William E. Sharpe

William E. (Bill) Sharpe completed a B.S. in Forest Technology in 1966 and an M.S. in Forest Resources in 1968, both at Penn State. He earned a Ph.D. from West Virginia University in 1979.

Bill began his faculty career at Penn State in 1972 as an Instructor in Forest Resources. Following completion of his doctoral degree in 1979, he was promoted to Assistant Professor and then to Associate Professor in 1984 and Professor in 1989. He retired in 2007 as Professor Emeritus of Forest Hydrology after 35 years of service to Penn State's School of Forest Resources. He continued to teach a course in forest soils for several years after retirement.

Bill grew up in Windber, PA, the son of a third-generation coal miner. He worked his way through Penn State, living in a poultry barn where he performed daily chores in lieu of rent. He was president of the Forestry Society, a member of the Woodsmen's Team and the honor societies Xi Sigma Pi and Phi Sigma. He spent two summers on the Lolo Hotshots, a Forest Service interregional fire crew. In 1967, he received the Outstanding Senior Award from Xi Sigma Pi. He completed ROTC flight training and graduated with a private pilot's license, the designation of Distinguished Military Graduate, and a commission as a second lieutenant in the US Army.

Bill reported for active duty in 1969. He completed the Engineer Officer's Basic Course and the Officer's Rotary Wing Aviator's Course. Subsequently, he was deployed to Vietnam where he flew helicopters on 56 combat missions and was awarded a Bronze Star for Meritorious Service, two Air Medals, three unit awards of the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Palm and the Vietnam Service Medal with three service stars. He was discharged from active duty in 1971 with the rank of Captain.

Bill's professional accomplishments are numerous and include early research and outreach work on water-efficient plumbing fixtures. He organized the first national conference on water-efficient fixtures in 1974. He wrote articles for trade magazines, made numerous presentations nationally, and worked with the American National Standards Institute and other organizations to adopt water conservation standards.

Bill testified about the merits of water-efficient plumbing fixtures before Congress in 1979 and later was invited to submit written testimony to the Senate in support of the Energy Policy Act of 1992. This Act subsequently became law and mandated the use of water-efficient plumbing in new home construction. The National Resources Defense Council reported in 2017 that this legislation produced a "sea-change" in domestic water use, reversing a steadily increasing trend. Between 1999 and 2017, domestic water use in the United States decreased by 22 percent.

In 1978, Bill and Dave DeWalle began research on acid rain. This effort was entirely funded by external grants and research contracts and among other things, demonstrated that aluminum leaching from forest soils caused fish kills in headwater streams. Their research on acid runoff episodes and other topics contributed to the body of knowledge that resulted in the passage of federal legislation to reduce acid rain. Bill continued research on acid rain and forest health throughout his career. He researched sugar maple and red oak decline, organized a conference on the effects of acid rain on forest health, and assembled a blue-ribbon panel of international experts to address this problem. He edited and published the results of this conference, including the panel's conclusions, in a book titled The Effects of Acidic Deposition on Pennsylvania's Forests. He and colleagues researched the benefits of forest liming in the revitalization of forests with extremely acid soils. Bill obtained external funding to purchase and design the "Penn State Regenerator," a log skidder modified to apply limestone sand in difficult forested terrains. In the conduct of this and other research, he advised 40 master's students and seven Ph.D. candidates to completion of their degrees and served on numerous graduate committees. Many of his students won awards for their work.

Concomitantly, Bill maintained a vigorous Extension program in water resources. He and colleagues established the Safe Drinking Water Clinic program that continues today. During Bill's time in Extension, he presented the Water Clinic program in almost all of Pennsylvania's 67 counties, speaking to more than 10,000 individual attendees. Subsequently, he and Bryan Swistock, Senior Extension Associate, conceived and implemented the Master Well Owner's Network that also continues. Bill also initiated the Woodcock Trail Demonstration Area in the Stone Valley Experimental Forest. Bill authored numerous circulars, fact sheets, posters, and videos in support of his Extension programs.

In 1997 Bill received the Roubidoux Fly Fishers Association Conservation Award, and in 2000 the Eastern Sports and Outdoor Show Conservation Award for Research. That same year he was named a Heinz Watershed Stewardship Fellow, and in 2001 received the Governor's Award for Watershed Stewardship. In 2001, Gamma Sigma Delta, the College of Agriculture Honor Society, recognized his efforts with its Extension Award.

Four of Bill's Extension publications received blue ribbon awards from the American Society of Agricultural Engineers, and two of his educational videos received Telly Awards. The National Ground Water Association presented the Master Well Owner's Network with its Ground Water Protection Award in 2005 and the Pennsylvania Ground Water Association gave their Ground Water Protection Award to the program in 2010. In 2007, The Universities Council on Water Resources presented their Education and Public Service Award to Bill and Bryan Swistock and Bill received the College of Agricultural Sciences, Environment and Natural Resources Institute Career Award.

The Richard King Mellon Foundation gifted $150,000 to the new Forest Resources Building in honor of Bill's research, resulting in the Water Laboratory bearing his name. In 2008, the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission presented Bill with its Ralph W. Abele Conservation Heritage Award.

Bill served as chair of the Universities Council on Water Resources, Technology Transfer Committee, and was elected to its Board of Directors. He served as Extension Chair in Forest Resources for seven years and as the College of Agricultural Sciences' Water Quality Coordinator. He is a past president of Gamma Sigma Delta.

Bill also served the local community as a little league baseball and basketball coach and as a member of the Gregg Township Planning Commission. He founded and operates Sinking Creek Resources Consulting, LLC, a small water quality and environmental consulting firm. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Outdoor Writers Association, and a life member of Trout Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association, and Vinh Long Outlaws Association. He recently published Ups and Downs: Recollections of a Vietnam Helicopter Pilot about his experiences in the military and he is working on another book about bird dogs and field trialing.

Bill and his wife of 49 years, Carol, live on a small farm near Spring Mills with a couple of horses and their English Setter, Jim. Bill makes a small amount of maple syrup from trees on the property and fly fishes for trout in Sinking Creek, which runs through the farm. They have two children, Stacey and Peter and four wonderful grandchildren. Pete is the hydrologist for the Northeast Region of the National Park Service and Stacey is the sales manager of a State College apparel store.