Groundwater and Soil
John A. Cherry, Ph.D. Hydrogeology
Dr. John Cherry is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON. His areas of research are:
- Physical and chemical control on contaminant occurrence and migration in groundwater flow systems in non-indurated geological materials and fractured rock, and
- The application of hydrogeological principles in design and evaluation of systems for isolation of hazardous wastes in subsurface environments.
Dr. Cherry is involved in case studies of contaminant migration in groundwater at industrial waste spills in which hydrogeological properties of argillaceous Quaternary deposits and identification zones in which molecular diffusion controls the occurrence of major ions and environmental isotopes. In addition to research concerning subsurface contaminant behavior, he has participated in development of several technologies for groundwater monitoring and remediation and co-holds several patents.
David B. McWhorter, Ph.D. Hydrology
Dr. David McWhorter is a Professor Emeritus, Department of Agricultural and Chemical Engineering at the Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO. His primary areas of research are:
- Multi-phase flow in porous media
- DNAPL (dense non-aqueous phase liquid) mass removal and related issues of exposure reduction
Dr. McWhorter has extensive research experience in multi-phase flow in porous media, specializing in the combined use of mathematical models and laboratory experiments to develop practical methods for more effective site analysis and remediation.
Beth L. Parker, Ph.D. Contaminant Hydrogeology
Dr. Beth Parker is a Professor and holds a NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Groundwater Contamination in Fractured Media, School of Engineering at the University of Guelph, Guelph, ON. Dr. Parker has a Bachelor of Science from Allegheny College (1982), a Master of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Duke University (1983) and a Ph.D. in Hydrogeology from the University of Waterloo (1996). Between 1996 and 2007 she was a Research Assistant then Associate Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences. She became a professor in the School of Engineering at the University of Guelph and awarded a Senior NSERC Industrial Chair in 2007
Her primary areas of research and teaching are:
- Groundwater contaminant transport and fate
- In situ remediation of groundwater systems
- Field instrumentation in aquifer and aquitard regimes
Her current research emphasize field and laboratory studies of DNAPLs in sedimentary rocks, clayey deposits and heterogeneous sandy aquifers with focus on the effects of diffusion into and out of low permeability zones on DNAPL fate, plume attenuation and controls on remediation. She is currently involved in research and technology demonstration projects at Superfund and RCRA facilities in the United States and similar sites in Canada where innovative approaches to site characterization using rock core analyses and multilevel systems and remediation are being evaluated, including in situ oxidation of chlorinated solvents. She serves on expert advisory panels for companies and organization managing large complex contaminated sites and is the co-director of the University Consortium for Field-Focused Groundwater Contamination Research Program.