2026 AAEES Officer Elections

Thank you to the Nominating Committee for coming up with the following slate of candidates for the 2026 AAEES Election of Officers. 

The Nominating Committee was chaired by Dr. David A. Chin. Its members included:

• Lilia Abron
• Somnath Basu
• Srinivasarao Chitikela
• Howard LaFever
• David Vaccari
• Sharon Yin

Thank you to all candidates who agreed to be included on the ballot.

Each candidate was invited to provide a photo and profile.

Winners in this election will take office starting January 1, 2027.

2026 President-Elect, Dr. Charles N. Haas, NAE, BCEEM, will assume the Office of President on January 1, 2027.

Candidate for President-Elect

Anne Marie Germain, P.E., BCEE

Anne Germain is the Chief of Technical & Regulatory Affairs for the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA) responsible for establishing and implementing strategies for recycling, landfilling, and sustainability. She has over 30 years in the industry that includes extensive background in analysis of industry trends, contracting, engineering, operations and compliance.

Prior to joining NWRA, Anne was Chief Engineer with the Delaware Solid Waste Authority (DSWA). Anne is a Past President of the Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) and is a trustee-at-large for the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES). She is a professional engineer and a Board Certified Environmental Engineer with a Master in Civil Engineering from the University of Delaware and a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Virginia Tech. In 2020, she was recognized by MSW Management with their legacy award and in 2023, she was named to the inaugural class of Waste360’s 2023 Women Who Inspire.

Candidates for Vice President

Vinio Floris, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE, CSP

Dr. Vinio Floris is a senior leader in environmental engineering, sustainability, water resources, and occupational safety, with extensive experience across the energy, mining, and industrial sectors. He holds a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Colorado State University, an MBA from Texas A&M University, and an MPA in Economics and Environmental Management from Harvard University.

He currently serves as Director of Health, Safety, Environment, and Quality at AXIOS Industrial Group. His career includes leadership roles with organizations such as Veolia, TETRA Technologies, CEMEX, and the Port of Houston. Internationally, Dr. Floris has worked in more than 25 countries and has served as a consultant to multilateral institutions, including the Inter-American Development Bank, the World Bank, the International Finance Corporation, and several development agencies.

Dr. Floris is a professor at SKEMA Business School (France) and at GĚRENS Graduate School (Peru), where he teaches graduate- and executive-level programs focused on sustainability and infrastructure management.

He is a Professional Engineer in Texas, a Board Certified Environmental Engineer, and a Certified Safety Professional. Dr. Floris is an Environmental Engineering Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a long-standing member of the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, where he has served on the board as treasurer. In 2025, he received the Academy’s Kappe Lecture Award.

A recognized international speaker and prolific author, Dr. Floris has published extensively in scientific and management outlets. He is deeply committed to volunteerism, community academic advancement, and initiatives aimed at tackling homelessness.

Maya Rao, P.E., BCEE

Maya Rao currently works for Trinity Consultants, as Managing Consultant in the Jackson, MS Office. Prior to joining Trinity, Maya Rao worked at the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) for 25 years and was the Director of the Air Division. She has a B.S in Mechanical Engineering from Ravi Shanker University in India and a MBA from the University of Kentucky. She has also worked as an Adjunct Faculty at Tulane University’s A.B. Freeman School of Business and at Louisiana State University.

Maya is a registered Professional Engineer and a Board Certified Environmental Engineer. She is a Certified Public Manager in the State of Mississippi. She has also worked actively for the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES) and is currently the Chair of the Membership, Development and Outreach Committee. Maya has been actively involved with the Academy and has played key role in recruiting members, and assisting the Academy as an examiner for the oral examinations.

Maya lives in Madison, MS, with her husband Deepak Rao. Maya loves the outdoors, hiking, travelling, and cooking.

Candidates for Truste-at-Large

Allison MacKay, Ph.D., BCEEM

I am Professor and Chair of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering at The Ohio State University where my research group examines the fate of contaminants in natural and engineered aquatic systems. Example research projects include algal toxin removal in drinking water plants, sorptive characteristics of water treatment residuals, sorption modeling of pharmaceuticals and other charged organic compounds. I teach courses in the areas of environmental engineering treatment processes, environmental chemistry, environmental sustainability, and professional development of engineers.

I have contributed actively to the AAEES mission for more than 8 years. I served as co-chair of the Phase 1 Task Force that launched the review of the 2009 AAEES Environmental Engineering Body of Knowledge (BOK). Outcomes from that initiative guided the development of the BOK (2nd Edition) released in 2025.

I have served on the AAEES Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science (E3S) Awards committee for six years, including as Chair of this judging panel for the past four years. The E3S Award program recognizes the top environmental engineering design and research projects from the prior year and provides opportunity to promote the excellent work of environmental engineers and scientists to protect public safety and preserve environmental systems. As a candidate, I am committed to serving on the AAEES Board of Trustees to further support efforts of this organization to advance environmental engineering and science education and practice.

Prahlad Murthy, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE

Prahlad Murthy is a Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director for the Office of Global Engagement at Wilkes University, Pennsylvania. He earned his doctoral degree in civil and environmental engineering from Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. Dr. Murthy is a registered Professional Engineer in Delaware and Pennsylvania and a Board Certified Environmental Engineer specializing in air pollution control.

Dr. Murthy has served at Wilkes University for nearly 33 years in a variety of academic and administrative roles, including eight years as Associate Dean and nearly four years as Interim Dean of the College of Science and Engineering. He also brings nearly five years of consulting experience in water and industrial wastewater treatment. For over three decades, Dr. Murthy has been deeply committed to undergraduate engineering education and has received multiple internal and external awards for excellence in teaching, mentoring, and promoting STEM education to middle and high school students. His recent scholarly work includes the co-authored book Principles of Engineering Ethics and Professionalism. He served as a regional officer of the Air & Waste Management Association for nearly a decade and currently serves as Faculty Advisor for the Environmental Engineering Honor Society, Tau Chi Alpha (TXA).

He has been actively engaged in accreditation, faculty governance, and international academic collaborations for more than 20 years. He serves on the Academy’s Education Committee and the ANSAC Executive Committee of ABET and has been appointed Vice-Chair of Operations for ANSAC for the 2026–27 cycle year.

Gbekeloluwa Oguntimein, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE

Dr. Gbekeloluwa Babatunde Oguntimein received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Chemical Engineering from Iowa State University in 1974 and 1979 respectively. He has over 45 years teaching and research experience having taught in the department of chemical engineering, Iowa State University, Ames Iowa, and the department of food technology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria. He has conducted research at Institut Nationale Polytechnique de Lorraine (INPL) in Nancy, France, at Gesselschaft fur Biotechnologische Forschung mbH, (GBF) in Braunschweig, Germany and at the Industrial Biotechnology Center, University of Waterloo, Canada.

Dr. Oguntimein currently teaches Environmental Engineering, Water and Wastewater treatment, Environmental Impact and Risk Assessment, Sustainable energy and Project Management courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels at Morgan State University, Baltimore Maryland. His research interests are in the areas of application of biological systems in the solution and prevention of environmental problems and development of biomaterials.

Dr. Oguntimein is a Quality Matter (QM) certified Reviewer, and an Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) certified effective college education instructor. He is a Board Certified Environmental Engineer (Water Supply and Wastewater) and the adviser of Tau Chi Alpha (TXA) at Morgan State University.

Yuefeng Xie, Ph.D., P.E., BCEE

A dedicated member of AAEES since 2001, I am an emeritus professor at Penn State. I have published 4 books and over 100 journal publications. I also served as a member of the USEPA Science Advisory Board’s Drinking Committees across three administrations and the Chair of AWWA Organic Contaminant Control Committee.

I have played a pivotal role in the water industry through my dedication to higher education, knowledge sharing, and professional development. Under my leadership, the Environmental Training Center at Penn State provided training to over 15,000 water professionals (registrations). I have led over 20 professional workshops at major conferences, including for AWWA and ACS. My expertise in water sector training is recognized internationally, with significant contributions in US, Canada, Singapore, and China.

My achievements include being recognized as a Fulbright Scholar and a Fellow of the International Water Association. I received the 2023 AAEES Excellence in Environmental Engineering and Science Education award and was the AEESP Lecturer at the 2024 AWWA Annual Conference and Exhibition. I was also awarded the Penn State University-wide Faculty Outreach Award and nominated for an honorary road, Xie Lane.

I am deeply committed to advancing environmental sustainability and fostering stronger connections between engineering education and environmental practice. It would be a privilege to serve as an AAEES trustee-at-large, leveraging my diverse experiences to further the mission of AAEES.

To vote in these elections, you must be current on your dues and one of the following member types:

• AAEES Member
• Board Certified Environmental Engineer
• Board Certified Environmental Engineering Member
• Board Certified Environmental Scientist

Student Members and individuals whose membership or specialty certification has lasped are not eligible to vote in the Academy elections.

Click here to access the 2026 Election Ballot.