Xavier Swamikannu D.Env. ’94

---

 

The doctoral research of Xavier Swamikannu has significant potential to communities far beyond Los Angeles because it involves investigations and scientific evaluation of the origin of pollutants conveyed in storm water from industrial sties. This is a field where the state of scientific knowledge is extremely incomplete and where environmental protection policies are of intense interest throughout the United States .

Concurrent with his doctoral research, Swamikannu has held the position of engineering associate for the California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles. In this position, he has the responsibility of educating the public, staff, and board members on storm water issues, a complex area in which he has developed into a leading national expert on both technical and legal aspects of the subject. For his work on storm water regulation issues on behalf of the Regional Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Swamikannu was awarded a Superior Sustained Accomplishment Award by the board, a recognition issued only every few years to staff members. Through significant policy judgments regarding environmental regulatory issues, his decisions affect many people and establish precedent for the storm water regulatory program which the entire nation, under the EPA's requirements, is required to adopt.

Within the UCLA community, Swamikannu has donated major portions of his Alumni Distinguished Scholar and State Superior Sustained Achievement awards to the endowment for environmental science and engineering(ES&E) to support student assistantships. He has also been active in assisting current ES&E students to find research topics of interest to, and received funding from, his agency. Swamikannu has initiated several substantial grants to the ES&E program, including $100,000 to initiate cooperative research between the state and UCLA to study mitigation of highway runoff pollution.