Domenico Grasso, head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, was recently appointed a member of the environmental engineering committee of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Science Advisory Board.

He was selected from a pool of 300 nominees.

His membership term, which began October 1, runs through September 30, 2000.

Members of the Science Advisory Board give independent advice on a variety of scientific and technological issues that are of interest to the EPA.

"We view the board as a mechanism by which we can access some of the top scientific and technical minds in the country and thereby gain a broader perspective on scientific and engineering issues than would otherwise be the case," said Fred Hansen, deputy administrator.

Grasso's specialty is the remediation of hazardous waste sites. He examines issues involving the fate and transport of contaminants at these sites and treatment techniques to clean them.

Grasso was also recently elected to the board of directors of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, an international group of faculty in science and engineering.

Sherry Fisher