Our group is interested in studying the flux of contaminants to and from sediments and soils. To this end, we study the physicochemical characteristics of soils and sediments and try to understand how these properties affect contaminant distribution and fate. Examples of our research include a study on the distribution and persistence of PAHs in urban soils and sediments, the bioavailability of trace elements in marsh sediments, the release and transport of chromium in an aquifer, the abundance and fate of nutrients and contaminants in marine and lake microlayers, studying urban runoff using remote-sensing of coastal waters, the sorption/desorption of PAHs from sediments using novel techniques, and the effects of moisture on the physical properties of a variety of porous media. You can read more about each of these projects in our Research Page (link above).

Teaching

I teach a variety of courses in environmental engineering including Introduction to Environmental Engineering, Sewerage and Sewage Treatment, Groundwater Contamination and Remediation, The Global Environment, Mass Transfer and Advanced Mass Transfer in Environmental Systems, Environmental Organic Chemistry, and Environmental Transport. In addition, I have taught Engineering Economics and Introduction to Engineering. I try to make my classes interesting and fun. We solve lots of problems in class, I conduct demonstrations, and we watch videos when and where appropriate.

Links

· Department of Civil Engineering

· College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Technology

· CEA-CREST

· Cal State LA

· UCLA Civil and Environmental Engineering

· MIT Civil and Environmental Engineering

LaKretz Presentation