RESEARCH INTERESTS:
Research interests include fate and transport of hazardous substances in subsurface environments including contaminated sediment, in-situ waste site remediation technology, and monitored natural attenuation
EDUCATION:
B.Sc., Ch.E., Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, 1977
M.Sc., Ch.E., Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, 1980
Ph.D., Ch.E., Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, 1984
P.E., Environmental (1994) & Chemical (1989) Engineering, No. 23399, State of LA
DEE, American Academy of Environmental Engineers, 2005
EXPERIENCE:
Industry:
1977 - 1978 - Chemical Engineer, Process Development, Ethyl Corp. Baton Rouge, LA.
LSU/Academic:
1984 - 1988 - Assistant Professor, Department of Petroleum Engineering, Louisiana State University.
1988 - 1994 - Affiliate Faculty Member, Chemical Engineering Department, LSU.
1994 - 1997 - Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, LSU.
1997 -2003 - Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, LSU.
2003 - Present - Humphreys T. Turner Professor of Engineering, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, LSU.
LSU/Administrative
1988 - 1991 - Assistant Director, US EPA Hazardous Waste Research Center, LSU.
1991 - 1999 - Director, Hazardous Waste Research Center, LSU.
1989 - 1999 - Director, USGS Louisiana Water Resources Research Institute, LSU.
1998 - 1999 - Acting Director, Remote Sensing & Image Processing Lab & Institute for Recyclable Materials.
1999 - 2000 - Executive Director, Division of Engineering Research- College of Engr., LSU.
1991 - 2003 - Assistant Director, US EPA Hazardous Substance Research Center/South & Southwest, LSU base with Rice University, Ga Tech and Texas A&M.
2002 - 2004- Coordinator, Environmental Engineering Program, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, LSU.
2003 - 2004 - Field Program Manager and QA/QC Officer, Hazardous Substance Research Center/S&SW, LSU.
2004 - 2007 Associate Dean, College of Engineering, LSU
2007 – Present Associate Dean and D.W. Clayton Professor of Engineering Science and Technology, College of Engineering, LSU
Courses Taught in EVEG Program
EVEG2000 Intro to Environmental Engr.
EVEG4157 In-Situ Remediation Design
EVEG4150 Integrated Senior Design I
EVEG4151 Integrated Senior Design II
EVEG4120 Solid/Hazardous Waste Design
EVEG4135 Water Quality Lecture/Lab
RECENT REFEREED PUBLICATIONS:
Jones, P.B., Jr., R.R. Kommalapati and W.D. Constant, “Phytobuffering of Lower Chlorinated Benzene Contamination via Willows at the PPI Superfund Site”, Journal of Hazardous Substance Research, Vol. 3, pp. 5-1 to 5-17, 2001.
Kommalapati, R., K.T. Valsaraj and W.D. Constant, "Soil-Water Partitioning and Desorption Hysteresis of Volatile Organic Compounds from a LA Superfund Site Soil", Env. Monitoring and Assessment, Vol. 73, No. 3, 275-290, February 2002.
Lee, Sangjin, R.R. Kommalapati, K.T. Valsaraj, J.H. Pardue and W.D. Constant, “Rate-Limited Desorption of VOCs from Soils and Implications for the Remdiation of a LA Superfund Site”, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, Vol. 75, No. 1, April 2002.
Lee, Sangjin, R.R. Kommalapati, K.T. Valsaraj, J.H. Pardue and W.D. Constant, “Bioavailibility of Reversibly Sorbed and Desorption Resistant 1,3 DCB from a Louisiana Superfund Site Soil” Water Air and Soil Pollution Journal, 158 (1) 207-221, October 2004, Kulwer Academic.
Weimer, M.L. and W.D. Constant, “Hygromole: A logging tool for determination of moisture content in environmentally sensitive subsurface zones”, ASME J. Energy Resource Technology, Vol. 128, pp. 44-48, March 2006.
Reible, D.D., D. Lampert, W.D. Constant, R. Mutch and Y. Zhu, “Active Capping Demonstration in the Anacostia River, Washington DC”, Remediation, The Journal of Environmental Cleanup Costs, Technologies, and Techniques, Vol. 17, No. 1, pp. 39-53, Winter 2006.