Rate My Professor Craig Woolard

Dr. Craig Woolard, P.E., serves as Professor and Department Head of the Civil Engineering Department in the College of Engineering at Montana State University, a role he assumed in October 2018. He earned his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Montana State University in 1988 and his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame in 1993. A registered Professional Engineer in both Alaska and Montana, Woolard's academic background and expertise focus on environmental engineering, with research specializations in biological, chemical, and physical treatment processes, water and wastewater treatment, asset management, and engineering leadership. His career trajectory reflects extensive leadership in academia, public service, and industry. Prior to returning to Montana State University, he was Director of Public Works for the City of Bozeman from August 2012 to June 2018. Previously, he held positions as Treatment Operations Director and General Manager of the Anchorage Water and Wastewater Utility in Anchorage, Alaska, following his tenure as Professor and Chair of the Civil Engineering program at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

Woolard has significantly influenced the water and environmental engineering fields through his professional engagements and scholarly contributions. He served as the national president of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) in 2008, demonstrating his commitment to advancing water industry standards and practices. His research output includes pivotal publications such as "Biological Treatment of Hypersaline Wastewater by a Biofilm of Halophilic Bacteria" (1995, co-authored with Robert L. Irvine), "Response of a Periodically Operated Halophilic Biofilm to Changes in Hydraulic Retention Time" (1995), and "Biological Treatment of Cyanide Containing Wastewater" (2000). These works, part of a broader portfolio of 26 publications cited over 1,041 times on ResearchGate, underscore his impact on biofilm-based wastewater treatment innovations. More recently, Woolard has contributed to engineering education, co-authoring "Developing an Integrated Environmental Engineering Curriculum" (2022) presented at the ASEE Annual Conference. At Montana State University, he oversees departmental initiatives, including NSF-funded transformations in environmental engineering degrees, fostering interdisciplinary research and student development in sustainable engineering practices.