ANNOUNCEMENTS
Sale, Scalia publish open-source contaminant hydrology textbook
Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering
Professor Emeritus Tom Sale and Associate Professor Joe Scalia authored a new open-source textbook on contaminant transport. The book, Modern Subsurface Contaminant Hydrology, was published through The Groundwater Project.
Sale spent 26 years at CSU, where he served as professor, director for Center for Contaminant Hydrology, and was named the 2024 CSU STRATA Innovator of the Year. His experience as an educator and innovator were invaluable in the development of the book.
“Our intent in writing this book is to offer a modern conceptual foundation for contaminant transport in natural subsurface settings to support rational management of contaminants of concern and better use of the finite resources available for their cleanup,” said Sale. “This book departs from the classical conceptualization of homogeneous classroom aquifers and stylistically embraces the complexity and inherent uncertainties of natural systems.”
Scalia leads the geoenvironmental engineering group in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in geotechnical and geoenvironmental engineering.
“CSU has a strong legacy of research and teaching in geoenvironmental engineering,” said Scalia. “These concepts are essential as we confront the lasting environmental impacts of human activity.”
The textbook is free and available to the public for download through The Groundwater Project. Primary audiences for this book are university students in an upper‑level course in contaminant transport and professionals needing a technical reference.
This book presents a new paradigm for contaminant transport. It is truly modern... This book has an outstanding combination of rigor, balance, and diversity that reflect the non-traditional education and experience of the authors including multiple types of academic programs, consulting, teaching, and research.
The Groundwater Project began in 2017 to enhance prospects for expansion of human capacity in groundwater problem solving and the public’s understanding of groundwater. The project seeks to address the global freshwater crisis due largely to the lack of understanding surrounding groundwater by providing education and technical assistance, especially in the developing world.