John W. Norton, Jr., Ph.D.

Academic Job Search - Generic Materials

Conventional drinking-water supply systems treat water at centralized treatment facilities and then distribute the water though underground distribution networks to industrial, commercial and residential end-users. A major drawback to this approach is that water quality degradation can occur within the distribution system (for instance, due to the formation of disinfection byproducts). My research examines the financial and technical feasibility of implementing advanced technology treatment units within a water distribution system to effectively meet drinking-water goals. My current focus is a detailed analysis of breakeven costs of the distributed treatment unit approach. An important derivative work is the global cost optimization of meeting a new treatment requirement (applicable to developed nations) or constructing a new treatment facility (applicable to developing/Third World countries).

Items to note:

• Earned doctoral candidacy in April, 2004 and finished doctoral requirements March 1, 2006. Professor Walter J. Weber, Jr., was my committee chair;

• Considerable research proposal writing experience, including my primary research support, a $91,000 project funded by the National Water Research Institute (NWRI), website here, and details here;

• Five papers submitted from my current research and more pending;

• Award winning classroom instructor;

• Phenomenal presenter and public speaker, largest audience >1,500 at Buckeye Boys' State, 1986, largest technical audience >750 (Keynote address) at the 2nd Civil Engineering Conference in the Asian Region, Tokyo, 2001.

Application materials (in Word format);

• Curriculum vitae,
• Statement of Research Interests,
• Statement of Teaching Interests,
• Short Combined Statement of Research and Teaching Interests (2 pages).

List of references will be sent upon request.