Brian Waldron, Ph.D.

Director of CAESER
bwaldron@memphis.edu

Bio

Brian Waldron is a practicing civil engineer with expertise in groundwater systems, contaminant transport, and geographic analysis. He is a native Memphian, receiving his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Memphis. His doctorate degree from Colorado State University in 1999. 

Brian is a professor in the department of civil engineering and directs the Center for Applied Earth Science and Engineering Research, or CAESER. His greatest passion about CAESER is the immediate impact its outcomes have on communities by improving the quality of life of citizens and encouraging stewardship of the natural environment.  During his tenure directing CAESER and two prior centers, a total of 229 projects accumulating $43.65M in awards have been acquired. This amount reflects the hard work of CAESER’s faculty, staff and most especially its student employees who serve as CAESER’s foundational workforce as well as indicates the tremendous value communities see in partnering with CAESER.

Education

Civil Engineering – Groundwater, PhD, 1999, Colorado State University

Civil Engineering – Groundwater, MS, 1994, University of Memphis

Civil Engineering – Water Resources, BS, 1991, University of Memphis

Awards/Honors

  • 2021 – Professorship: University of Memphis
  • 2012 – EnSafe Professor: EnSafe
  • 2009 – Junior Faculty Fellow: Askew Hargraves Harcourt & Associates, Inc.
  • 2009 – Memphis’ Top 40 Under 40: Memphis Business Journal
  • 1989 – 1000 Points of Light: President George W.H. Bush

Selected Publications

  • Paul, S., Waldron, B., Jazaei, F., and Larsen, D., 2023. Wellfield Optimization to Minimize Contaminant Migration from a Surficial to a Semi-Confined Aquifer Using Numerical Modeling, Journal of American Water Resources Association, https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.13150. 
  • Pierce, J., Waldron, B., and Jazaei, F., 2023. Manual Sensitivity Analysis to Enhance a Previously PEST-Calibrated Shallow Aquifer and Aquitard Breach Model, Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, v. 28(12), https://doi.org/10.1061/JHYEFF.HEENG-5829. 
  • Shakir, A., Jazaei, F., Clement, P., and Waldron, B., in review. Use of Physics-Informed Neural Networks for Solving Groundwater Flow, Soft Computing. 
  • Lozano-Medina, D., Waldron, B., Schoefernacker, S., Villalpando, R., 2023. Stories of a water-table: anomalous depressions, aquitard breaches and seasonal implications, Shelby County, Tennessee, USA, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 195, 953, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-023-11531-z. 
  • Paul, S., Waldron, B., Jazaei, F., Larsen, D., and Schoefernacker, S., 2022. Groundwater well optimization to minimize contaminant movement from a surficial shallow aquifer to a lower water supply aquifer using stochastic simulation-optimization modeling techniques: Strategy formulation, MethodsX, 15 p., https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mex.2022.101765 
  • Jordan, S., Ivey, S., Levy, M., Lipinski, M., Palazolo, P., and Waldron, B., 2022. Complete Streets: A New Capability Maturity Model, Journal of Urban Planning and Development, v.148(1), 12 p.  
  • Sahagun-Covarrubias, S. Waldron, B., Larsen, D., and Schoefernacker, S., 2022. Characterization of hydraulic properties of the Memphis aquifer by conducting pumping tests in Shelby County, Tennessee, Journal of American Water Resources Association, 18 p., https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.12991 
  • Villalpando-Vizcaino, R., Waldron, B., Larsen, S., and Schoefernacker, S., 2021. Development of a Numerical Multi-Layered Groundwater Model to Simulate Inter-Aquifer Water Exchange in Shelby County, Tennessee, Water, v.13(18), https://doi.org/10.3390/w13182583 
  • Torres-Uribe, H. Waldron, B., Larsen, D., Schoefernacker, S., 2021. Application of a Numerical Groundwater Model to Determine the Spatial Configuration of Confining Unit Breaches Near a Municipal Well Field in Memphis, Tennessee, Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, vol 26(9), 15 p. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0002117 
  • Waldron, B., Gui, D., Liu, Y., Feng, L., Dai, H., 2020. Assessing water distribution and agricultural expansion in the Cele Oasis, China, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, v. 192, 19 p. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-8233-2  
  • Larsen, D. and Waldron, B., 2020. Low-level soluble chloride extraction in soil, MethodsX, v.7, 7 p. 
  • Larsen, D., Bursi, J., Waldron, B., Schoefernacker, S., and Eason, J., 2020, Recharge pathways and rates for a sand aquifer beneath a loess-mantled landscape in western Tennessee, U.S.A., Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies, v. 20, 23 p. 
  • Jazaei, F., Waldron, B., Schoefernacker, S., and Larsen, D., 2019. Application of Numerical Tools to Investigate a Leaky Aquitard beneath Urban Well Fields, Water, v. 11(1), 26 p. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11010005 
  • Javadnejad, F., Waldron, B. and Hill, A., 2017. LITE Flood: Simple GIS-Based Mapping Approach for Real-Time Redelineation of Multifrequency Floods, Natural Hazards Review, 13 p., 10.1061/(ASCE)NH.1527-6996.0000238 
  • Larsen, D., Waldron, B., Schoefernacker, S., Gallo, H., Koban, J., and Bradshaw, B., 2016. Application of Environmental Tracers in the Memphis Aquifer and Implication for Sustainability of Groundwater Resources in the Memphis Metropolitan Area, Tennessee, Journal of Contemporary Water Research and Education, Iss. 159, 27 p. 
  • Waldron, B. and Larsen, D., 2015, Predevelopment groundwater conditions surrounding Memphis, TN (USA): Controversy and Unexpected Outcomes, Journal of American Water Resources Association, vol. 51 (1), pp. 133-153. 
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