Stanley E. Kappe Award

The Stanley E. Kappe Award honors the man whose dedicated leadership, strong devotion, and tireless efforts contributed so much to the growth and advancement of AAEE during the period he served as its Executive Director, 1971 to 1981.

This Award is presented to the Board Certified Environmental Engineer or Board Certified Environmental Scientist who has performed extraordinary and outstanding service contributory to significant advancement of public awareness to the betterment of the total environment and other objectives to the Academy.

For the full list of eligibility criteria and information on how you can submit nominations for a worthy Environmental Engineer or Environmental Scientist, click here.

2022 Stanley E. Kappe Award Recipient

Timothy G. Shea, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE

Dr. Timothy G. Shea served as President of the AAEES in 2005.  He began his engineering career is a civil engineering graduate of Loyola (Marymount) University in Los Angeles and then earned an M.Sc. and Ph.D. in environmental engineering from the University of California at Berkeley.  He has more than 50 years of experience in biosolids management areas in the United States and internationally.  He is a Fellow of the Water Environment Federation. His work experience includes three years in Europe, and substantive assignments in Australia, Mexico, Brazil and the Middle East.  Dr. Shea was the editor of the WEF publication entitled “Solids Process Design and Management” and has authored over 50 technical papers on biosolids management topics.  He retired from his position as a Technology Fellow at CH2MHILL in 2013 and has been an independent consultant since then.

At the then AAEE (American Academy of Environmental Engineers) Dr. Shea served initially as Treasurer and later in elected positions to become the President in 2005.  In this officer track, he participated substantively in AAEE affairs over a difficult period from 1999 to 2005.  The year 2005 was the 50th anniversary of the Academy.  At this time in its history the AAEE was in debt and seeking new direction. The university community was seeking closer ties with the Academy.  The repayment of the debt required diversion of funds needed for new programs, and actions were needed to revitalize the AAEE.  Dr. Shea initiated a “$50 at 50 years” fund drive to accelerate the full repayment of the debt.  The repayment was completed in 2005, opening the door to funding the programs that today hallmark the excellence of the AAEES.

Dr. Shea had close relationships with the International Water Association (IWA) from his service on the IWA Governing Board. Building on these links Dr. Shea was able to initiate a cooperative relationship with IWA leading to the development of an international Excellence in Environmental Engineering program that since has gained wide recognition as a flagship AAEES program.

Dr. Shea also worked to build relationships with the AEESP (Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors).  This outreach contributed to the logical expansion to the present-day American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Sciences (AAEES). These activities are scarcely recognized in the many activities of the AAEES today but were the building blocks upon which the AAEES has grown and flourished. The relationship building by Dr. Shea and his successors was instrumental in opening the Academy membership to a much larger world of opportunity.  This integration over time has resulted in the growth of the AAEES and greater recognition of its essential roles in the education and careers of the environmental engineering and science professionals. 

Past Recipients