Mitsch, William

William Mitsch is an ecosystem ecologist and ecological engineer who was co-laureate of the 2004 Stockholm Water Prize in August 2004 as a result of a career in wetland ecology and restoration, ecological engineering, and ecological modelling.

Mitsch graduated the University of Notre Dame in 1969 where he majored in mechanical engineering. He then worked for two years in the power industry -- for American Electric Power in Ohio and for Commonwealth Edison in Chicago. It was at the latter utility that he became part of their then-new environmental planning staff in 1970, being influenced by the first Earth Day in May 1970. He then went to the University of Florida and received an M.E. degree (1972) and Ph.D. (1975) in environmental engineering sciences. In his Ph.D. program he transitioned to become more of an ecologist, studying wetlands and lakes in Florida under Professor H.T. Odum. Prior to arriving at Ohio State University in 1986, he was on the faculties at Illinois Institute of Technology (1975–79) and University of Louisville (1979–85).

His most significant contributions are 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 and 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 Ohio State University. He also has made 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. Mitsch's recent wetland research has emphasized wetlands for nutrient removal in the agricultural Mississippi-Ohio-Missouri (MOM) River Basin and the importance of wetlands in climate change.

Mitsch is currently Distinguished Professor of Environment and Natural Resources at 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. 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).