University Libraries Promotion and Tenure Recognition

Throughout my academic career I have tried to abstract fundamental principles from the real world, and to apply those fundamental principles to solve important and practical problems. Jacob Bear's application of the physics of fluid dynamics to porous problems was an early inspiration, and ties together my interests in subsurface hydrology (Bear's application and my master's research) with my PhD dissertation and subsequent research on transport phenomena in diverse organic matrices: compost, silage, and other solid state fermentations including biomass energy. My own copy of Bear's book is a paperback reproduction of this original — now dog-eared and marked up from years of use, the book has proven useful across the span of my career. The theory and mathematics remain sound, and the concepts still apply. I can only hope that my own body of work will similarly withstand the test of time.