Dr. Charles Schaefer Named to Head CDM Smith Bellevue Research & Testing Laboratory

BOSTON -- CDM Smith is pleased to announce that chemical engineer Charles E. Schaefer Jr., PhD, has been named director of CDM Smith's Research & Testing Laboratory in Bellevue, Washington. Equipped with the tools and tech­nolo­gies to support a wide range of laboratory studies and analyses, the Bellevue Research & Testing Laboratory is one of three internal lab facilities at CDM Smith that broaden the firm’s advanced research and development (R&D) capa­bil­i­ties in envi­ron­men­tal remediation, water treatment, and water reclamation and provide sophis­ti­cated testing and analysis for our clients. “CDM Smith emphasizes technical excellence and is filled with excep­tion­ally bright and motivated people,” Schaefer says. “I’m excited to lead our team in Bellevue in carrying out industry-changing research.”

Schaefer holds a PhD in chemical and biochemical engineering from Rutgers University and has twenty years of experience in abiotic and biotic treatment approaches for emerging cont­a­m­i­nants, in situ fate and transport of organic cont­a­m­i­nants, disin­fec­tion, and wastewater treatment. He is a leading researcher in treatment of perflu­o­ri­nated compounds, such as perflu­o­rooc­tanoic acid (PFOA) and perflu­o­rooc­tane sulfonate (PFOS), compounds that were used in the manufacture and use of hundreds of products ranging from non-stick surfaces and waterproof clothes to aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs) used in fire­fight­ing, and which have recently been widely encountered in groundwater and in drinking water supplies. Schaefer’s current research efforts also focus on abiotic dechlo­ri­na­tion reactions in fractured rock, pore-scale diffusion and mass transfer processes, elec­tro­chem­i­cal disin­fec­tion and removal of recal­ci­trant organic compounds from drinking water, and 1,4-dioxane treatment.

Schaefer has served as a principal inves­ti­ga­tor on several research grants and has authored 50 peer-reviewed papers. He is an active member of the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC). In addition to his research, Schaefer also serves as a technical consultant on several federal and private sector projects for CDM Smith, including projects addressing chlorinated solvents in complex geological settings. Schaefer was recipient of the 2013 SERDP Envi­ron­men­tal Restoration Project of the Year for his work on naturally occurring abiotic dechlo­ri­na­tion reactions in rock matrices.

CDM Smith provides lasting and integrated solutions in water, environment, trans­porta­tion, energy and facilities to public and private clients worldwide. As a full-service engineering and construc­tion firm, we deliver exceptional client service, quality results and enduring value across the entire project life cycle.