With the start of the new year, several PROTECT trainees have moved on to new positions where they continue to utilize the skills they honed while working with PROTECT.
Dr. Ciblak’s PROTECT research focused on remediation of chlorinated solvents in groundwater, electrochemical oxidation and reduction processes, and electrokinetic-enhanced bioremediation of contaminated clay. He now has a position at Langan Engineering and Environmental Services in Lawrenceville, NJ. He is involved in the design and implementation of various environmental remediation projects including in-situ chemical oxidation/reduction, in-situ bioremediation, air sparging/soil vapor extraction systems, and pump and treat. His responsibilities include performing treatability studies; soil and groundwater sampling; remedial design, implementation and monitoring; pilot tests; data management and evaluation; and report preparation.
As a PhD candidate with PROTECT, Dr. Ciblak says he developed the technical skills that are essential to solving complex environmental problems. He regularly draws on the lab skills and knowledge developed at PROTECT in his treatability studies and pilot tests at Langan.
Dr. Ali Ciblak
During his PhD candidacy at Northeastern, Dr. Ghasemizadeh conducted groundwater modeling, data analysis, and environmental engineering research. He published in peer-reviewed journals, overcame research challenges, and mentored graduate and undergraduate students.
He believes that being a part of a successful team such as PROTECT provided him with the opportunity to effectively collaborate with other professionals in toxicology, remediation and data management. He graduated in 2015 and is currently working as a hydrogeologist in the consulting industry where he applies engineering and hydrogeologic concepts in the field.
Dr. Reza Ghasemizadeh
As a visiting scholar for PROTECT from 2013 through 2015, Dr. Balati Maihemuti performed research on numerical simulation of groundwater flow and contaminate transport and contaminant soil and water remediation.
Now Dr. Maihemuti holds a position with Geotechnical Engineering & Testing, a consulting firm based in Houston, TX, that focuses on material and soil testing at construction sites. Dr. Maihemuti is responsible for technical methods and procedures used to collect and test a variety of construction materials in the field or laboratory; mathematical procedures related to the accurate performance and interpretation of a variety of calculations in the field or laboratory; and safety procedures and occupational hazards as they relate to injury prevention and safety.
Dr. Balati Maihemuti
During his two years of postdoctoral work at Northeastern University, Dr. Yu worked with Dr. Alshawabkeh and PROTECT in research on spatial patterns analysis, historical groundwater contamination, emerging organic contaminants, and groundwater modeling.
Now Dr. Xue Yu is a visiting researcher at Dr. Edward Nater’s group in the Department of Soil, Water, & Climate at University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. His responsibilities include analyzing the trend of forest fires in northeastern Minnesota, modeling the fire smoke transport, and evaluating the effect of forest fire on mercury bioaccumulation in lake fishes.
Yu credits the training he received at PROTECT with preparing him for a career in environmental engineering. Training opportunities with PROTECT included research experiences in utilizing geospatial and statistical analysis; in-depth training in interdisciplinary research; social interaction skills; involvement in research activities with multiple universities; and friendships with group members.
Dr. Xue Yu
Dr. Alshawabkeh and the rest of PROTECT wish them the best of luck in their future endeavors.