Nik Qafoku

Nik Qafoku is a Laboratory Fellow in Environmental Subsurface Science at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and serves as Deputy Director of Outreach for the Center for the Remediation of Complex Sites (RemPlex). With over two decades of experience since joining PNNL in June 2000 as a postdoctoral researcher, he has progressed through multiple research scientist levels to his current prestigious Laboratory Fellow position, which represents the highest research rank at PNNL.

Dr. Qafoku's educational background spans multiple disciplines and institutions:

• B.S. in Agronomy, Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania
• Doctor of Science in Soil Science, Agricultural University of Tirana, Albania
• M.S. in Computer Science and Applied Mathematics, University of Georgia
• Ph.D. in Environmental Soil Chemistry, University of Georgia

His research primarily focuses on the complex interactions between contaminants and subsurface environments. Dr. Qafoku investigates transport-controlled mobilization and immobilization of contaminants in heterogeneous environments, elemental cycling in soils and sediments, and changes in aquifer geochemistry when exposed to leaking CO₂ from deep storage. His work on waste form performance in different environments has significant implications for nuclear waste management and environmental remediation. His recent publications reveal a strong emphasis on radioactive contaminants like iodine and technetium, with innovative approaches to monitoring and remediation using geophysical methods like spectral induced polarization.

Dr. Qafoku's scientific contributions have been widely recognized with numerous prestigious awards including the R&D 100 Award (2017), Jackson Soil Chemistry and Mineralogy Award (2019), and his appointment as Laboratory Fellow at PNNL (2020). He has also been elected as a Fellow of the Soil Science Society of America (2020) and served as General Chair for the 57th International Annual Meeting of The Clay Minerals Society (2020).

As an active member of multiple professional organizations including the American Chemical Society, Soil Science Society of America, and American Geophysical Union, Dr. Qafoku maintains a strong presence in the scientific community. His work bridges fundamental soil science with practical environmental remediation challenges, particularly at complex sites like Hanford.