Metropolitan State University of Denver

Dr Thomas R Bellinger

Personal Biography Statement

Dr. Thomas (Tom) Bellinger is a certified Professional Hydrologist through the American Institute of Hydrology. He is currently an Affiliate Professor at the Metropolitan State University of Denver in the Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Department teaching resource management, environmental science, planning, environmental policy, water resources, snow hydrology, and water law.

Tom is currently on the Board of Directors (representing Bancroft-Clover Water and Sanitation District) of the Metro Wastewater Reclamation District serving nearly 1.7 million wastewater customers in the front range metro area. He is also serving as a board member and is a past president of NecroSearch International, a non-profit multi-disciplinary forensic group that assists law enforcement agencies on cold case homicides with a focus on the location of clandestine evidence and graves. His specialty with this organization is in the area of hydrologic forensic analysis.

Tom retired as Principal Hydrologist with the Department of Interior/Bureau of Reclamation, Technical Service Center in Denver, CO in March 2008. Prior to this position, he served as a hydrologist and Branch Chief of Refuge Hydrology for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Regional Office in Denver. He also served five years as a planning hydrologist in the former Reclamation Southwest Regional Office in Amarillo, TX.

A “mustang” naval officer, Tom served in both the enlisted and officer ranks of the US Navy. He first served as a Cryptologic Technician and later as a Naval Intelligence Officer. Retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Commander, he specialized in the analysis of gunrunning, drug trafficking and operational military intelligence. He is a member of the American Institute of Hydrology, the American Geophysical Union, and the Military Officers Association of America.

Educational Biography

Dr. Bellinger holds a B.S. (Resources Management/ Forestry) and M.S. (Hydrologic Sciences/Forest Influences) degrees from the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY. He holds a doctorate in Organizational Management /Leadership with an emphasis on collaborative processes in the water resources field.

Research Areas/Interests

Dr. Bellinger’s focus over the past thirty years has been in the areas of watershed hydrology, hydrologic and hydro-meteorologic modeling, military remote sensing technology with regard to water resources, and federal water right negotiations. He has authored a variety of journal articles, research papers, and government reports on several aspects of the hydrologic sciences.

Personal

Dr. Bellinger is associated several volunteer organizations such as NecroSearch International, the Colorado Civil Air Patrol, the Denver Mandolin Orchestra, the Koza Society, and several veterans organizations. He is also an alumni of the MetroLeads Program at Metropolitan State college of Denver. He and his wife Anita have two grown children. They reside in Lakewood, CO.

Teaching Philosophy

I believe in teaching "reality" by bringing personal and professional examples as well as current events into the classroom. This is a cornerstone of my philosophy for preparing the student for the real world.

Courses Taught

ENV-1200,ENV-1400,ENV-3400,ENV-4200,ENV-4410,ENV-492A

Office Hours

Monday - [11:00 to 12:00]
Wednesday - [11:00 to 12:00]