Environmental Health Researcher to Join Hudson College Faculty

The Hudson College of Public Health will welcome Orin Shanks, Ph.D., as an associate professor in the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health on Sept. 30.

Shanks comes to OU from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Cincinnati, where he served as a senior research geneticist in the Office of Research and Development. His work uses genetic technologies to identify environmental threats, improve the accuracy of public health testing and provide communities and public agencies with better information for making health decisions.

“Dr. Shanks brings an impressive combination of scientific expertise, practical experience and a strong commitment to collaboration,” said Dr. Scott Meschke, Chair of the Department of Occupational and Environmental Health. “His research addresses environmental health challenges with direct implications for communities, and his experience translating science into useful public health tools will be a tremendous asset to our students, faculty and partners.”

Shanks’ expertise includes genetic method development and validation, quantitative measurement science, microbial water quality and environmental surveillance. His research interests include the use of digital PCR and sequencing technologies to detect trace materials, identify sources of microbial contamination and monitor pathogens and other targets important to public health.

His work extends across water, air, food and the built environment. He also studies what happens to genetic material as it moves through the environment—knowledge that can help researchers interpret test results and better understand potential health risks.

At the EPA, Shanks led the development of Methods 1696 and 1697, which are used to quantify human fecal pollution in environmental waters. Identifying whether contamination comes from people or another source can help public health and environmental agencies respond more effectively and protect recreational and drinking water.

Shanks also helped develop NIST Standard Reference Material 2917, a first-of-its-kind resource that supports the calibration and evaluation of PCR-based methods used to characterize fecal pollution. Standardized reference materials help laboratories produce more accurate and consistent results.

He is a co-inventor on three U.S. patents involving genetic technologies for measuring human, bovine and canine fecal pollution and identifying new genetic markers associated with specific hosts.

Throughout his career, Shanks has collaborated with federal and state agencies, universities, public health organizations and laboratories around the world. He contributes to scientific advisory groups and initiatives involving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the UNESCO/Michigan State University Global Water Pathogen Project and several international water-quality organizations.

In 2026, he served as lead author of the Association of Public Health Laboratories’ Public Health Laboratory Guide to Microbial Wastewater Surveillance. The guide provides public health laboratories with information to help build and maintain wastewater-surveillance programs.

Shanks earned his Ph.D. in genetics from Oregon State University. He also holds a Master of Arts in anthropology and a Bachelor of Science in zoology and physiology from the University of Wyoming.

At the Hudson College, Shanks will contribute to research and education focused on understanding how environmental conditions affect human health and developing practical tools to identify and address environmental health risks.