Scott Meschke, PhD, MS, JD
About
Dr. Meschke is an environmental and occupational health microbiologist, specializing in the fate, transport, detection and control of pathogens in environmental media (air, water, food and surfaces). He was associate chair and graduate program coordinator for the UW Department of Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences.
Education
- JD, University of Kansas
- PhD, University of North Carolina
- MS, Indiana University
- BS, University of Kansas
Affiliations
Mentorship
Not available to mentor new students in Autumn 2026. Please follow the instructions on the How To Apply page.
DEOHS Students Mentored
Assessment of Animal Health Practices and Antibiotics Usage on Dairy Farms in Washington State
Timothy Obadiah Magnus | MS Thesis | 2025 | View
Development of sample processing methods for direct molecular detection of poliovirus in non-flowing wastewater
Alaine Warren | MS Thesis | 2025 | View
Variability and Uncertainty in SARS-CoV-2 Wastewater-Based Surveillance Normalization: A Systematic Review
Eryn Rogers | MS Thesis | 2025 | View
Increasing Implementation of the COHERE Guidelines to Improve One Health Research
Elizabeth Traylor | MS Thesis | 2024 | View
Development of a Poly-γ-Glutamic Acid Flocculation Method for Enhanced Virus Recovery from Wastewater
Cathleen Horng | MS Thesis | 2024 | View
Research
Interests: Detection of viruses and bacteria in water and food. Environmental surveillance for viruses. Market prevalence of foodborne pathogens. Freshwater toxic cyanobacteria blooms. Viruses of anaerobic digesters. Microbiological quality of produce. Irrigation and produce wash-water quality. Bioaerosol sampling. Quantitative microbial risk assessment. Health and environmental co-benefits of adaptive responses to climate impacts. Infection control. Indicators of fecal contamination. Comparative adsorption of enteric viruses in soil and groundwater. Phage ecology. Survival and persistence of pathogenic microorganisms. Microbiological quality of water, soil and vegetation. Alternative methods of water and wastewater disinfection. Surface disinfection. Biosafety. Mathematical models for exposure assessment. Policy implications of infectious agents. Poliovirus eradication. Endotoxins. Agricultural safety and health. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Mold. Pathogen detection. Solid wastes and waste disposal. Waterborne pathogenic microorganisms.
Publications
Selected publications
- Wastewater-Based Epidemiology: Global Collaborative to Maximize Contributions in the Fight Against COVID-19
- Avian influenza virus ecology and evolution through a climatic lens
- A Review of the Most Commonly Used Methods for Sample Collection in Environmental Surveillance of Poliovirus
- Distribution of Staphylococcus species in dairy cows, workers and shared farm environments.
- Association between Mycobacterium avium Complex Pulmonary Disease and Mycobacteria in Home Water and Soil