Rate My Professor Charlie Humphrey

Dr. Charles Humphrey, known professionally as Charlie Humphrey, serves as Professor in the Department of Health Education and Promotion, College of Health and Human Performance at East Carolina University. Specializing in environmental health sciences, his research centers on evaluating pollutant removal efficiencies of onsite wastewater treatment systems, stormwater management, land use impacts on groundwater and surface water quality, and implementation of best management practices to mitigate non-point source pollution. Humphrey examines nitrate transport, fecal indicator bacteria such as E. coli, nutrient remediation in watersheds, and water quality improvements related to septic systems. He has contributed to projects assessing high-frequency monitoring of stormwater control measures and development of nano-filters for contaminant removal.

Since joining East Carolina University in 2009, Humphrey has secured significant funding, including NC DEQ grants for Lick Creek Watershed restoration ($143,050), Sound Rivers evaluation of stormwater measures ($51,500), NSF watershed modeling ($49,980), and ECU cluster awards. Key publications include 'Wastewater based epidemiology as a surveillance tool during the current COVID-19 pandemic on a college campus (East Carolina University)' (2024, PLOS ONE), 'Occurrence and concentrations of traditional and emerging contaminants in onsite wastewater treatment systems and private wells' (2024), 'Water table dynamics beneath onsite wastewater systems in eastern North Carolina in response to Hurricane Florence' (2021, Journal of Water and Climate Change), 'Concentrations and Exports of Fecal Indicator Bacteria in Watersheds with Varying Densities of Onsite Wastewater Systems' (2018, Water, Air, & Soil Pollution), and book chapters on wastewater disposal and safe drinking water in 'Environmental Public Health: The Practitioner’s Guide' (2018). His research informs coastal water quality management, with presentations at national conferences and invited talks at the University of Georgia. Humphrey affiliates with the ECU Water Resources Center and Faculty Senate.