David J. Cowan

Current Professional Experience

Chen Moore & Associates Inc.                                              2019 to present

Senior Engineer, P.E., Civil and Water Resource Engineer, monitor and coordinate staff on project for traditional civil and water resource project. Serve as Staff Engineer for several municipalities.

Mock Roos & Associates Inc.                                              2016 to 2019

Project Engineer, P.E., Civil and Water Resource Engineer Intern, Perform traditional civil and water resource engineering tasks such as: calculation to determine the capacity of water and waste water systems. Prepare drawings based on design manuals, calculations, and building codes. Perform site inspection during the installation of systems to create as-build drawings and verify proper installation of systems.

Gruber Consulting Engineers Inc.                                     2014 to 2016

Environmental E.I., Civil and Water Resource Engineer Intern, Perform traditional civil and water resource engineering tasks such as: calculation to determine the capacity of storm water or on site waste treatment systems. Prepare drawings based on design manuals, calculations, and building codes. Perform site inspection during the installation of systems to create as-build drawings and verify proper installation of systems.

Econeering LLC.                                                                   2010 to present

Technical Director,  Founded an environmental design / consulting firm focused on, indoor air quality, environmental issues in buildings, forensic investigations, materials and systems evaluation, design and construction contracts, failure analysis of building systems and materials, energy analyses, solar design and life-cycle cost analyses.  Provided mechanical evaluation services including specialized services in indoor air quality, humidity control and forensic analysis of HVAC systems. 

Previous Experience

   Morse Associates                                                                    2012 to 2014

Senior Project Manager, Manage continuing contracts and customer relationships through the restructuring of previous company into new entity. Task ranged from request for proposals, providing technical services and invoicing close out documents. Perform field-engineering tasks such as gathering data about building systems and components for construction documents. Oversight of abatement and remediation projects and  building forensic investigation for use in litigation

Morse Zehnter Associates                                                        2007 to 2012

Project Manager, Performs environmental site assessments at industrial and commercial facilities including site visits, data evaluation and report generation.  Direct project administrator abatement contractor supervision, coordinates collection and analysis of air, soil, water and building material samples. Provides consulting for indoor air quality studies, asbestos inspections, and mechanical ventilation assessments for residential, commercial, hospitals, and school facilities. Other services include research work for corporate environmental issues, emergency response in catastrophic events, industrial hygiene studies. Building science and forensic investigations in structures for moisture intrusion, remediation design, sampling, oversight, and monitoring.

Teaching Experience

Dean’s Teaching Assistant Assignments (FAU)                                                    2014-2015

Environmental Science and Engineering                                      ENV 3001C

This is a junior level course that introduces students to the physical, chemical, and microbiological components of environmental systems in science and engineering, and introduces water quality management, air pollution control, solid waste management, pollution prevention techniques, and risk analysis. Responsibility included running all labs for class. Lab topics consisted of pH, alkalinity, chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, Total CFU Petri dish experiments, waste audits. Grading assignments, lab reports, the use of blackboard to communicate grades, proctoring exams and covering lectures when the professor could not attend class. 

Reinforced Concrete Design                                                           CES 4702

This s a senior level course that deals with the behavior of reinforced concrete structural elements, concepts of design and proportioning sections for strength and serviceability; background of ACI 318 specification requirements; strength design  of beams, columns, and members under combined axial load and bending; design of footings; introduction to prestressed concrete. Responsibility included Grading assignments, the use of blackboard to communicate grades, proctoring exams.

Society Memberships

FES (Florida Engineering Society)

TBP (Engineering Honor Society)

PTK (Associate Degree Honor Society)

ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers)

EWRI  (Environmental Water Resource Institute)

Building Energy Assessment Professionals

Graduate Course Work  

Geotechnology of Waste Management                                           CEG 6113

This is a graduate level course primarily for Structures/Geotechnical Engineering and Environmental Engineering students.  Topics covered include forms of waste; index properties; clay minerals; compressibility and settlement; shear strength; hydraulic properties; site investigation; site selection; ground modification and compaction; liners; leachate generation and collection caps; foundation and slope stability; gas management, computer modeling for landfill design. Students will learn to examine the application of geoenvironmental engineering principles to practical waste management problems, design and management of solid waste facilities.

Sustainable Cities                                                                            URP 6930

This is a graduate level course primarily for students in planning, public administration, architecture, environmental science and economics.  The course explores the intellectual foundations and historical development of “sustainability” as a concept, places it within the larger context of various development theories, and looks at how it has influenced real-world practice in planning and public policy. Throughout the course, discussion will include the challenges of sustainable development, and the opportunities and limits at various scales in meeting these challenges. The course explores sustainability from various perspectives including environmental protection, climate change, economic development, human welfare, community development, and urban form. The course to help to better understand the principles of building sustainable communities, guides for LEED-certified neighborhood development and will apply them critically and thoughtfully in an attempt to understand both their benefits and pitfalls.

River Mechanics and Sediment Transport                                      CGN 6930

   Taught as special topics course approved by SCNS in 2015 as    CWR 6236

This is a graduate level course primarily for Water Resources/Environmental Engineering students. However, students in the Structures/Geotechnical Engineering and the Transportation Engineering tracks can also benefit greatly, due to the wide and practical applicability of the material covered. In addition, this course is suitable to Geoscience students. Topic covered include properties and classification of sediments; dimensional analysis; bed configuration; initiation of particle motion; Shield's curve; bed-form resistance to flow; sediment discharge; bed-load; wash-load; suspended sediments; stream characteristics; river meandering; regime methods; river training methods. 

Stormwater Modeling and Management                                         CGN 6930

   Taught as special topics course approved by SCNS in 2015 as    CWR 5308

This is a graduate level course primarily for Water Resources/Environmental Engineering students. The course presents a comprehensive view of stormwater modeling and management with an emphasis on current modeling techniques and design practices. The course provides an in-depth review of fundamentals of hydraulics and hydrology along with spatial analysis tools required for effective stormwater modeling and management. Stormwater Modeling and Management Course will equip the students and practicing engineers with all the tools of analysis and simulation required for design and operation of stromwater systems. The course will also emphasize on the use of design codes relevant to hydrologic design of water management/drainage structures in South Florida/Florida. The course will introduce and help students/practitioners model hydrologic systems using two hydrologic simulation Models (Win-Tr55 and HEC-HMS) and use spatial analysis tool (ArcGIS) for modeling and analysis of stormwater systems. 

Infrastructure Maintenance and Management                                CGN 6930

   Taught as special topics course approved by SCNS in 2015 as    CGN 6616

This is a graduate level course primarily for Water Resources/Environmental Engineering students. However, students in the Structures/Geotechnical Engineering and the Transportation Engineering tracks can also benefit greatly, due to the wide and practical applicability of the material covered. The course involves evaluating infrastructure systems (water, sewer, stormwater, roads, bridges, rail, power) to identify concepts on repair, replacement and maintenance, including dollars to spend on same. 

Modeling Methods in Water Res. and Environmental. Eng.            EES  6025

This is a graduate level course primarily for Water Resources/Environmental Engineering students. Classification of partial differential equations; fundamentals of numerical analysis; numerical stability, consistency and convergence; method of characteristics; variation principles; finite differences; finite elements; integral-boundary element method; applications to water resource and environmental engineering problems.

Water Supply and Treatment                                                           ENV 6418

This is a graduate level course primarily for Water Resources/Environmental Engineering students. Topics covered include bacteriological, chemical, and physical water quality standards; distribution systems; water treatment theory and design; aeration; coagulation and flocculation; sedimentation; filtration; disinfection; softening; membranes.

Current & Past Appointments

EWRI Sustainability Committee –Past Chair, Chair, Past Vice Chair, Secretary             2016-2019

Responsibilities include organizing activities and tracks during the EWRI Congress, Planning meetings, record meeting minutes during bi-monthly meetings, attend annual congress and conduct research. 

EWRI Hazardous, Toxic and Radioactive Waste Engineering Committee– Member                Present 

Responsibilities include work on task committees to develop work product , attend annual congress and conduct research. Current topics are HAZWOPER and Sustainability in Environmental Engineering.

EWRI Urban Water Resources Research Council – Member                Present 

Responsibilities include work on task committees to develop work product , attend annual congress and conduct research. Current task committee is Rainwater Harvesting Task Committee.

EWRI Sustainable Stormwater Infrastructure Committee– Secretary  Present 

Committee provide a forum for civil engineers, regulators, and other urban infrastructure professionals to explore the evolving technologies of non-point source stormwater, stream, and lake pollution treatment, conveyance, controls, and modeling. 

EWRI Urban Drainage Standards Committee– Member                Present 

Responsibilities include work on task committees to develop work product, attend annual congress and conduct research. Current tasks are Drainage Taxonomy of Terms Manual & Standard Guidelines for the Design, Installation, and O&M of Urban Subsurface Drainage ANSI/ASCE/EWRI 12-13, 13-13, 14-13. 

Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Honor Society - VP, Florida Epsilon (2011-2012)

Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Honor Society - President, Florida Epsilon (2012-2013)

Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Honor Society – Chapter Advisor, Florida Epsilon (2014-2018)

Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Honor Society – Secretary, Palm Beach Broward Alumni Chapter  (2014-2018)

Tau Beta Pi, Engineering Honor Society – District Director, District Five  (2017-2021)

Florida Engineering Society Palm Beach Chapter - Officers Board (2017-2022 

Shortlisted top 15 nationally on the Odebrecht Award for Sustainable Development in the United States