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Staff
Col. George M. Brooke IV, Ph.D.
Professor
Ph.D. - Physics, Old Dominion University
Specialty: Atomic/Molecular Physics
326 Mallory Hall
540-464-7503
brookegm@vmi.edu
Col. George M. Brooke IV, Ph.D.
Professor
Physics and Astronomy
Tara Brown
Executive Secretary
STP Administrative Assistant
609 Nichols
540-464-7331
brownti@vmi.edu
Col. Thomas C. Timmes, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor
US Army, Retired
Director, Summer Transition Program (STP)
Professional Engineer, Board Certified Environmental Engineer
Ph.D. - Pennsylvania State University
Specialty: Environmental Engineering, Water and Wastewater
619 Nichols Engineering Building
540-464-7869
timmestc@vmi.edu
Col. Thomas C. Timmes, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor
Col. Timmes is a VMI graduate (Class of 1992) and a professional engineer who served for over 25 years in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps. As an Army Environmental Engineer, he conducted extensive drinking water and wastewater system characterizations and public health threat assessments throughout the U.S. and overseas in Macedonia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Italy, Germany, and Norway. He commanded the Headquarters Company of the U.S. Army Chemical Activity-Pacific on Johnston Atoll during its closure as a chemical agent demilitarization site and served as a Jumpmaster with the 82d Airborne Division. He taught a variety of academic subjects on the faculty at the US Military Academy (West Point) for six years. Col. Timmes commanded the U.S. Army Center for Environmental Health Research in Fort Detrick, Maryland, and served as the Director for Environmental Health Sciences and Engineering at the Army Public Health Center before retiring from Active Duty to join the VMI Civil and Environmental Engineering Department.
Area of Expertise
Col. Timmes has a Masters Degree and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, specializing in lead and copper corrosion control and coagulation pretreatment options prior to membrane filtration. His academic and research interests include water quality, electrocoagulation, military field drinking water, water treatment plant optimization, and water system vulnerability assessments.
Courses Taught
CE306L – Civil Engineering Labs II
CE319W - Water Resources Laboratory
CE321W - Intro to Environmental Engineering
CE409 - Environmental Site Remediation
CE415 - Environmental Engineering Unit Processes Design
CE416 - Fundamentals of Engineering
CE443 - Independent Research
CE448 – Civil Engineering Design
CE451W – Civil Engineering Seminar
HN100 - Honors Forum
HNS375W - Environmental Honors Seminar
HN400 - Honors Thesis
Areas of Interest
Col. Timmes serves on the Faculty Advisory Council, as the faculty representative to the VMI Sting Ensemble, and as a Superintendent Representative to the Honor Court.
Education
- Ph.D., Environmental Engineering, Penn State, University Park, PA, 2009
- M.S.E., Environmental Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, 2000
- B.S., Civil Engineering, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, VA, 1992
Academic Experience
- Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Professor, 2020- Present, full time
- Virginia Military Institute (VMI), Associate Professor, 2017-2020, full time
- US Military Academy (West Point), Assistant/Associate Professor, 2009 – 2012, full time
- US Military Academy (West Point), Instructor/Assistant Professor, 2003 – 2006, full time
- Uniformed Services University, Adjunct Assistant Professor, 2008-Present, part time
- Pennsylvania State University, Adjunct Assistant Professor, 2009-2012, part time
Non-Academic Experience
- Director, Environmental Health Sciences and Engineering, U.S. Army Public Health Center, APG, MD, 2016-2017. Managed 150 scientists, engineers, and support staff with a $20M annual budget to consult/provide solutions to worldwide issues involving water, wastewater, hazardous waste, air pollution, entomology, and noise pollution. Full time.
- Commander, U.S. Army Center for Environmental Health Research, Ft. Detrick, MD, 2013-2016. Supervised over 50 scientific and support staff and an annual research budget over $18M. Planned, directed, and advanced medical research and product development for biomarker diagnostics, environmental health surveillance, and environmental health technologies in support of Force Health Protection. Full time.
- Environmental Science and Engineering Officer in the U.S Army Medical Service Corps, 1992-2017. Full time.
Certifications or Professional Registrations
- Accreditation Board of Engineering Technologies (ABET) Program Evaluator (EAC), 2007
- Board Certified Environmental Engineer, AAEES, 2005
- Professional Engineer, Maryland, No. 25421, 2000
- Professional Engineer, Virginia, No. 059419, 2018
Current Membership in Professional Organizations
- American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Member
- Society of American Military Engineers, Past Post-President
- The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, Member
- Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, Member
- Omicron Delta Kappa, Member
- American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, Member
- Association of Environmental Engineering & Science Professors, Member
- American Society for Engineering Education, Member
Honors and Awards
- Southern Conference All Conference Faculty Award, 2022-23
- Society of American Military Engineers Regional VP Award of Excellence, 2015
- Science and Technology Manager Level III Acquisition Certification, 2013
- Who's Who in Science and Engineering, 2011
- The Phi Kappa Phi Faculty Scholastic Achievement Award, 2010
- The Linn H. Enslow Memorial Award, NY Water Environment Association, 2009
- National Society of Professional Engineers “Spotlight Member”, 2009
- 1st Place Poster Award, Pennsylvania/Chesapeake Section AWWA Joint Conference, 2007
- Outstanding Young Engineer of the Year, Maryland Society of Professional Engineers, 2002
Service Activities
- VMI Superintendent Representative to the Honor Court, 2018-Present
- VMI Faculty Advisory Committee Development Council, 2022- Present
- VMI Grievance Panel, 2021-Present
- VMI Institute Honors Committee, 2017-Present
- Panelist, National Science Foundation Environmental Technologies, 2023
- USMA Medical Service Corps Board President, 2011
- USMA Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Committee, 2011
- USMA Dean Level Faculty Committee, 2010, 2011
- USMA Executive and Dean Level ABET Committee, 2010, 2011
- ABET Program Evaluator, 2009- Present
- Manuscript Technical Reviewer, Chemical Engineering Research & Design, 2022.
- Manuscript Technical Reviewer, Separation and Purification Technology, 2022.
- Manuscript Technical Reviewer, Environmental Science: Water Research & Tech., 2020.
- Manuscript Technical Reviewer, Ecological Engineering, 2019.
- Panelist, National Science Foundation, 1440 Environmental Engineering review, 2018, 2019.
- Panelist, National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, 2014-2016, 2019.
- Manuscript Reviewer, Environmental Engineering Science, 2019.
- Manuscript Technical Reviewer, The Chemical Engineering Journal, 2011-2013, 2019
- Manuscript Technical Reviewer, ASCE Journal of Environmental Engineering, 2009-2013.
- Chair, Science, Mathematics & Research for Transformation Scholarship Panel, 2012
- Panelist, National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship Review, 2008-2011
Publications and Presentations from the Past Five Years
- “Engineering Application Outreach Projects in a College Town in the United States of America”, 11th International Perspective on Water Resources and the Environment (IPWE), January 2023, Dhaka, Bangladesh. T. Afrin, R. Martin, T. Timmes, M. Swenty.
- “Highlighting cultures, civilizations, and diversity in historical civil engineering achievements”, Proceedings of the ASEE Southeastern Section Annual Conference, March 2022, Afrin, T. Timmes, R. Wilkins, R. Martin, M. Swenty.
- “A novel approach for integrating the new ABET Student Outcomes (SOs) and early impacts on SOs during the COVID-19 Pandemic”, Proceedings of the ASEE Southeastern Section Annual Conference, March 2021, J. Jung, T. Afrin, T. Timmes.
- “Algal softening followed by ozonation: the fate of persistent micropollutants and natural organic matter in groundwater”, The Journal of Hazardous Waste, doi: 10.1016/j.jhazmat.2020.123480, January 2021, H.C. Kim., T.C. Timmes, H. Ryu, H.S. Yang, H. Yoon, and S. Kim.
- “Curricular predictors for success on the Civil - Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) Exam”, Proceedings of the ASEE Southeastern Section Annual Conference, March 2020,
Timmes, T. Afrin, C. Newhouse. A. Ramniceanu, and M. Swenty. - “Predicting and preventing perception problems in freshmen engineers”, Proceedings of the ASEE Southeastern Section Annual Conference, November 2018, P. Ackerman, T. Afrin, J. Jung, M. Swenty, T. Timmes, C. Newhouse.
- “Treatment of reverse osmosis concentrate using an algal-based MBR combined with ozone pretreatment”, Water Research, DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2019.05.003, August 2019,
Woo, H. S. Yang, T.C. Timmes, C. Han, J. Y. Nam, S. Byun, S. Kim, H. Ryu, H. C. Kim. - “The growth of Scenedesmus quadricauda in RO concentrate and the impacts on refractory organic matter, Escherichia coli, and trace organic compounds”, Water Research, DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2018.01.029, February 2018, S.K. Maeng, S.H. You, J.Y Nam, H. Ryu, T.C. Timmes, H.C. Kim.
Most Recent Professional Development Activities
- Speaker- ASEE Southeastern Section Annual Conference, Charleston, SC, 2022.
- Speaker- ASEE Southeastern Section Annual Conference, Auburn, AL, 2020.
- Speaker- American Chemical Society Annual Convention, Boston, MA, 2018.
- Abstract Reviewer and Moderator- Environment Virginia Symposium, 2018-Present.
- Post President, Ft. Detrick Chapter, Society of American Military Engineers, 2013-2015
- Speaker- GEMS Program, Hood College, Frederick, MD, 2015
- Speaker, Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Assoc., Frederick, MD, 2014
- Speaker- New York Water Environment Association Spring Tech. Conf., NY, 2009
- Speaker- Military Applications for Emerging Water Technologies Workshop, IL, 2008
- Speaker- Borchardt Seminar on Advancements in Water and Wastewater, MI, 2008
Related Links and Media
Dr. Laura Xie
Associate Professor
Director, Summer Session
Ph.D. - Stanford University
Specialty: Chinese
543 Scott Shipp Hall
540-464-7459
xief@vmi.edu
Dr. Laura Xie
Dr. Xie is an Associate Professor of Chinese at Virginia Military Institute where she teaches Chinese language and culture courses. She obtained her doctorate from Stanford University in 2016. Her primary research interests include traditional Chinese drama, gender representation, and more recently, the interplay of theater, media and popular culture. Before coming to VMI, she taught at Washington and Lee University.
Associate Professor
Modern Languages and Cultures