Professor
Fjeld Professor in Nuclear Environmental Engineering and Science
Rich Lab, 342 Computer Court
Anderson, SC 29625
864.656.1004
E-mail: bpowell@clemson.edu
Ph.D. Environmental Engineering and Science, Clemson University, 2004
M.S. Environmental Engineering and Science, Clemson University, 2001
B.S. Chemistry, University of Montevallo, 1999
Classes | Publications | Honors | CV
Faculty Overview
Dr. Brian A. Powell holds the Fjeld Professorship in Nuclear Environmental Engineering and Science and is jointly appointed in the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences, as well as the Department of Chemistry at Clemson University. Dr. Powell is also a joint appointee at the Savannah River National Laboratory with the objective of building research collaborations between Clemson and SRNL. He previously held postdoctoral appointments at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (2006-2008) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (2005-2006). He has a B.S. degree in Chemistry from the University of Montevallo (1999), and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Environmental Engineering and Science from Clemson University (2001 M.S., 2004 Ph.D.). Dr. Powell returned to Clemson as an Assistant Professor in 2008 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2013 and Full Professor in 2016.
Dr. Powell’s research focuses on the treatment and storage of radioactive waste and the migration of heavy metals and radionuclides in the environment from natural or engineered systems. He has conducted sponsored research in a wide range of projects dealing with topics of environmental chemistry, radiochemistry, geochemical reaction modeling and thermodynamic database development, evaluation of nanoparticle behavior, subsurface migration of actinides and fission products, and related topics. These research projects have received over $26M in funding from, the Department of Energy, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the Department of Homeland Security, the National Science Foundation, and the National Nuclear Security Agency. The knowledge gained from this work can be used to evaluate the risk to human and environmental health posed by environmental contamination by nuclear materials, to design remediation strategies for contaminated sites, and to facilitate the use of safe disposal practices. Dr. Powell has published over 120 peer-reviewed journal articles, 2 book chapters, given over 200 technical presentations, and has graduated 15 Ph.D. students, 21 M.S. students, and advised 15 postdoctoral researchers. Based on this body of work, Dr. Powell was awarded the 2014 South Carolina Governor’s Young Researcher Award for Excellence in Scientific Research, a U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Research Award, and named the 2022 Clemson University Senior Researcher of the Year.
Dr. Powell has been committed to University service as a member of the Clemson Forward 2020 Phase I Research strategic planning committee, the Vice President for the Research Advisory Board (2016-2020), and the Faculty Senate from 2019-2022, including the roles of lead senator from the College of Engineering, Computing, and Applied Sciences (CECAS) from 2020-2022 and chair of the Senate Research Committee in 2021. Currently Dr. Powell serves as the Faculty Representative to the Clemson University Board of Trustees.
Class Information
For current syllabi, please search the Clemson University Syllabus Repository.
EES 8130 Environmental Radiation Measurements Laboratory
EES 8420 Environmental Actinide Chemistry
EES 8430 Environmental Chemistry
EES 8450 Environmental Organic Chemistry
GEOL 3180 Geochemistry
Selected Publications
Donaher, S.E., Estes, S.L., Dunn, R.P., Gonzales, A.K., Powell, B.A. and Martinez, N.E. 2024. Site- and species-specific metal concentrations, mobility, and bioavailability in sediment, flora, and fauna of a southeastern United States salt marsh. Sci Total Environ 922, 171262.
Kaplan, D.I., Smith, R.J., Parker, C.J., Roberts, K.A., Hazenberg, P., Morales, J., O'Loughlin, E.J., Boyanov, M.I., Weisenhorn, P., Kemner, K.M. and Powell, B.A. 2023. Natural attenuation of uranium in a fluvial Wetland: Importance of hydrology and speciation. Applied Geochemistry 155, 105718.
Li, C., Hassan, A., Palmai, M., Xie, Y., Snee, P.T., Powell, B.A., Murdoch, L.C. and Darnault, C.J.G. 2023. Experimental measurements and numerical simulations of the transport and retention of nanocrystal CdSe/ZnS quantum dots in saturated porous media: Effects of electrolytes, organic ligand, and natural organic matter. Science of The Total Environment 897, 165387.
Merino, N., Wasserman, N.L., Coutelot, F., Kaplan, D.I., Powell, B.A., Jiao, Y., Kersting, A.B. and Zavarin, M. 2023. Microbial community dynamics and cycling of plutonium and iron in a seasonally stratified and radiologically contaminated pond. Scientific Reports 13(1), 19697.
Wainwright, H.M., Powell, B.A., Hoover, M.E., Ayoub, A., Atz, M., Benson, C., Borrelli, R.A., Djokic, D., Eddy-Dilek, C.A., Ermakova, D., Hayes, R., Higley, K., Krahn, S., Lagos, L., Landsberger, S., Leggett, C., Regalbuto, M., Roy, W., Shuller-Nickles, L. and Ewing, R.C. 2023. Nuclear waste Educator's workshop: What and how do we teach about nuclear waste? Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 270, 107288.
Wasserman, N.L., Merino, N., Coutelot, F., Kaplan, D.I., Powell, B.A., Kersting, A.B. and Zavarin, M. 2023. Sources, seasonal cycling, and fate of plutonium in a seasonally stratified and radiologically contaminated pond. Scientific Reports 13(1), 11046.
Aragón, O.R., Pietri, E.S., Powell, B.A., 2023. Gender bias in teaching evaluations: the causal role of department gender composition. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 120, e2118466120. doi:10.1073/PNAS.2118466120/SUPPL_FILE/PNAS.2118466120.SAPP.PDF
Coutelot, F., Wheeler, J., Merino, N., Kaplan, D.I., Owings, S., Taillefert, M., Zavarin, M., Kersting, A.B., Powell, B.A., 2023. Temporal evolution of Pu and Cs sediment contamination in a seasonally stratified pond. Sci. Total Environ. 857, 159320. doi:10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2022.159320
Donaher, S.E., Dunn, R.P., Gonzales, A.K., Wattier, B.D., Powell, B.A., Martinez, N.E., 2023. Tissue-Specific Toxicokinetics of Aqueous Radium-226 in an Estuarine Mussel, Geukensia demissa. Environ. Sci. Technol. 57, 3187–3197. doi:10.1021/ACS.EST.2C09421/ASSET/IMAGES/LARGE/ES2C09421_0005.JPEG
Fallon, C.M., Bower, W.R., Powell, B.A., Livens, F.R., Lyon, I.C., McNulty, A.E., Peruski, K., Mosselmans, J.F.W., Kaplan, D.I., Grolimund, D., Warnicke, P., Ferreira-Sanchez, D., Kauppi, M.S., Vettese, G.F., Shaw, S., Morris, K., Law, G.T.W., 2023. Vadose-zone alteration of metaschoepite and ceramic UO2 in Savannah River Site field lysimeters. Sci. Total Environ. 862, 160862. doi:10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2022.160862
Ferguson, B.O., Murdoch, L.C., Trumm, M., Liu, F., Rao, A.M., Powell, B.A., 2022. Mechanisms and kinetics of citrate-promoted dissolution of a uranyl phosphate mineral. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 318, 247–262. doi:10.1016/J.GCA.2021.11.023
Fullmer, W.K., Bliznyuk, V.N., Seliman, A.F., Powell, B.A., Husson, S.M., DeVol, T.A., 2022. Hybrid extractive scintillator resin for simultaneous concentration and detection of plutonium from aqueous solutions. J. Environ. Radioact. 255, 107048. doi:10.1016/J.JENVRAD.2022.107048
Montgomery, D.A., Edayilam, N., Page, H., Sheriff, S.A., Tharayil, N., Powell, B.A., Martinez, N.E., 2023. Comparative uptake, translocation, and plant mediated transport of Tc-99, Cs-133, Np-237, and U-238 in Savannah River Site soil columns for the grass species Andropogon virginicus. Sci. Total Environ. 857, 159400. doi:10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2022.159400
Parker, C.J., Kaplan, D.I., Seaman, J.C., Powell, B.A., 2022. Uranium partitioning from contaminated wetland soil to aqueous and suspended iron-floc phases: Implications of dynamic hydrologic conditions on contaminant release. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 318, 292–304. doi:10.1016/J.GCA.2021.11.034
Phillips, S.H., Donaher, S.E., Powell, B.A., Tharayil, N., Martinez, N.E., 2023. The Influence of Iron and Ligand Type on Plutonium Uptake in Two Strains of Hydroponically Grown Corn (Zea Mays). Health Phys. 124, 97–105. doi:10.1097/HP.0000000000001638
Santikari, V.P., Witmer, M., Murdoch, L.C., Kaplan, D.I., Powell, B.A., 2022. Leaching and transport of technetium from reducing cementitious waste forms in field lysimeters. Sci. Total Environ. 841, 156596. doi:10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2022.156596
Tolmachev, S.Y., Auxier, J.D., Nilsson, M., Powell, B.A., Rucker, T.L., Sudowe, R., 2022. Radiochemistry and nuclear chemistry workforce in the United States. J. Appl. Clin. Med. Phys. 23. doi:10.1002/ACM2.13789
Awards & Honors
2022 Clemson University Class of ’39 Award Recipient
2022 Clemson University Senior Researcher of the Year
2021 College of Engineering, Computing, and Applied Science Researcher of the Year
2018 Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness, Fred C. Davidson Distinguished Scientist Award
2018 Inaugural Clemson University Research, Scholarship, and Academic Achievement Award
2018 McQueen Quattlebaum Award, Clemson University, College of Engineering, Computing, and Applied Science
2014 South Carolina Governor’s Young Researcher Award for Excellence in Scientific Research
2013 U.S. Department of Energy, Early Career Research Award
