Contributions
His most significant contributions are 1. development of the field of ecological engineering as an author of the first book on this subject and the founder (in 1992) and editor-in-chief of the scientific journal Ecological Engineering, 2. creation of the Olentangy River Wetland Research Park, a unique 20-hectare (50-acre) wetland research laboratory and now Ramsar Wetland of International Importance at The Ohio State University, 3. major contributions toward the development of the field of wetland ecology, particularly as first author of four editions of the standard textbook Wetlands, a book used around the world to teach wetland ecology. That book has educated several generations of wetland scientists since it was first introduced in 1986. Dr. Mitsch's recent wetland research has emphasized wetlands for nutrient removal in the agricultural Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri (MOM) River Basin (Mitsch et al. 2001) and the importance of wetlands in climate change (Mitsch et al. 2009, 2012).
Mitsch is currently Eminent Scholar and Director, Everglades Wetland Research Park, Florida Gulf Coast University, Naples, Florida. Before October 2012 he was Distinguished Professor of Environment and Natural Resources at The Ohio State University and Director of the University’s Wilma H. Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park. His research and teaching has focused on wetland biogeochemistry, wetland creation and restoration, ecological engineering, and ecosystem modeling. Dr. Mitsch has authored or co-authored over 400 papers, books, and other publications in ecological and environmental science. He is co-author of 16 books including senior author of Ecological Engineering (1989), Ecological Engineering and Ecosystem Restoration (2004), 4 editions of Wetlands (1986–2007), and Wetland Ecosystems (2009).
Mitsch has served on committees of the Science Advisory Board (SAB) of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (2001–2011) and on several United States National Research Council (NRC) committees of the National Academy of Sciences (1991–2004).
His international activity includes serving as a Fulbright Senior Specialist, Harry Oppenheimer Okavango Research Centre, University of Botswana (2007) and Fulbright Fellow, University of Copenhagen, Denmark (1986–1987) and an advisor/researcher for East China Normal University, China; United Nations Environmental Programme, Egypt and Jordan; EARTH University, Costa Rica; IAMZ (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Zaragoza), Spain; SCOPE (Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment), Paris, France; and MISTRA (Foundation for Strategic Environmental Research), Sweden, among other locations. He was chair of EcoSummit 2012 held in Columbus, Ohio, USA.
Among his awards, Mitsch and his frequent colleague and co-author Sven Jørgensen of Denmark received the 2004 Stockholm Water Prize from King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden on August 19, 2004 in Stockholm, Sweden. He also received the National Wetland Research Award (1996) from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Environmental Law Institute, the Theodore M. Sperry Award (2005) for a career in ecosystem restoration from the Society for Ecological Restoration, and a SWS Lifetime Achievement Award (2007) from the Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS). His Olentangy River Wetland Research Park at Ohio State University achieved the status as the 24th USA Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in June 2008 from the Ramsar Convention in Switzerland. In 2010, he was awarded an honorary doctor's degree by the University of Tartu.
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