David A. Sabatini is David Ross Boyd Professor emeritus in the School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science at the University of Oklahoma, having joined the faculty at OU in 1989 and retiring in 2023. He is Founding Director of the [Water Technologies for Emerging Regions] (WaTER) Center and Associate Director of the Institute for Applied Surfactant Research at the University of Oklahoma. He is also Adjunct Professor at Chulalongkorn University (Bangkok, Thailand) and Addis Ababa University (Ethiopia). His research focuses on surfactant-based environmental, consumer, energy, and biofuel technologies, developing simple technologies for providing safe drinking water in remote villages of developing countries, and advancing our understanding of and ability to characterize contaminant fate, transport, identification, and treatment in the environment, including emerging contaminants.

He served as Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Contaminant Hydrology (2008-2014), Associate Editor for Journal of Surfactants and Detergents (2003-2016) and Journal of Contaminant Hydrology (1998-2008, 2014-2022), and Member of the International Editorial Board for Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development (2010-2022) and Development Engineering Journal (2014-2020). He has been a member of DuPont Chemical Co. Science Advisory Board for site remediation (2005-2017), the WaterCAMPWS Center at the University of Illinois (an NSF/STC, 2010-2012), and the Superfund Research Center at the University of Arizona (NIEHS, 2007-2011). His research has been supported by NSF, EPA, DOD, DOE, IPEC, SERDP, and a number of industries. He has participated in over 60 external grants with funding of over $11 M. Sabatini has coauthored or coedited six books (most recently *Surfactant Formulation Engineering Using HLD and NAC*, 2025, and *Fundamentals of Water Security*, 2022), one National Research Council book, and 234 refereed journal articles/book chapters. His work has been cited 13,899 times with an h-index of 69 (Google Scholar, May 2025). He has presented invited talks and short courses on five continents.

Dr. Sabatini has received numerous university, national, and international awards for his teaching and research, including most recently induction into the University of Oklahoma CEES Distinguished Academy (2025), Life Member of the American Water Works Association (2022), Oklahoma Higher Education Hall of Fame (2020), Rotary International WASRAG Member of the Year (2019), Journal of Surfactants and Detergents Outstanding Paper of the Year (2018), International Service Award from the U.S. National Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists (2017), Steven K. Dentel Award for Global Outreach from AEESP (2016), Pursuit of Excellence Faculty Award from the OU Gallogly College of Engineering (2015, inaugural winner), David L. Boren Award for Outstanding Global Engagement from OU (2015), Water Environment Federation Pioneer Award (2011), DaVinci Fellow Award from the DaVinci Institute of Oklahoma (2010), Oklahoma Medal for Excellence in Teaching at a Research University from the Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence (2010), and Wiley Outstanding Educator Award for Outstanding Contribution to Environmental Engineering and Science Education from AEESP (2008). During AY 1997-1998, he was a senior Fulbright Scholar in Angewandte Geologie at the Universitaet Tuebingen, Germany.

Sabatini has been a partner in the innovative surfactant research and consulting firm Surfactant Associates since 2000 and was a co-founder and co-principal in [Surbec Environmental, LLC](http://www.surbec.com/) from 1996 to 2008 – Surbec is an environmental remediation firm that resulted from surfactant-based environmental remediation technologies and patents from his collaborative university research. Sabatini has conducted proprietary research and been a consultant to many industrial organizations based on his surfactant and environmental expertise. He has taught 28 different university courses and 64 short courses (U.S. and international). Sabatini received his BS in civil engineering (CE) from the University of Illinois (1981), his MSCE from Memphis State University (1985) and his PhD from Iowa State University (1989).

Curriculum Vitae

David Ross Boyd Professor Emeritus

Sun Company Chair & Blackburn Presidential Professor
School of Civil Engineering & Environmental Science, University of Oklahoma

Director
WaTER (Water Technologies for Emerging Regions) Center, University of Oklahoma

Associate Director
Institute for Applied Surfactant Research, University of Oklahoma