutions, organizations, and stakeholders to improve environmental and workplace health.

Bowling Green, Ky

Direct and manage the undergraduate program in Environmental Health Science and graduate (M.S.) program in Environmental and Occupational Health Science. This includes strategic planning, coordinating faculty resources, grant and funding development, scheduling courses, managing curriculum, advising students, marketing the program, and academic review. . Additionally, I serve as the capstone course director for the environmental health concentration of the Master of Public Health program.

Bowling Green, Kentucky

Dr. Taylor serves as the director of Environmental and Occupational Health Science (EOHS) programs. This includes the M.S. in EOHS, B.S. in Environmental Health Science, a minor in Occupational Safety and Health, and two certificate programs. He teaches environmental health science courses within the Environmental Health Science, M.S. in Environmental and Occupational Health Science, and Master of Public Health programs at WKU. Courses of instruction range from Introduction to Environmental Science, Principles of Environmental Health, Watershed Management and Science, to Environmental Toxicology. His research interests are varied with a focus on protecting human and ecosytem health from hazards in the built and natural environments. A primary area of research is the impact of stormwater runoff on freshwater systems, including the effects of water pollutants on human and ecosystem health. Other areas of research include evaluations of hazardous materials transportation and emergency preparedness, environmental compliance, environmental toxicity investigations, occupational safety and health complance, and technical assistance to small MS4s for stormwater compliance. Currently, Dr. Taylor is working to change his research focus to assessment of firefighters exposures to fire smoke contaminants and other occupational hazards. During his tenure at WKU he has developed four academic programs including, the Environmental Health Science B.S. degree, an undergraduate certificate in Occupational Safety and Health, a graduate certificate in Environmental Health and Safety, and a Master of Science degree program in Environmental and Occupational Health Science. Dr. Taylor has worked with rural communities locally, regionally, and internationally to solve environmental health challenges. To that end, his work is leading to the development of HEMISFER, a system for hazardous materials detection and emergency preparedness in communities both metropolitan and rural.

Bowling Green, Ky

Directed the Environmental Health Science academic program in the WKU Department of Public Health. Responsible for program management, marketing, scheduling, and course development. Directed the internship program and was the advisor for the student association.

Bowling Green, Ky

Responsible for teaching, research, and service in environmental science, health, and water resources for human and ecosystem health protection.

Director of the Center for Water Resource Studies (CWRS). Directed operations and research for the CWRS. CWRS served to assist rural drinking water and wasterwater systems throughout Kentucky. Our focus was rural water systems. The Center worked to develop best management practices for protecting source water supplies, including the assessment of pollution impacts in surface waters. Research conducted by CWRS ranged from assessing human and ecosystem exoposures to chemicals found in surface water supplies to developing karst sensitivity maps for source water protection. CWRS provided an interdisciplinary research center in the Ogden College of Science and Engineering that engaged faculty, staff, and students. The Center incorporated a Water Quality Laboratory that was certified by the state of Kentucky. Additionally, CWRS ran over 1.0 million in grants each year for water quality research and service.

Bowling Green, Ky

Hazardous Materials Information System for Emergency Response (HMISFER) is a research and development venture at WKU to improve detection and monitoring of hazardous materials transport in communities. The HEMISFER system will allow remote, automated, hazardous material commodity flow detection, assessment, and emergency response preparedness. The HMISFER research team provides monitoring, database management, emergency response planning, and analysis services to assist emergency management organizations, cities, counties, and states in hazardous materials incident preparedness.

Denton, Texas

Worked with the City of Denton, Texas to conduct a longterm water quality study of the Pecan Creek Water Reclamation Facility. Specifically, my research focused on a wasteload allocation study for a upgrade to the facility from a 15 MGD to a 21 MGD effluent discharge. The QUAL2E water quality model was calibrated to water quality conditions observed from 1997 to 2000. Predictions showed that a 21 MGD discharge could attain water quality standards on Pecan Creek. Additional study components included assessment of the impact of stormwater runoff from the City of Denton on Pecan Creek and Lake Lewisville, bioassessments, and evaluation of a method to determine environmental compliance points for NPDES discharges into backwaters of reservoirs in Texas. Major accomplishments included completion of a Ph.D. in Environmental Science, publication of a dissertation, and development of proposals that received grant funding. During my tenure at UNT I served as instructor of laboratory sections of Advanced GIS.

Denton, Texas, United States

Owned and operated an environmental consulting firm for water resources investigations and regulatory compliance. Specialized in water quality assessments and modeling, compliance with clean water act requirements, ecotoxicology studies, and aquatic toxicology assessments. Provided wetland surveys for regulatory and stormwater compliance.

Brentwood, Tn

Specialized in environmental compliance for industries throughout the United States. Expertise included design, management, and implementation of environmental projects to assess compliance with water quality regulations and standards. Water quality studies included wasteload allocations, water quality modeling, use attainability analysis, aquatic toxicity evaluations, stormwater monitoring, and NPDES compliance. Assisted industrial clients with ecotoxicology studies that included acute and chronic toxicity testing, toxicity identification evaluations, ambient toxicity assessments, effluent dispersion and modeling, and bioassessments. Professional services included evaluation of water quality standards and regulations in support of NPDES permits in liaison with local, state, regional, and federal environmental agencies. Additional experience included environmental site assessments, hazardous waste management, and environmental planning.

Brentwood, Tn

Served as Environmental Toxicology Laboratory Manager responsible for laboratory operations in support of aquatic ecotoxicology studies to assess wastewater impacts on aquatic systems throughout the United States. Primary emphasis was acute and chronic aquatic toxicity testing, TIE/TRE evaluations, exposure assessments, and environmental risk assessment. Responsible for management of testing results and interface with clients for reporting purposes. Reviewed all results of the laboratory, generated written scientific reports, and ensured quality control. As part of my duties, was a member of the Occupational Safety and Health committee for the company. Conducted various environmental and water quality studies for environmental compliance assessment as a project Environmental Scientist. A primary responsibility was presentation of results to clients in meetings and development of project proposals. A major accomplishment was development of a method to evaluate the toxicity of salts in effluents to freshwater aquatic organisms in comparison to metal toxicity and other effluent constituents.

Brentwood, Tn

Worked as an environmental scientist with ERM in Brentwood, TN. Primary responsibilities included conducting water quality and algae sampling on Corps. of Engineers reservoirs in Tennessee and Kentucky. Assisted in aquatic toxicity testing of effluents using freshwater organisms. This was full time employment during the summers and part time during the academic year due to my graduate studies at Tennessee Tech University.

Cookeville, Tn

Conducted ecological research to assess impacts of acid rain on populations of aquatic biota in the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Tennessee. Specifically, research was conducted in the North Fork and Citico Creek watersheds in Tennessee. Thesis research focused on application of real-time biosensors to detect instream changes in water quality via a satelite-linked automated biomonitoring system. Results demonstrated that the automated biomonitoring system could be used to accurately detect the ventilation response of fish to sublethal changes in stream pH.

Aiken, Sc

Assisted with ecological research to assess radionuclide uptake by aquatic and terrestrial biota on the Savannah River Site. A primary research focus was to evaluate the uptake of Cesium 137 by waterfowl on a cooling reservoir. The study assessed the environmental health implications of waterfowl transporting radionuclides off site and the potential impact on human health.

Phd, Environmental Science

Activities and Societies: North American Lake Management Society Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry UNT Environmental.

Ms, Biology, Environmental Science Emphasis

Thesis - A remote satellite-linked automated biomonitoring system for rapid detection of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) ventilation.

Bs, Biology, Chemistry Minor

Activities and Societies: Belmont University BaseballUndergraduate Research - Uptake of radionuclides by waterfowl on a cooling reservoir.