Biography
Dr. D. Scott Simonton, P.E., Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Marshall University and a Fellow in the Institute for Cyber Security (ICS). Trained as a civil and environmental engineer, he teaches across the environmental, aerospace, and aviation curriculum, including courses in the Aerospace area of emphasis within Mechanical Engineering and multiple courses for the Division of Aviation. He also coordinates the MS in Environmental, Safety and Health and MS in Mine Safety programs and teaches graduate courses in environmental science, hydrology, environmental law and policy, and environmental risk assessment.
Dr. Simonton’s academic interests include groundwater contamination, water resources management, environmental compliance, and cyber-physical risks to environmental and industrial systems. His research includes work on subsurface contamination and toxic-metal stability, and he has supervised more than 150 graduate research projects. In addition to his academic role, he maintains an active environmental consulting practice, drawing on extensive private-sector engineering experience and earlier service in state environmental agencies (WV and ID), including work in water quality, drinking water, leaking-tank oversight, risk assessment, and permitting. He contributes to cybersecurity curriculum development through ICS micro-credential programs. Dr. Simonton is a licensed Professional Engineer in West Virginia, Mississippi, and Kentucky (with prior registrations in New Mexico, Tennessee, and Virginia) and an FAA-certified commercial, instrument-rated airplane pilot and commercial drone pilot. A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and the West Virginia Army National Guard, he brings a strong operational and real-world perspective to both his teaching and professional work.