ERDC Environmental Laboratory director named

Published Sept. 17, 2020
Dr. Edmond Russo, a 27-year U.S. Army Corps of Engineers veteran, has been selected as the director of the Environmental Laboratory at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The ERDC helps solve the nation’s most challenging problems in civil and military engineering, geospatial sciences, water resources and environmental sciences, and conducts research and development in support of the Soldier, military installations and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works mission, as well as for other federal, state and municipal authorities.

Dr. Edmond Russo, a 27-year U.S. Army Corps of Engineers veteran, has been selected as the director of the Environmental Laboratory at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Mississippi. The ERDC helps solve the nation’s most challenging problems in civil and military engineering, geospatial sciences, water resources and environmental sciences, and conducts research and development in support of the Soldier, military installations and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers civil works mission, as well as for other federal, state and municipal authorities.

VICKSBURG, Miss – Dr. Edmond Russo has been selected  as the director of the Environmental Laboratory (EL) at the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) in Vicksburg, Mississippi.  

Russo, a 27-year U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) veteran, will lead EL in providing relevant, value-added technology supporting the environmental mission of the USACE, the Army, the Department of Defense and the nation. The EL’s interdisciplinary staff of more than 250 engineers, scientists, technicians and support personnel plans and executes all phases of the technology development process, from basic research to field implementation to commercialization. Partnering with federal and state agencies, academia and the private sector, the EL uses its distinctive technical capabilities to resolve complex, multi-disciplinary environmental sustainability problems.

“I am ecstatic about re-joining the ERDC and EL family and team, having gained valuable insights in practice, in most recently leading the Galveston District on program and project execution requirements for a high visibility, nationally significant mission set,” Russo said. “I look forward to bringing in context and perspective from the field operating level on high priority agency capability gaps for leading next generation, leap-ahead technical achievements that deliver outstanding value to the nation. We will do this by achieving shared understanding and unity of purpose, through mature relationships, sophisticated communications and managed expectations.”

Russo is not new to the ERDC. He served as chief of the Coastal Engineering Branch in the Navigation Division at the Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory from 2005-2009 and as chief of the Ecosystem Evaluation and Engineering Division in EL from June 2009-2014.  

Previous to being named the ERDC EL director, Russo served as program manager, Deputy District Engineer for Programs and Project Management for the Galveston District. In that position, he was responsible for leading concept to delivery of projects in the areas of navigation, watershed flood and coastal storm risk management, ecosystem restoration, wetlands regulatory and emergency management. Russo has held a wide variety of leadership positions throughout both the USACE and the private sector. 

The New Orleans native holds a doctorate degree in civil engineering from Louisiana State University, a graduate degree in sustaining base leadership and management from the Army Management Staff College in Washington, D.C., a master’s degree in civil engineering from the University of New Orleans and a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Louisiana State University. He has authored more than 40 technical publications, is a registered professional engineer and is the recipient of a multitude of professional awards.

“Our goal is to lean forward on articulately defining and relentlessly pursuing EL’s role in the 2020-2030 ERDC Strategy and USACE Technology Innovation Strategy, to anticipate requisite technical gaps of USACE and our agency customers for attaining zero glide paths for new and innovative product and service delivery on the mission requirements timelines of these end users,” Russo said. “Our objectives will be to improve product/service quality, reduce levels of effort, lower costs and shorten timeframes to delivery. We will dramatically increase the relevance of ERDC in the process, exceeding end-user expectations for improved agency mission management in an increasingly complex, uncertain and risk-laden operating environment.”

The selection announcement was made by ERDC Director Dr. David Pittman, and the position holds a Senior Executive Service classification. “I am so proud of the work the EL team has done in recent months with acting director Dr. Jack Davis at the helm, and I am excited to see what lies ahead under Dr. Russo's leadership,” said Pittman.