The 2025 AAEES Autumn Summit
Think Forward

October 9, 2025
Noon - 3 PM Eastern | 9 am - Noon Pacific 

The American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists supports the profession across the life course. Resilient professionals benefit from and contribute to the success of each other and our shared mission to hold paramount the health, safety, and welfare of the public as well solve the problems of planetary health. The theme, “Think Forward” was selected to highlight that environmental engineers and scientists are leaders of excellence in education, practice, research, policy, and regulation. The changing dynamics around us provide an opportunity for a renewed emphasis on our core, shared mission. And this summit brings together thought leadership to stimulate a discussion of how best to thrive as a profession.

Supporting biographical information (subject to change)

Daniel Oerther, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, BCES
Executive Director
American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES)

Daniel B. Oerther (pronounced O’ thur) is a professor of environmental health engineering at the Missouri University of Science and Technology and the executive director of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists. Dan is a serial humanipreneur, developing triple-bottom-line platforms to eradicate the effects of extreme poverty. One recent example is COAST - the Caribbean Ocean and Aquaculture Sustainability faciliTy. COAST is the world’s first-ever parametric insurance product protecting the food security and livelihoods of artisanal and small-scale fisherfolk and their families. Dan pioneered the concept of the Nurse+Engineer as a prototype V-shaped professional. V-shaped professionals use convergence research in a community context to solve the wicked problems of sustainable development. Examples of Dan’s collaborations include supporting mothers and their children during the first 1,000 days of life, preventing childhood stunting among those under five years of age, and ensuring access to clean water and sanitation in homes, schools, and healthcare clinics. Professor Oerther holds an earned PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Illinois. He is a licensed Professional Engineer, and he is Board Certified in Environmental Engineering and in Environmental Science. 

Kate Harris, BCEEM, NAC
President, CEO and Chair
Stanley Consultants

Kate Harris, President, CEO and Chair of Stanley Consultants, has 30 years of international experience in the construction, engineering, and consulting industry. She graduated with a First-Class Honors degree in the U.K and has completed the Advanced Management and Intellectual Property programs at Harvard Business and Law Schools. She is a Board Leadership Fellow of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), a member of Women Corporate Directors (WCD) and accredited as a Board Certified Environmental Engineering Member (BCEEM). In additional to serving as a Trustee of the Company’s retirement programs, and Chair of the Stanley Consultants Charitable Foundation, Kate also serves on the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) Research Institute board. Kate was named the 2022 CEO of the Year by the Environmental Financial Consulting Group (EFCG), in recognition of her outstanding leadership, steadfast focus on ethics and integrity, and consistently innovative and effective approach. Her leadership interests fully align with Stanley’s mission to leverage skills, capabilities, and rapidly changing technologies for the good of the Company’s clients, communities, and Members, promote the profession’s essential value to society, and inspire a generation to solve the world’s most challenging problems. An active advocate of client service, business innovation and talent development, and one of the earliest AEC participants of CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion™, Kate continues to mentor upcoming generations of leaders to further Stanley’s Purpose of Improving Lives Since 1913.

David Dyjack, Dr.PH, CIH
Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer
National Environmental Health Association

David T. Dyjack, Dr.PH, CIH is Chief Executive Officer of the 7000-member National Environmental Health Association (NEHA), a position he has held since May 2015. Under his leadership NEHA has published over 30 peer-refereed articles on workforce development, attracted over $100 million in federal funding, and in the process increased membership by 55%. Throughout his 35-year public health career Dyjack has been dean of an accredited school of public health, health director for an international non-governmental organization, and a consultant to private sector organizations such as Exxon, Saudi Aramco, and Ford Motor Company. David earned a doctorate in public health from the University of Michigan, an MSPH from the University of Utah, and is a board-certified industrial hygienist (CIH).

Karl Rockne, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE
University Scholar, Director of Research Development
University of Illinois Chicago

Dr. Rockne recently returned to academic research administration after serving two stints as Director of the Environmental Engineering program at the National Science Foundation (NSF). In his current position, Dr. Rockne develops research opportunities for a $500M/year research portfolio at the University of Illinois Chicago. Dr. Rockne has received 15 teaching, research, and service awards, including the NSF Director's Award for Excellence, the NSF Special Act award of merit, and the NSF CAREER award for research on “active capping” technology for environmental cleanup. Dr. Rockne has published over 125 scientific articles that place him in the top 3-6% worldwide in citations in the fields of bioremediation, environmental biotechnology, and environmental engineering.

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