Russ Detwiler

Prof. Detwiler joined UCI’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering in 2008. He developed the Subsurface Processes Lab to pursue his interests in fluid flow and transport processes in porous and fractured media. He received his BS in Civil Engineering from the University of Vermont and PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Prior to joining UCI he worked as a staff scientist and Deputy Group Leader in the Experimental Geophysics Group at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Current researchers

Esther Cookson

Esther received her B.S. in Physics at the University of California, Riverside. She is now a PhD student in the SPL and is interested in contaminant transport in the subsurface. She is currently researching trends and patterns of PFAS occurrence in wastewater – a potential source of groundwater contamination. Aside from research, Esther enjoys rock climbing, skateboarding, and being outside.

Oscar Parra-Camara

Oscar received his B.S. in Environmental Science Engineering and his M.S in Natural Resources at the Instituto Tecnologico de Sonora, Mexico. He is now a PhD student in the Subsurface Processes Lab and is interested in Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS). His current research focuses on the use of natural materials in micromodel studies of reactive flow, with a particular emphasis on the impact of proppants and chemical reactivity on the maintenance of fracture permeability. In addition to his research activities, Oscar also enjoys working out, playing soccer, and playing the guitar.

Ruoyu Chen

Ruoyu received his M.S. and P.h.D in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Duke University in the US with Prof. Manolis Veveakis focusing on the elastic-plasticity in soil desiccation cracks, while he got the B.Eng. in Space Underground Engineering at Southeast University in China. His current Post-Doc research aims at the hydraulic conductivity evolution during fluid-rock interaction from both simulation and laboratory experiments. Beyond the research, Ruoyu is a video gamer. His email address is ruoyu.chen@uci.edu (or siberi.chen@outlook.com).

Marisha Rahman

Marisha is currently pursuing her M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at UCI. She previously earned her B.S. in Civil Engineering in Bangladesh and became a part of the Subsurface Process Lab in 2024. Her research passions revolve around groundwater, wastewater, and understanding sources of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. When she’s not in the lab, she loves to hike, catch beautiful sunsets by the beach, and enjoy the outdoors.