Russell L. Detwiler

Biography

Russell L. Detwiler, Ph.D., is Associate Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Irvine. Detwiler received a Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from the University of Colorado in 2000. Prior to joining UC Irvine in 2008, he served as Deputy Group Leader of the Experimental Geophysics Group at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Detwiler's research focuses on fluid flow and reactive transport in fractured rock, with applications to geologic carbon sequestration, geothermal energy, and contaminant transport. His work combines high-resolution laboratory experiments with computational modeling to understand how coupled chemical and mechanical processes alter fracture permeability. He has also developed methods to reconstruct historical concentrations of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in watersheds to support epidemiological studies. Detwiler serves as Associate Editor of Water Resources Research and has received best paper awards from the American Rock Mechanics Association and the Geothermal Resources Council.

Detwiler has supervised numerous graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, and has been principal investigator or co-principal investigator on research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and industry partners. He served as Director of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Program at UC Irvine from 2018 to 2024 and currently directs a Graduate Assistantships in Areas of National Need program funded by the Department of Education.

Education

• PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Colorado, 2000
• BS in Civil Engineering, University of Vermont, 1988

Distinctions

• Best Paper Award, American Rock Mechanics Association, 2010
• Best Paper Award, Geothermal Resources Council, 2006
• Mid-Career Faculty Innovation in Teaching, Samuel School of Engineering, 2014