Postdoctoral Associate

Postdoctoral Associate

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Work type:
Research Faculty

Senior management:
College of Engineering

Department:
Civil & Environmental Engineering

Location:

Manassas, Virginia

Categories:
Research / Scientific, Natural Resources

Job Description

The Furst Lab at the Virginia Tech Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory (OWML) invites applications for a Postdoctoral Associate position in Environmental Engineering. The Postdoctoral Associate will lead laboratory and field work for NSF Award # 2533054: CAREER:
Transformation potential of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water distribution systems. The overarching goal of this project is generate foundational knowledge regarding PFAS fate, transport, and transformation in drinking water systems. The specific objectives are to
1) investigate PFAS partitioning and precursor transformation in drinking water distribution systems and develop methods and infrastructure for the design of controlled experiments to generate fundamental insights;
2) evaluate the effects of redox conditions, disinfection chemistry and sediment composition on PFAS partitioning and transformation; and
3) evaluate PFAS transformation in drinking water biofilms. The study design integrates controlled bench-scale experiments with sampling from full-scale distribution systems in collaboration with industry partners. The Postdoctoral Associate will also oversee the development of a pilot-scale distribution system testbed to simulate full-scale conditions. This position is renewable for up to 3 years, contingent on performance.

The Furst Lab (also known as Water SyCEL, or the Water Systems Chemistry Engineering Lab) conducts cutting-edge research on emerging contaminants, organic matter, redox and disinfection processes with a focus on One Water systems. The Furst lab is part of the Virginia Tech Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) and is located at OWML in the Northern Virginia suburbs of Washington, DC.

OWML is a one-of-a-kind environmental engineering and science research hub featuring a stakeholder-funded, state-certified water quality lab charged with monitoring water quality in the Occoquan Watershed reuse system for over 50 years. OWML is home to seven CEE faculty and more than 20 post-doctoral associates, graduate students, laboratory and field technicians, and office staff. Dr. Kirin Furst is Co-Director of OWML and an Associate Professor in CEE.

Furst is also Research Director of the PFAS Water Research Center for the Washington Metropolitan Area, newly funded by NIST through the Congressional Appropriations process in FY26.

Responsibilities of this Postdoctoral Associate include:

* Lead the design and execution of novel experiments that combine principles of disinfection/disinfection byproduct formation potential tests with microcosm study design.

* Perform PFAS analysis by standard and non-standard methods using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS) for water, sediment, and biofilm matrices.

* Perform analysis of disinfectant residuals and redox conditions, and collaborate with other laboratories on analysis of sediment elemental composition and microbial community analysis.

* Lead development of manuscripts to communicate findings in peer-reviewed journals.

* Conduct data analysis, develop fate and transport models, and synthesize and interpret results across lab and field studies.

* Develop and validate QA/QC criteria for analytical methods and experiments as needed, including to demonstrate chlorine-demand free and PFAS-free protocols.

* Coordinate with industry partners to plan and execute field sampling campaigns in full-scale distribution systems.

* Lead meetings with utility and industry collaborators to present results and inform research directions.

* Assist in training and mentorship of graduate students and junior laboratory personnel.

* Lead design and construction of a pilot-scale simulated distribution system reactor testbed (Starting year 2 onwards.)

* Work independently to ensure timely completion of project…