معرفی
Devin L. Shaffer, Ph.D., P.E. is an Assistant Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at the University of Houston. His research focuses on membrane materials and processes for water purification and resource recovery, with an emphasis on desalination and chemical separations.
- Education:
- Ph.D., Chemical & Environmental Engineering, Yale University (2016)
- M.Eng., Environmental Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2003)
- B.S., Civil Engineering, Oklahoma State University (2002)
Research Interests: Dr. Shaffer investigates novel membrane materials with tailored separation properties, particularly covalent organic framework (COF) membranes and contorted polyamide membranes, for applications in desalination, organic solvent separations, and the energy-water nexus. His work employs advanced characterization techniques like neutron radiography and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to understand structure-property relationships influencing membrane performance.
Scientific Awards:
- NSF CAREER Award (2021)
- Teaching Excellence Award, Cullen College of Engineering (2021)
- American Membrane Technology Association Ian C. Watson Fellowship (2021)
- NRC Postdoctoral Fellowship (2016-2017)
Key Article Trends: Recent publications highlight COF-based membranes for predictable mass transport, contorted polyamide membranes for enhanced desalination, and interdisciplinary applications spanning oil recovery, soil spectroscopy, and microplastics transport modeling. Grants from the NSF, Bureau of Reclamation, ExxonMobil, American Chemical Society, and Texas EcoLab support these projects.
Advising & Grants: Dr. Shaffer mentors five Ph.D. students and has secured significant funding for membrane distillation, COF material development, and enhanced oil recovery research. His lab collaborates with institutions like Argonne National Lab, INSA Lyon, and MIT.
Lab & Collaborations: The Shaffer Lab at UH develops scalable membrane technologies for water purification, resource recovery, and soil health analysis. Current projects include COF membranes for direct lithium extraction, microplastics transport modeling, and fouling-resistant membrane coatings.
