I am always looking skilled scientists and engineers passionate about engineering sustainability. Prospective researchers should be interested in at least one of the following areas: electrochemistry, inorganic/organometallic chemistry, analytical chemistry, chemical separations, pollutant fate and transport, chemical process modeling.
Ideal candidates are more interested in developing a mechanistic understanding than a descriptive understanding. For instance, candidates would not be tasked with synthesizing and characterizing a new material. They would instead be tasked with examining what features of the material are important for determining its characteristics.
Qualities I look for in a good candidate:
Proactive communication of both successes and struggles
Strong quantitative reasoning (analytical and numerical solutions; statistical testing)
Mindful of deadlines, time constraints, and priorities
Recognition of their strengths and weaknesses; what they know and do not know
High expectation of themselves as people and as scholars
Preference for depth over breadth
Comfort with uncertainty and the unknown
Follow the directions below. Contact Dr. Boualavong at: jboualav@buffalo.edu
There are no PhD nor postdoctoral scholar positions available for those wishing to start in Fall 2026. Interested applicants should only reach out if they plan on pursuing their own external funding, ex., the NSF GRFP or DoD NDSEG (PhD) or for postdoctoral scholars (not exhaustive):
Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship (limited to applicants based in the EU)
China Scholarship Council (limited to applicants based in China)
Banting Postdoctoral Fellowship (limited to Canadian citizens or permanent residents)
JSPS Overseas Research Fellowship (limited to applications based in Japan)
Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral fellowship (limited to Indian citizens)
Interested undergraduate and MS thesis/project students are welcome to reach out following the directions below. Projects are available related to the following topics: in-line electrochemical metal sensors, in situ solubility determination, corrosion rate measurement methods, molecular mechanism differences between corrosion accelerators and corrosion inhibitors.
Email Dr. Boualavong with a brief statement of interest and tailored (1-page) resume. You do not need to be majoring in civil or environmental engineering or be a UB student - you just need to show a motivation to learn and a way to get here. You must have taken at least 2 semesters of chemistry (or taking your second course at the time of contact), ideally with lab.
Apply to the Environmental & Water Resources Engineering PhD program at University at Buffalo and indicate me as a potential advisor. Feel free to email me with a CV, unofficial transcripts (bachelors and masters if relevant), and brief statement (<1 page) summarizing research experiences, interests, and motivations and addressing any key qualifications from current Openings. Failure to include all components may mean you do not get a response.
In general, I look for wet lab experience and quantitative skills, which can be satisfied by any number of STEM majors. Even in cases when I have purely/majority computation projects, it helps to have had some laboratory experience to contextualize what the calculations mean. Similarly, even in purely wet-lab projects, math and computing skills are necessary to be able to interpret the data rigorously.
Specific projects may have more specific requirements. See above for any special requirements for existing openings. You do not need a Masters to be admitted to the PhD program; I evaluate applicants based on where they should be at their current career stage.
Reach out to Dr. Boualavong to discuss options. Admission to any of the MS programs run by UB's Department of Civil, Structural, and Environmental Engineering are not tied to finding an advisor. Those pursuing a degree other than MS Civil engineering, MS Environmental engineering, or MS Engineering sustainability should check with their Director of Graduate Studies about doing research credits outside of their home department if interested in doing work with me.
Contact Dr. Boualavong by email with a CV, 1-page summary of research experience + interests, and a short 1-page proposal of a paper you would like to complete as part of my group. This proposal is intended to get a sense of what kinds of research questions or topics you are interested in and your ability to scope a project to a paper to assess suitability to my group. If there are not any funded openings (above), please also include 1-2 funding sources you plan to pursue.