Science of the Total Environment 912 (2024) 168995
Available online 16 December 2023
In memoriam of Dionysios (Dion) Dionysiou
On November 21, 2023, Dion passed away in Cincinnati, Ohio, at the age of 58. In addition to being a scientist, teacher, and author, Dion was a dedicated husband to Paula and a loving father to his daughters Stella and Marianna. Dion's impactful life transcended his role as a university professor; he was a global scientist dedicated to advancing water science and engineering. Through his extensive travels, he not only shared knowledge but also made significant contributions to the international landscape of water science, leaving an indelible mark on the field.
Dion was born in Cyprus in 1965. He started his career as a research assistant at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) after he obtained his BSc from NTUA in 1991.
Subsequently, Dion relocated to the U.S., initially joining Tufts University from 1992 to 94, and then W.R. Grace in Massachusetts, in 1994–1995. Later, he transitioned to the University of Cincinnati, shaping his professional trajectory. Having earned his Ph.D. in 2001, he progressed steadily to attain the position of full professor by 2008. At the time of his passing, he held the esteemed titles of Professor of Envi- ronmental Engineering and Distinguished Research Professor (STEM).
Teaching/lecturing activities
In terms of teaching and lecturing, Dion conducted courses covering a spectrum of topics, including drinking water quality, treatment and reuse, advanced unit operations for water treatment, advanced oxida- tion technologies, and physicochemical processes for water quality control. His research pursuits spanned diverse areas within water quality and treatment, with a particular emphasis on addressing con- taminants of emerging concern. Dion's focus extended to environmental nanotechnology, catalysis, and nano-sensing.
Notably, in recent years, he spearheaded various projects concen- trated on the treatment, sensing, and monitoring of cyanotoxins in freshwater systems. These initiatives included endeavors in prominent bodies of water such as Lake Erie, as well as numerous inland lakes and
rivers in Ohio. Dion's commitment to both teaching and innovative research underscored his dedication to advancing the understanding and management of water-related challenges.
Over the years, Dion served as a mentor to over 60 visiting pro- fessors, post-doctoral associates, and visiting graduate students. His mentorship played a pivotal role in shaping the academic and profes- sional journeys of numerous individuals, contributing to the broader growth and development of the scientific community.
Research
Dion's research received millions of dollars in funding from organi- zations such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the U.S. Envi- ronmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the USAID, the Ohio Sea Grant, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration- Cooper- ative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (NOAA/CICEET) and DuPont.
Awards
Dion received multiple awards and extensive scientific peer recog- nitions. Examples are:
• The University of Cincinnati named him 2022 Distinguished Research Professor.
• Creativity Prize of the 10th Award Prince Sultan Ben Abdulaziz In- ternational Water Prize (2022)
• W. Wesley Eckenfelder Graduate Research Faculty Advisor Award (2021) by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, and the Environmental Engineering & Science Founda- tion for Outstanding Lifetime Achievements in the Advancement of Environmental Protection.
• Award of Achievement as Distinguished Scientist under the Chinese Academy of Sciences President's International Fellowship Initiative, January 2019.
• Elected Fellow of the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors (AEESP), October 2018.
• Elected Fellow of the International Water Association (IWA), July 2018
• Royal Society of Chemistry, Sustainable Water Award, May 8, 2018.
• Elected Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences, January 2018.
• Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors Distinguished Service Award, June 2017.
Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Science of the Total Environment
journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/scitotenv
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168995
Science of the Total Environment 912 (2024) 168995
2
•Elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, April 7, 2017.
•Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award, The Marquis Who's Who Publications Board, 2017
•The 2014 ARCADIS / AEESP Frontier in Research Award, August 2014 (The award was renamed as the Walter J. Weber, Jr. AEESP Frontier in Research Award in 2018).
•UNESCO Co-Chair Professor on “Water Access and Sustainability”, September 2013.
Publications and invited talks
According to Google Scholar Dion had over 80,000 citations with an h-index of 146. Dion was a Highly Cited Researcher, according to Web of Science and Clarivate Analytics. He was heavily involved in the activ- ities of the ACS-Environmental Division, including organization of multiple symposia at ACS meetings. He had delivered over >100 invited plenary and keynote presentations and hundreds of conference pre- sentations globally.
Editorial work
Dion was involved as Editor in several journals including Chemical Engineering Journal (Elsevier), a reference journal in Chemical Engi- neering receiving several thousands of submissions each year. He was also co-Editor in Chief of Current Opinion in Chemical Engineering (Elsevier). He was Editor of the Journal of Advanced Oxidation Tech- nologies and Editor for the Journal of Environmental Engineering (ASCE).
Dion's legacy extends beyond his professional accomplishments, and his absence will be deeply felt by those who knew him. We express gratitude for the rich and meaningful life he shared with us. In addition to his noteworthy career, Dion was always open and generous with his time,
willingly providing invaluable advice to students and researchers alike.
His willingness to share his wisdom and experience leaves an indelible mark on the academic community, and his legacy will undoubtedly continue to inspire future generations.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Damia Barceloc, Despo Fatta-Kassinosa,b, Jay Gand,*, Philip Hopkee, Elena Paolettif, Daniel Lovegroveg
aNireas - International Water Research Center, University of Cyprus, P.O.
Box 20537, CY-1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
bDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, School of Engineering, University of Cyprus, P.O. Box 20537, CY-1678 Nicosia, Cyprus
cDepartment of Environmental Chemistry, Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC), Jordi Girona, 18-26, 08034 Barcelona, Spain
dUniversity of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, United States of America
eUniversity of Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States of America
fResearch Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems National Research Council Florence Branch, Florence, Italy
gElsevier Ltd, Nielsen House, John Smith Drive, Oxford OX4 2WB, United Kingdom
*Corresponding author.
E-mail address: [email protected] (J. Gan).
D. Barcelo et al.