I am a Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Delaware. I received an MA and PhD degrees in Civil Engineering and Operations Research (Water Resources Engineering) from Princeton University, an MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering (Water Resources Engineering) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a BS degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Cincinnati. I worked as a civil engineer for Ashland Oil Company, and a water resources engineer for Meade and Hunt, Inc. Following my PhD, I was a post-doctoral research associate and then research assistant professor in environmental engineering at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

My research focus is the movement of fluids and mass transfer processes in porous media, with a particular emphasis on model development and application. My research has spanned a range of environmental problems including soil and groundwater remediation, design of landfill cover systems to enhance oxidation of fugitive landfill gas, and more recently modification of geomedia (e.g., amendment with biochar) in stormwater treatment systems to enhance pollutant removal.

For Prospective Students

I am seeking two full-time graduate students to work under my supervision:

• MS student starting Summer 2024 interested in applications of biochar to alter soil hydrology and nutrient fate in urban soils and living shorelines. This project is funded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Delaware Sea Grant, and the Maryland Transportation Authority.

Graphical abstract from recent paper illustrating biochar impacts on plant growth, hydrology, and nutrient removal in bioretention media.

• MS or PhD student starting Fall 2024 interested in application of data analytics to assess emissions of methane from landfills, using data from satellites, drones, and fixed point sensors. This project is funded by the US EPA and is in collaboration with researchers at UC Berkeley and UC Davis.

Image illustrating landfill gas measurement data collected in the US EPA project.

If you’re interested in either position, please send me an email or apply through the UD Graduate Applications system. Please use “Prospective PhD student [Your name]” as your email subject and attach your CV and transcripts. Due to the large volume of emails, I apologize for not replying to individual inquiries I have received.

Graduate Program to Apply Under

• I have advised graduate students concentrating in environmental engineering or water resources engineering within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Delaware. I have recently advised graduate students in the Interdisciplinary Program in Water Science and Policy, where I now serve as Associate Director. Depending on a student’s background and interests, you may apply to any of these programs to work under my direction.

Current Research Interests

• Modeling the effect of biochar on soil structure and soil hydrology
• Altering urban soils to increase stormwater infiltration and nutrient transformation
• Influence of biochar on plant growth, root structure, and infiltration capacity of soils and engineered geomedia
• Remediation of soils contaminated by spills of fracking fluids
• Greenhouse gas emissions from landfills - measurement, modeling, and control
• Development of breathable membrane toilets for developing countries