Charlie O’Melia, professor emeritus in the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering (DoGEE) and one of the world’s leading water-treatment researchers, died of a brain tumor on December 16, 2010. He was 76 years old.
“A true scholar and gentleman, Charlie embodied the best of Johns Hopkins,” noted Nick Jones, dean of the Whiting School, and Ed Bouwer, chair of DoGEE, in a statement to the Whiting School community.
“His generosity and warmth of spirit were matched by a terrific dedication to his work as a researcher, educator, and scholar. Charlie had a tremendous impact on the department, the university, and the field of environmental engineering and his passing is a terrible loss.”
Already an internationally revered authority in water supply and treatment when he joined the DoGEE faculty in 1980, O’Melia quickly proved to be an important addition to the department. As a researcher, mentor, and leader (including the two terms he served as department chair), O’Melia carried the DoGEE torch in the spirit of its founders, says Jones. It was therefore a particularly meaningful honor when, in 1999, he was named the school’s inaugural Abel Wolman Professor of Environmental Engineering.
O’Melia and the generations of students he mentored have made major contributions to the understanding of particle fate and transport in natural aquatic environments, and his work continues to influence the design and operation of today’s water and wastewater treatment facilities.
Throughout his career, O’Melia received wide recognition for his achievements and numerous honors. In addition to his election to the National Academy of Engineering in 1989, he received the Athalie Richardson Irvine Clarke Prize in 2000, the Founders Award from the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science in 1995, and, just a week before his death, the Abel Wolman Award of Excellence by the American Water Works Association.