DAVID S. SHAFER

Associate Research Professor, Division of Hydrologic Sciences

POSITIONS:
Director, Frank H. Rogers Center for Environmental Remediation and Monitoring , DRI
Nevada System of Higher Education DOE EPSCoR Director

EDUCATION:

Ph.D., Quaternary Sciences/Geosciences, University of Arizona
M.S., Geosciences, University of Tennessee
B.S., Geology and Geography, Oregon State University

Full Curriculum Vitae

ACADEMIC AFFILIATIONS:

Graduate Program of Hydrologic Sciences – University of Nevada Reno

PROFESSIONAL INTERESTS:

David Shafer is the Senior Director of the Frank H. Rogers Center for Environmental Remediation and Monitoring, created in 2003 to leverage DRI’s research for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) in such areas as developing innovative strategies and techniques for environmental remediation and monitoring, risk assessment and human health related research, long-term stewardship of sites with residual risks, and stakeholder involvement in environmental data collection and decision making.  Prior to joining DRI, he worked in DOE’s Environmental Management Program, was a ranger for the US National Park Service, an instructor in geology and glacial geology at Colgate University, and taught environmental science at the Hancock Field Station in Oregon.

His research interests include:

• Soil morphology and hydrology in arid and semi-arid regions.
• Adaptive management as applied to contaminated groundwater and sites with residual risks after regulatory closure.
• Design of long-term monitoring and management programs for waste disposal sites.
• Stakeholder involvement in environmental monitoring and decision making
• Use of analog sites and Quaternary science environmental records as a basis for environmental remediation, reclamation, and natural resource management.
• Environmental radioactivity

SELECTED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS

• Impacts of fires on soil hydraulic and aeolian transport properties
• Depleted Uranium fate and transport in arid regions
• Water quality and eutrophication of Taihu Lake, China
• Environmental Monitoring Systems Initiative
• Community Environmental Monitoring Program

JOURNAL ARTICLES

Zhu, J.; Pohlmann, K. F.; Chapman, J. B.; Russell, C. E.; Carroll, R. W. H.; Shafer, D. S.; , 2010.

Sensitivity of Solute Advective Travel Time to Porosities of Hydrogeologic Units. Ground Water. v.48. doi:10.1111/j.1745-6584.2009.00664.x.

Kavouras, I.G.; Etyemezian, V. ; Nikolich, G. ; Gillies, J.; Sweeney, M.; Young,M.H.; Shafer, D.S., 2009.

A New Technique for Characterizing the Efficacy of Fugitive Dust Suppressants. J. Air Waste Mgmt. Assoc. v.59. pp.603-612.

Marlon, J.R.; Bartlein, P.J.; Harrison, S.P.; Higuera, P.E.; Walsh, M.; Anderson, R.S.; Briles, C.; Brown, K.; Brubaker, L.; Brunelle, A.; Carcaillet, C.; Daniels, M.; Edwards, M.E.; Hu, F.S.; Minckley, T.; Power, M.J.; Richard, P.; Shafer, D.S.; Tinner, W.; Umbanhower, C.E. Jr.; Whitlock, C. , 2009.

Wildfire responses to abrupt climate change in North America. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.

Miller, J.J.; Shafer, D.S.; Gray, K.J.; Church, B.W.; Campbell, S.A.; Holz-montemayor, B., 2007.

Characterizing Potential Exposure to the Public from Low-Level Radioactive Waste Transportation by Truck. Health Physics Journal. v.93. s.6.

Shafer, D.S.; Young, M.H.; Zitzer, S.F.; Caldwell, T.G.; Mcdonald, E.V., 2007.

Impacts of interrelated biotic and abiotic processes during the past 125,000 years of landscape evolution in the northern Mojave Desert, U.S.A. Journal of Arid Environments. v.69. pp.633-657.

Young, M.H.; Albright, W.H.; Pohlmann, K.F.; Pohll, G.M.; Zachritz, W.H.; Zitzer, S.F.; Shafer, D.S.; Nester, I.; Oyelowo, L., 2006.

Incorporating parametric uncertainty in the design of alternative landfill covers in arid regions. Vadose Zone Journal. v.5. pp.742-750.

Davis, O.K.; Shafer, D.S., 2004.

Fungal spores from coprolites, a means of detecting herbivore density. Special Issue on the Advances in the Interpretation of Pollen and Spores in Coprolites, ISSN:0031-0182 1. 497.

CONFERENCE ABSTRACTS

Shafer, David S; Gomes, Jenna, 2009.

Plant Mounds as Concentration and Stabilization Agents for Actinide Soil Contaminants-9175. Proceedings of Waste Management 2009. Phoenix, AZ.

Shafer, David S; Miller, Julianne J; DuBois, Dave; Etymezian, Vic; Kavouras, Ilias; Nikolich, George; Zitzer, Stephen F; , 2009.

Measuring potential fluvial and aeolian erosion from a rangeland fire in the Mojave-Great Basin transition zone. Annual Meeting. Geological Society of America. Portland, OR.

Shafer, David S.; DuBois, Dave; Chief, Karletta; Berli, Markus; Miller, Julianne J.; Young, Michael H.; , 2009.

Fire Induced Changes in Soil Structure: Implications for Soil Hydraulic Properties and Aeolian Suspension Potential in the Great Basin, USA. American Geophysical Union.

Zhu, J.; Pohlmann, K. F.; Chapman, J. B.; Russell, C. E.; Carroll, R. W. H.; Shafer, D. S., 2008.

Uncertainty and Sensitivity of Contaminant Travel Times from Nevada the Test Site to Yucca Mountain. 2008 Devils Hole Workshop. Death Valley, CA.

Shafer, David S.; Miller, Julianne J.; Zitzer, Stephan F.; Berli, Markus; Rigby, Douglas; Karakouzian, Moses, 2008.

Mechanics and Rates of Subsidence on Alternative Landfill Covers in Arid Environments. 2008 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America, October 4-9. Geological Society of America. Houston, Texas.

Karr, Lynn H.; Tappen, Jeffrey J.; Kluesner, Tammy ; Shafer, David; Gray, Karen J. , 2008.

Ambient Radon-222 Monitoring In Amargosa Valley, Nevada. International High Level Waste Conference, American Nuclear Society. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pohlmann, K. F.; Zhu, J.; Chapman, J. B.; Russell, C. E.; Carroll, R. W. H.; Shafer, D. S., 2008.

Contaminant Travel Times from the Nevada Test Site to Yucca Mountain: Sensitivity to Porosity. AGU 2008 Fall Meeting. San Francisco, California, U.S.A.

Zitzer, S.F.; Shafer, D.S.; Miller, J.J., 2007.

Structural analysis of native Mojave Desert and naturally regenerated shrub communities on adjacent undisturbed and 30-year-old subsiding landfill sites. Ecological Society of America. San Jose California.

Milbrath, B.D.; Cooper, M.W.; Lidey, L.S.; Bowyer, T.W.; Hayes, J.C.; McIntyre, J.I.; Karr, L.; Shafer, D.; Tappen, J., 2007.

Radioxenon Atmospheric Measurements In North Las Vegas, NV.

Shafer, D.S.; Gray, K.J.; McArthur, R.D.; Tappen, J.J.; Self, K.; White, A., 2007.

Development of a Relational-Design Database for Preservation and Analysis of Historic Measurements of Radionuclides in Soil. 2007 Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of America. Denver, Colorado.

Shafer, D.S.; Dubois, D.W.; Etyemezian, V.R.; Kavouras, I.; Miller, J.J.; Nikolich, G.; Stone, M.C., 2007.

Fire as a Long-Term Stewardship Issue for Soils Contaminated with Radionuclides in the Western U.S. 11th International Conference on Environmental Remediation & Radioactive Waste Management (ICEM07). Bruges, Belgium.

Zhu, J.; Pohlmann, K.F.; Ye, M.; Shafer, D.S.; Carroll, R.W., 2006.

Groundwater pathways from regions upgradient of potential Yucca Mountain repository. American Nuclear Society. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Shafer, D.S.; Hartwell, W.T.; Mccurdy, G.D.; Tappen, J.J., 2006.

The citizen scientist in the desert: the Community Environmental Monitoring Program. Desert Knowledge Australia. Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia.

Pohlmann, K.F.; Zhu, J.; Ye, M.; Chapman, J.B.; Russell, C.E.; Shafer, D.S.; Carroll, R.W., 2006.

Evaluation of Groundwater Pathways and Travel Times from the Nevada Test Site to the Potential Yucca Mountain Repository. American Geophysical Union. San Francisco, California.

Young, M.H.; Caldwell, T.G.; Meadows, D.G.; Etyemezian, V.R.; Nikolich, G.; Shafer, D.S.; Mcdonald, E.V.; Miller, J.J.; Goreham, J.O., 2006.

Hydrologic and Air Quality Impacts of a Soil-Applied, Organic Emulsion. Philadelphia, PA.

Ye, M.; Pohlmann, K.F.; Chapman, J.B.; Shafer, D.S., 2006.

On Evaluation of Recharge Model Model Uncertainty, a Priori and a Posteriori. American Nuclear Society. Las Vegas, Nevada.

Young, M.H.; Meadows, D.G.; Caldwell, T.G.; Shafer, D.S.; Mcdonald, E.V., 2006.

Evolution of soil hydraulic properties on arid alluvial fans. Beijing, China.

Shafer, D.S.; Etyemezian, V.R.; Young, M.H.; Caldwell, T.G.; Nikolich, G.; Meadows, D.G.; Karr, L.A.; Salmon, J.; Jones, W.; Morrill, V.D., 2006.

Evaluation of organic-based emulsions for stabilization of dryland soils in the southwestern United States. United Nations. Beijing, China.

Young, M.H.; Caldwell, T.G.; Meadows, D.G.; Etyemezian, V.R.; Nikolich, G.; Shafer, D.S.; Mcdonald, E.V.; Miller, J.J.; Goreham, J.O., 2006.

Field and Laboratory Evaluation of a Soil-Applied, Organic Emulsion. Indianapolis, Indiana.

Young, M.H.; Mcdonald, E.V.; Caldwell, T.G.; Meadows, D.G.; Shafer, D.S., 2006.

Evolution of soil hydraulic properties on arid alluvial fans: Impacts on near-surface water resources. Nanjing, China.

Pohlmann, K.F.; Zhu, J.; Ye, M.; Carroll, R.W.; Chapman, J.B.; Russell, C.E.; Shafer, D.S., 2006.

Evaluation of Groundwater Pathways and Travel Times From the Nevada Test Site to the Potential Yucca Mountain Repository. AGU. San Francisco, CA.

Hartwell, W.T.; Shafer, D.S.; Mccurdy, G.D.; Tappen, J.J., 2006.

Stakeholder Involvement in Radiological Monitoring and Risk Assessment: the Community Environmental Monitoring Program. Society of Risk Analysis. Baltimore, Maryland.

Young, M.H.; Albright, W.H.; Pohlmann, K.F.; Pohll, G.M.; Zachritz, W.H.; Zitzer, S.F.; Shafer, D.S.; Nester, I.; Oyelowo, L., 2006.

Designing Alternative Landfill Covers Using Parametric Uncertainty Analysis. American Society of Civil Engineers. Carefree, Arizona, USA.

Young, M.H.; Meadows, D.G.; Caldwell, T.G.; Goreham, J.O.; Mcdonald, E.V.; Shafer, D.S.; Miller, J.J., 2005.

Hydrologic impacts of a surface-applied, organic emulsion on arid soils. AGU. San Francisco, CA.

Shafer, D.S.; Martin, C.; Pohlmann, K.F.; Russell, C.E.; Ye, M.; Engelbrecht, J.; Minor, T.B.; Bishop, L., 2005.

Establishing baseline environmental conditions for the proposed Yucca mountain repository, Nevada, U.S.A. Glasgow, Scotland.

Shafer, D.S.; Campbell, S.A.; Church, B.W.; Gray, K.J.; Holz-montemayor, B.; Miller, J.J., 2004.

Assessing Exposure to the Public from Low Level Radioactive Waste (LLW) Truck Transportation in the United States to the Nevada Test Site. Berlin, Germany.

Zitzer, S.F.; Shafer, D.S.; Young, M.H.; Mcdonald, E.V.; Caldwell, T.G., 2004.

Changes in diversity and density of northern Mojave plant communities resulting from desert pavement development on a 125,000-year-old chronosequence. Ecological Society of America. Portland, OR.

Miller, J.J.; Campbell, S.A.; Church, B.W.; Shafer, D.S.; Gillespie, D.R.; Sedano, S.; Cebe, J.J., 2003.

Assessing exposure to the public from low level radioactive waste (LLW) transportation to the Nevada Test Site. Tuscon, AZ.

Shafer, D.S.; Chapman, J.B.; Hassan, A.; Pohll, G.M.; Pohlmann, K.F.; Young, M.H., 2003.

Long-term stewardship and risk management for inactive nuclear test sites in the United States. Oxford, England.

Shafer, D.S.; Young, M.H.; Zitzer, S.F.; Mcdonald, E.V.; Caldwell, T.G., 2003.

Coupled environmental processes: Implications for landscape development in the northern Mojave desert. American Geophysical Union. San Francisco, CA.