People
Clayton Jeffryes, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering
Director, Center for Advances in Water and Air Quality
cjeffryes@lamar.edu
(409) 880-7654
Dr. Clayton Jeffryes is the director of The Center for Advances in Water and Air Quality and a professor in the Dan F. Smith Department of Chemical Engineering at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University. His work focuses on the production of nanostructured materials, bioactive molecules and high-energy compounds from cell suspension and innovative methods to treat biofuel wastes and petrochemical flows.
Included in this work is the development of scalable, engineered systems to bridge the gap between the microscale and production scale biosynthesis of nanomaterials. Dr. Jeffryes is an internationally experienced researcher who held a research fellowship with the Belgian National Science Foundation from 2012-2015 and had a leadership role on projects funded by the NSF, Air Force Research Laboratory, European Union, Belgian National Science Foundation and the Walloon Region.
He also interest and has excelled at interdisciplinary research and has published a breadth of research topics such as materials characterization, biomimetics, alternative energy, bioprocess and biochemical engineering and numerical modeling. Dr. Jeffryes teaches transport phenomena and is interested in the application of these principles to analyze biological systems and biomedical technologies.
Keywords: Industrial Waste Management, Modeling and Simulation, Renewable Energy, Sustainability, Water Reuse, Water Treatment Processes, Waste-to-Energy Conversion.
R. Gavin Jones, M.S., REP
Associate Director for Programs, Center for Advances in Water and Air Quality
gavin.jones@lamar.edu
(409) 880-8447
Mr. Gavin Jones is the Associate Director for Programs with the Center for Advances in Water and Air Quality at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University. His research focuses on biofilm formation and methods to enhance biological activity in treating municipal and industrial waste streams.
He has served as the PI for contracts and grants with the U.S. Air Force and Army Corps of Engineers; and has extensive experience in managing environmental research institutes. Additionally, he has conducted research in the synthesis of butanol from cellulosic material and treating water produced from hydraulic fracking operations.
His work has resulted in six patents and he has gained experience in the commercialization of environmental technologies. He has also provided wastewater consultation services throughout the United States, Europe and the Caribbean; and is a Registered Environmental Professional (REP) with the National Registry of Environmental Professionals (NREP).
Keywords: Biofilm, Municipal and Industrial Wastewater Treatment, Biofuel Production, Produced Water Treatment.
C. Jerry Lin, Ph.D., P.E.
Professor, Environmental Engineering
Associate Provost for Research
Dean of Graduate Studies
jerry.lin@lamar.edu
(409) 880-8761
Dr. C. Jerry Lin is Associate Provost for Research, Dean of Graduate Studies and a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University. His work focuses on the fate and transport of pollutants in the environment, water & wastewater engineering and air quality assessment. Dr. Lin served as a member in the USEPA Science Advisory Board, and was one of the lead modelers of the United Nations' Task Force on Hemispheric Transport of Air Pollutants.
He has assisted in the technical analysis for national policy making on mercury emission reduction including Clean Air Mercury Rules, Occupational Mercury Exposure Assessment and Mercury and Air Toxics Standards for Power Plants. He also works extensively with industrial partners in a number of waste-to-energy, biological wastewater treatment and emission control projects.
Dr. Lin teaches water chemistry, water and wastewater treatment, air pollution science and engineering statistics. He is also an active proponent of STEM education through his research activities and educational outreach.
Keywords: Atmospheric Processes; Air Quality Management; Fate and Transport of Pollutants; Modeling and Simulation; Water Reuse; Water Treatment Processes; Waste-to-Energy Conversion.
Tracy J. Benson, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering
tracy.benson@lamar.edu
(409) 880-7536
Dr. Tracy Benson leads the Catalysis and Reaction Engineering Laboratory at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University. His work focuses on the minimization (or elimination) of industrial wastes, notably carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and unwanted byproducts. Using the objectives of Green Chemistry, he synthesizes novel homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts, performs catalyst characterizations and catalyst testing.
His analytical expertise includes GC & LC-Mass Spectrometry, FTIR & Raman spectroscopy, X-ray Diffraction and temperature programmed desorption/oxidation/reaction. In addition to laboratory testing, Dr. Benson also performs process modeling using ASPEN simulation software to minimize the energy required for chemical transformations, to minimize unwanted product streams and to minimize process wastewater effluents.
Dr. Benson leads the College of Engineering’s ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ Intro to Engineering (LITE) summer camp that brings the concepts of STEM to fifty 7th and 8th graders during a weeklong day camp. Students learn about each type of the engineering disciplines, learn about teamwork and communication and participate in a team design competition.
Keywords: Air Quality Management, Climate Change, Industrial Waste Management, Process Optimization, Renewable Energy, Waste Minimization, Waste-to-Energy Conversion.
Liv Haselbach , Ph.D., P.E.
Professor and Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering
lhaselbach@lamar.edu
(409)-880-8759
Dr. Haselbach is the Chair of ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Her work focuses on sustainable construction, low impact development, soil contaminant modeling/decision support systems; alternative fueling infrastructure Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), air pollution and environmental issues in the concrete industry (pervious concrete, carbon absorption, urban heat island impacts).
Dr. Haselbach serves on many national and international committees, including ASTM E60 (Sustainability), ACI 130 (Sustainability), ACSE LID (Low Impact Development) and ISO TC71/8 Environmental Management of Concrete and Concrete Structures. Dr. Haselbach is extensively published and authored the book "The Engineering Guide to LEED-New Construction".
Keywords: Sustainable construction, Life Cycle Assessment, Air Pollution, Pervious Concrete, Soil Contaminant Modeling.
Matt Hoch, Ph.D.
Professor, Biology
mphoch@lamar.edu
(409) 880-8264
Matt Hoch is a Professor of Biology focusing on the ecology of aquatic microbial communities; specifically sulfate reducing prokaryotes in salt marsh sediments, bacterioplankton in Lake Sabine Estuary and finfish microbiomes.
Watershed ecology, with focus on assessment of water quality, periphyton, macroinvertebrates and fish in stream ecosystems. Nitrogen cycling and the role of nitrogen limitation on bacterioplankton and periphyton communities.
Keywords: Ecology, microbial communities, methane, carbon dioxide, carbon cycle, microbiomes, tardigrades.
Carrie Martin, MT(ASCP)
Laboratory Technician
College of Engineering, Materials Instrumentation Center
carrie.martin@lamar.edu
(409) 880-7873
Carrie Martin is the Instrumental Laboratory Technician for the College of Engineering. She graduated from ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University with a Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology in 1994 and Houston Methodist Hospital Medical Laboratory Science Program.
She has 15 years of experience in a medical laboratory as well as the refining industry. In the past 15 years, she has been working on the characterization of chemicals, products and wastewater in the refining industry.
Cam-Tuoi Dinh, M.S.
Research Engineer
CAWAQ
tdinh4@lamar.edu
(409)-880-8991
Cam-Tuoi Dinh, is a Research Engineer in Center for Advances in Water and Air Quality. She completed her Bachelors and MS degrees in Chemical Engineering from ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University in 2020 and 2022, respectively. During her time at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ she excelled in design projects. She currently focuses on industrial process simulation, engineering design and quality control and compliance.
Qin Qian, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Water Resource Engineering
qin.qian@lamar.edu
(409) 880-7559
Dr. Qin Qian is a PI for the Center for Advances in Water and Air Quality and an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University. Her work focuses on the fate and transport of pollutants in natural water bodies, water resource monitoring and management and advanced design applications in water resource engineering.
Dr. Qian served as a Director of Overseas Chinese Environmental Engineers and Scientists Association (OCEESA), a Committee Member of ASCE Groundwater Hydrology Committee, a Technical Assistant of the Technical Advisory Panel for the Research Management Committee 5 (RMC-5) of the Texas Department of Transportation and a Board Member for the Gulf Coast Recovery and Protection District. She has also worked with local agencies on Water Resource Monitoring and Management issues to allow better ecological restoration design and preservation of aquatic ecosystems.
Dr. Qian teaches hydraulics, fluid mechanics, engineering hydrology, hydraulic engineering and models of hydrological system. She is also an active proponent of STEM education through her research activities and educational outreaches.
Thinesh Selvaratnam, Ph.D.
Assisstant Professor 
Civil & Environmental Engineering
tselvaratnam@lamar.edu
(409) 880-8712
Dr. Thinesh Selvaratnam is a member of the Center for Advances in Water and Air Quality, and a professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ University. Dr. Thinesh’s research activities are focused on the development of an algal-based bioremediation systems to treat municipal and industrial wastewaters.
Currently, Dr. Thinesh is focused on the potential of using thermophilic mixotrophic algae, Galdieria sulphuraria to efficiently perform on-site treatment of leachate. In addition, Dr. Thinesh is focused on developing tools and pedological approaches to increase the undergraduate students’ retention in Civil Engineering Department.
He is also active in improving undergraduate research opportunities in Environmental engineering and STEM based K-12 outreach activities.
Keywords: Energy efficient water and wastewater treatment, Resource recovery, Algal biotechnology, Food-Energy-Water Nexus, Sustainability, Engineering Education.
Walter Wheeler
Laboratory Technician
College of Engineering
walter.wheeler@lamar.edu
Walter Wheeler is a Laboratory Technician for the College of Engineering. He graduated from DeVry University with a Bachelor of Science in Electronic Engineering Technology in 1986 and ÃÛÌÒÊÓƵ institute of Technology with an Associates Degree in Computer Aided Design in 1999.
Walter has worked the last 17 years in the industrial firefighting equipment field using design disciplines in Piping, Mechanical, Structural and electrical/electronics.