Bruce Dvorak

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Bruce Dvorak

Professor Civil & Environmental Engr-Lincoln University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Contact

Address
SEC C190K
Lincoln, NE 68588-0531
Phone
402-472-3431 On-campus 2-3431
Email
bdvorak1@unl.edu

Ray Fauss Professor
 

Academic Degrees

  • Ph.D., Civil Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 1994
  • M.S., Environmental Health Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, 1990
  • B.S., Civil Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 1987

Certifications

  • P.E., BCEE

Appointment

  • 10% Extension
  • 90% Teaching/Research/Service for Civil Engineering

Areas of Research and Professional Interest

  • Environmental Engineering
  • Physical-chemical treatment processes  
  • Life Cycle Assessment
  • Pollution prevention/environmental sustainability for industry

Research Profiles:

Courses Taught

Honors and Awards

  • Fellow, ASCE.
  • US DOE Industrial Assessment Center of the Year (2023), Selected from the Centers located in 37 different US Universities.  
  • Water for Food Global Institute Faculty Fellow
  • Tau Beta Pi Teaching Award (2019), College-wide award selected by students.
  • George Warren Fuller Award (distinguished service to the water supply field), American Water Works Association, 2013
  • Fulbright Scholar Fellowship, Czech Fulbright Commission, 2010
  • Samuel Arnold Greeley Award, American Society of Civil Engineers, 2009
  • Environmental Education Award, Lincoln and Lancaster County Environmental Awards, 2009
  • Hollings Teaching/Advising/Mentoring Award, University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Engineering, 2009
  • Olsson Associates Faculty Teaching Excellence Award, UNL Dept. of Civil Engineering, 2007, 2003, 1999

Funding

Dr. Dvorak has current grants from the US Department of Energy, National Science Foundation, US Environmental Protection Agency, and Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environmental.

Selected Publications

  1. Moussavi, S., & Dvorak, B. (2025). Treated Wastewater Reuse for Non-Direct Food Consumption Crops in Nebraska: Barriers and Benefits of Municipal Irrigation Lagoons. The Journal of Extension, 63(1), Article 10. https://open.clemson.edu/joe/vol63/iss1/10
  2. Moussavi, S., Lane, K., Dvorak, B. (2024) Life Cycle Sustainability Assessments of Critical Civil Infrastructure Systems: Additional Guidance for Future Research and Practical Application, Aqua - Water Infrastructure, Ecosystems and Society production system, https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2024.207
  3. Thompson, M. and Dvorak, B. (2024). Wastewater reuse benefits for municipal complete retention lagoons: LCA and dynamic modeling.  Water Environment Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/wer.11098
  4. Moussavi, S., Barutha, P., and Dvorak., B. (2024) Impacts of flooding on wastewater infrastructure: tradeoffs of recovery and resilience, 30 (4) ASCE Journal of Infrastructure Systems, https://doi.org/10.1061/JITSE4.ISENG-2365.
  5. Thompson, M. and Dvorak, B. (2024) “Comparison of Greenhouse Gas Emission Assessments of Solar and Energy Efficiency Improvements at Small Water Resource Recovery Facilities,” 11(6) 118, Environments, https://doi.org/10.3390/environments11060118. 
  6. Uddin, M., D. Yuill, R Williams , B. Dvorak (2024) “A machine learning model for automated fault detection and diagnosis (AFDD) of rooftop units addressing practical challenges of application,” Energy and Buildings, 310 (114101), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2024.114101.
  7. Hansen, A., Moussavi, S., and Dvorak., B. (2024) Reducing Infiltration and Inflow in Small Collection Systems: Environmental, Economic, and Additional Impacts, 150 (1) ASCE Journal of Environmental Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1061/JOEEDU.EEENG-7446 
  8. Moussavi, S., Barutha, P., and Dvorak., B. (2023) Environmental life cycle assessment of a novel offshore wind energy design project: a US-based case study, Renewable & Sustainable Energy Reviews, 185, 113643, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2023.113643.
  9. Sherief, M., Asad, J.M., Bunker, B., Dvorak, B., Maraqa, M., and  Aly Hassan, A. (2023) In-Situ Desorption of Hydrogen Sulphide from Activated Carbon: Effect of Temperature, pH and Flowrate, International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology.
  10. Bunker, B., and Dvorak, B., and Aly Hassan, A. (2023) Thermal Regeneration of Activated Carbon used as an Adsorbent for Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S), Sustainability, 15(8), 6435; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15086435. 
  11. Thompson, M.; Moussavi, S.; Li, S.; Barutha, P.; and Dvorak, B. (2022) “Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of small water resource recovery facilities: Comparison of mechanical and lagoon System,” 215(15 May) 118234, Water Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.118234.
  12. Al-Faliti, M., Hassan, A.A. Dvorak, B. (2022) “Biodegradation of a mixture of formaldehyde and methanol vapors in a biotrickling filters at mesophilic and thermophilic conditions: Potential application at the ethanol production industry Journal of the Air & Waste Management Association, DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2022.2056262.
  13. Pham, A.; Moussavi, S.; Thompson, M.; Dvorak, B. (2021) “Reducing LCA impacts of water resource recovery facilities: design recommendations for small communities,” Water Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2021.117758.
  14. Cohen, G.; Kreutzer, N.; Mowat, K.; Hassan, A.; and Dvorak, B. (2021) “Compliance with Hand Sanitizer Quality During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: Assessing the Impurities in an Ethanol Plant,” Journal of Environmental Management, 297, 113329, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113329
  15. Li, S.; Thompson, M., Moussavi, S. and Dvorak, B. (2021) “Life cycle and economic assessment of corn production management practices in the Western US Corn Belt,” Sustainable Production and Consumption, 27 July, 1762-1774, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2021.04.021.
  16. Moussavi, S.; Thompson, M., Li, S. and Dvorak , B. (2021)  “Assessment of Small Mechanical Wastewater Treatment Plants: Relative Life Cycle Environmental Impacts of Construction and Operations,” Journal of Environmental Management, 292 August, 112802, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112802
  17. Thompson, M., Dahab, M., Williams, R., and Dvorak, B. (2021) Closure of “Improving Energy Efficiency of Small Water-Resource Recovery Facilities: Opportunities and Barriers” Journal of Environmental Engineering, ASCE, 147(4): 07031002  https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)EE.1943-7870.0001723.
  18. Ghormley, S., Williams, R., Dvorak, B. (2020) “Foundry Sand Source Reduction Options: Life Cycle Assessment Evaluation,” Environments, 7(9), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments7090066
  19. Li, S., Qin, Y., Subbiah, J., and Dvorak, B. (2020) “Life cycle assessment of the U.S. beef processing through integrated hybrid approach,” Journal of Cleaner Production, 265 (20) 121813, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.121813
  20. Duerschner, C.; Aly Hassan; A ., Dvorak, B. (2020) “Biofiltration of acetaldehyde resulting from ethanol manufacturing facilities,” Chemosphere, 146 (2) 124982, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2019.124982
  21. S. Li; S. Zhilyaev; D. Gallagher; J. Subbiah; B. Dvorak (2019) “Sustainability of safe foods: Joint environmental, economic and microbial load reduction assessment of antimicrobial systems in US beef processing,” Science of The Total Environment, 691, 252-262.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.07.064.
  22. Ziara, R., Miller, D. ; Subbiah, J.; and Dvorak, B. (2019) “Lactate Wastewater Dark Fermentation: The Effect of Temperature and Initial pH on Biohydrogen Production and Microbial Community,” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy,   44 (2) 661-673 doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2018.11.045.
  23. Li, S.; Ziara, R.; Dvorak, B.; Subbiah, J. (2018) “Assessment of water and energy use at process level in U.S. beef packing industry: case study in a typical U.S. large-size plant”. Journal of Food Process Engineering, Nov. 41(8):e12919. DOI: 10.1111/jfpe.12919
  24. Baral, D.; Dvorak, B.; Admiraal, D.; Jia, S.; Zhang, C.; Li, X., (2018) Tracking the Sources of Antibiotic Resistance Genes in an Urban Stream during Wet Weather using Shotgun Metagenomic Analyses, Environmental Science and Technology, 52 (16), pp 9033–9044, DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.8b01219
  25. Ziara, R.; Li, S.; Subbiah, J.; and Dvorak, B. (2018) “Characterization of Wastewater in Two US Cattle Slaughterhouses,” Water Environment Research, (90) 9, 851-863. https://doi.org/10.2175/106143017X15131012187971.
  26. Hanna, S.; Thompson, M.; Williams, R.; Dahab, M. ; and Dvorak, B.  (2018) Benchmarking the Electric Intensity of Small Nebraska Wastewater Treatment Facilities, Water Environment Research, 90(8) 738-747. doi:10.2175/106143017X15131012153176
  27.  Ringenberg, D.; Wilson, S.; and Dvorak, B. (2017) “State Barriers to Approval of Drinking Water Technologies for Small Systems,” Journal of the American Water Works Association, 109 (8) E343-E352, August, https://doi.org/10.5942/jawwa.2017.109.0096. 
  28. Kuppig, V.; Cook, Y.; Carter, D.; Larson, N.; Williams, R.; and Dvorak, B. (2016) “Implementation of sustainability improvements at the facility level: motivations and barriers,” Journal of Cleaner Production, 139 (1529-1538)   http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2016.08.167.
  29. Bausk, A.; and Dvorak, B. (2016) “Selecting the Column Configuration with Lowest Media Replacement Cost for Small Adsorption Systems,” Water Research, 3(93) 38-47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2016.01.015