Education

• Ph.D. Civil Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA, 2017
• M. Sc. Civil Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, 2008
• B. Sc. Civil Engineering, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran, 2006

 
Professional Experience

• Assistant Professor, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering, The University of Memphis (8/2019-Present)
• Research Associate, Center for Applied Earth Sciences and Engineering Research (CAESER), The University of Memphis (8/2017-7/2019)
• Research Assistant, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, Civil Engineering Department, Auburn University (8/2012-7/2017)

 
Honors and Awards

• 2024, National Science Foundation CAREER Award
• 2024, UMRF Ventures Professorship, University of Memphis 
• 2024, Distinguished Research Award, Herff College of Engineering, The University of Memphis
• 2024, Tennessee Governor's Environmental Stewardship Award (Group award to CAESER, University of Memphis)
• 2021, University of Memphis Private Investigator Award 
• 2015, Farvolden Award, National Ground Water Association (NGWA)
• 2015, Outstanding International Student, Auburn University
• 2013, Feagin graduate fellowship, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, Auburn University
• 2013, Outstanding research from Civil Engineering Department, Graduate Engineering Research Showcase, Auburn University
• 2012, Full Ph.D. scholarship, Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, Auburn University

 
Research Interest

• Emerging soil and water contamination (Microplastics and PFAS)
• Microplastic pollution
• Soil-water-plant hydrological dynamics 
• Water resources and environmental management
• Fate and transport of contaminants in the environment
• Surface water and groundwater interaction
• Groundwater hydraulics and hydrology
• Numerical simulation of (groundwater/surface water) flow and contaminant transport
• Computational modeling of engineering system
• Water-smart city / Water Security

 
Publications

• Bakhshaee, A., Babakhani, P., Ashiq, M.M., Bell, K., Salehi, M., Jazaei., F. Potential impacts of microplastic pollution on soil–water–plant dynamics. Scintific Reports- Nature 15, 9784 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-93668-0
• Linkon Bhattacharjee, Anandu Gopakumar Nair, Arghavan Beheshtimaal, Farhad Jazaei, Alexander Ccanccapa-Cartagena, Maryam Salehi. "Mechanisms of Microplastic Generation from Polymer-Coated Controlled-Release Fertilizers (PC-CRFs)." Journal of Hazardous Materials (2025). Volume 486, 137082, ISSN 0304-3894, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.137082 
• Azari, B., Waldron, B. and Jazaei, F. A New Explicit Solver for MODFLOW Enabling Small Time Step Simulations. Groundwater- National Ground Water Association (2025). https://doi.org/10.1111/gwat.13483
• Ahmed Shakir Ali Ali, Farhad Jazaei, Peyman Babakhani, Muhammad Masood Ashiq, Alireza Bakhshaee, Brian Waldron. " An Overview of Deep Learning Applications in Groundwater Level Modeling: Bridging the Gap between Academic Research and Industry Applications." Applied Computational Intelligence and Soft Computing (2024). Volume 2024, Article ID 9480522, 23 pages. https://doi.org/10.1155/2024/9480522 
• Ibn Salam, Mahade, Brian Waldron, Scott Schoefernacker, and Farhad Jazaei. "Determination of contaminant transport parameters for a local aquifer by numerical modeling of two plumes: Trichloroethylene and Hexavalent Chromium." Hydrology 11, no. 7 (2024): 88.
• Ali, Ahmed Shakir Ali, Farhad Jazaei, T. Prabhakar Clement, and Brian Waldron. "Physics-informed neural networks in groundwater flow modeling: Advantages and future directions." Groundwater for Sustainable Development 25 (2024): 101172.
• Alqusaireen, Eatedal, Claudio Meier, and Farhad Jazaei. "High-Resolution Sensor System to Investigate Solute Transport in Saturated Sediments." Journal of the ASABE (2024): 0. 
• Paul, S., Waldron, B., Jazaei, F., & Larsen, D., 2023. Wellfield optimization to minimize contaminant migration from a surficial to a semi‐confined aquifer using numerical modeling. JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association. Paper No. JAWR-22-0064-P. https://doi.org/10.1111/1752-1688.13150 
• Giglou, A. N., Nazari, R. R., Jazaei, F., & Karimi, M. (2023). Numerical analysis of surface hydrogeological water budget to estimate unconfined aquifers recharge.Journal of Environmental Management,346, 118892. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118892  
• Bhattacharjee, L., Jazaei, F., & Salehi, M. (2023). Insights into the mechanism of plastics’ fragmentation under abrasive mechanical forces: An implication for agricultural soil health. CLEAN–Soil, Air, Water, 51(8), 2200395. https://doi.org/10.1002/clen.202200395 
• Pierce, J.; Waldron, B.; Jazaei, F., 2023 . Manual Sensitivity Analysis to Enhance a Previously PEST-Calibrated Shallow Aquifer and Aquitard Breach Model. Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 28(12), https://doi.org/10.1061/JHYEFF.HEENG-5829 
• Ashiq, M.; Jazaei, F; et al. "Abundance, spatial distribution, and physical characteristics of microplastics in stormwater detention ponds." Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering 17.10 (2023): 124. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-023-1724-y 
• Giglou, A. N., Nazari, R., Jazaei, F., & Karimi, M., 2023. Assessing the effects of increased impervious surface on the aquifer recharge through river flow network, case study of Jackson, Tennessee, USA. Science of The Total Environment, 872, 162203. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162203
• Jazaei, F.; Chy, T.; Salehi,M., 2022. Can Microplastic Pollution Change Soil-Water Dynamics? Results from Controlled Laboratory Experiments. Water, 14(21), P.3430. https://doi.org/10.3390/w14213430. 
• Azizi, K., Kashani, A.R., Ebrahimi, S. and Jazaei, F., 2022. Application of a multi-objective optimization model for the design of piano key weirs with a fixed dam height. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 49(11), 1764-1778. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjce-2022-0096 
• Sondipon Paul, Waldron, B., Jazaei, F., Schoefernacker, S., Larsen, D, 2022. Groundwater Well Optimization to Minimize Contaminant Movement from a Surficial Shallow Aquifer to a Lower Water Supply Aquifer Using Stochastic Simulation-Optimization Modeling Techniques: Strategy Formulation. MethodsX 101765. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2215016122001455 
• Mahmoudi, D., Rezaei, M., Ashjari, J., Salehghamari, E., Jazaei, F. and Babakhani, P., 2020. Impacts of stratigraphic heterogeneity and release pathway on the transport of bacterial cells in porous media. Science of The Total Environment, p.138804. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138804
• Jazaei, F., Waldron, B., Schoefernacker, S., Larsen, D, 2019. Application of numerical tools to investigate a leaky aquitard beneath urban well Fields. Water, 11(1), p.5. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/w11010005. 
• Jazaei, F., Simpson, M.J., Clement, 2017. Understanding time scales of diffusive fluxes and the implication for steady state and steady shape conditions. Geophysical Research Letters, 44(1), 174-180. doi:10.1002/2016GL071914 
• Jazaei, F., Clement, T.P., Simpson, M.J., 2016. Spatial analysis of aquifer response times for radial flow processes: Nondimensional analysis and laboratory-scale tests. Journal of Hydrology, 532, 1-8. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2015.11.024 
• Jazaei, F., Simpson, M.J., Clement, T.P., 2014. An analytical framework for quantifying aquifer response time scales associated with transient boundary conditions. Journal of Hydrology 519, 1642–1648. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.09.018 
• Simpson, M.J., Jazaei, F., Clement, T.P., 2013. How long does it take for aquifer recharge or aquifer discharge processes to reach steady state? Journal of Hydrology 501, 241-248. doi:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2013.08.005 

 
Conference Proceedings

• Alireza Bakhshaee, Farhad Jazaei, Muhammad Masood Ashiq, Sohail Ahmed Tufail. Microplastic Quantification Using Combined Fluorescence Microscopy and Hotplate Techniques, AGU Fall Meeting 2024
• Mohammad Hamza Sohail Ahmed Tufail, Farhad Jazaei, Alireza Bakhshaee, Muhammad Masood Ashiq. Assessment of Microplastic Contamination in Biosolids from Wastewater Treatment Plants and Its Implications for Terrestrial Environments, AGU Fall Meeting 2024
• MFA Faraz Ul Haq, Farhad Jazaei. Integrating Hydrological Balance Assessments and Infiltration Galleries for Urban Water Security, AGU Fall Meeting 2024
• AS Ali, F Jazaei, MM Ashiq, A Bakhshaee, MODFLOW and Physics-Informed Neural Networks: A Comparison for 1D Confined Groundwater Flow Modeling, AGU Fall Meeting 2024
• A Bakhshaee, F Jazaei, MM Ashiq, SA Tufail, AS Ali. Microplastic Identification and Quantification Using Combined Fluorescence Microscopy and Hotplate Techniques, AGU Fall Meeting 2024
• FU Haq, F Jazaei, MF Aslam. Urbanization and Groundwater Stress in Rawalpindi, Pakistan: A Hydrological Assessment, AGU Fall Meeting 2024
• Alireza Bakhsaee, Farhad Jazaei, Mahammad Masood Ashiq. Investigating the occurrence of Microplastic pollution within the biosolids of wastewater treatment plants, AGU Fall Meeting 2023
• Mahammad Masood Ashiq, Farhad Jazaei, Alireza Bakhsaee. Unraveling Spatial Variability of Microplastics Distribution in Stormwater Ponds, AGU Fall Meeting 2023
• Maryam Salehi, Gholamreza Bonyadinejad, Linkon Bhattacharjee, Farhad Jazaei. Studying the Environmental Weathering of Agricultural Plastic Products in Farmlands. ASA, CSSA, SSSA International Annual Meeting 2023
• Mahammad Masood Ashiq, Farhad Jazaei, Alireza Bakhsaee. Investigation and Identification of the Microplastics Presence in the Soil. AGU Fall Meeting 2022 
• Bisesh Joshi, Claudio I. Meier, Farhad Jazaei. Estimating Streambed Hydraulic Conductivity Using Mini-Piezometers with Drilled-Holes Screens. AGU Fall Meeting 2022
• Nazli Aghashahi, Brian Waldron, Farhad Jazaei. Evaluation of Groundwater Age Distributions due to Leakage through an Aquitard Breach. AGU Fall Meeting 2022
• Babak Azari, Farhad Jazaei, Brian Waldron. Evaluating the impact of low permeability zones’ shapes and groundwater head gradient on the contaminant back diffusion. AGU Fall Meeting 2022
• Alireza Bakhsaee, Farhad Jazaei, Mahammad Masood Ashiq, Ahmed Shakir Ali,. The Impact of Land and Water Use Changes on Climate-Land-Energy-Water (CLEW) Nexus in the Bakhtegan Basin, Iran. AGU Fall Meeting 2022
• Ahmed Shakir Ali, Farhad Jazaei, Mahammad Masood Ashiq. Numerical Model For Simulation of Scour Around Bridge Abutment. AGU Fall Meeting 2022
• Algusaireen, E., Dell’Aira, F., Lendesma, B., Jazaei, F., Meier, C. A methodology for depicting hyperheic travel times at high temporal and spatial resolutions. 2022 World Environmental & Water Resources Congress (EWRI)
• Ahmed Shakir Ali, Farhad Jazaei, Mahammad Masood Ashiq. Estimation of Equilibrium Local Scour Depth Around Piers Using Artificial Neural Network. 2022 World Environmental & Water Resources Congress (EWRI)
• Gholamreza Bonyadinejad, Maryam Salehi Esfandarani*, Farhad Jazaei. Investigate the factors influencing photodegradation of microplastics (MPs): An implication for water resources protection. 2021 Kentucky/Tennessee Water Professionals Conference
• Linkon Bhattacharjee, Maryam Salehi, Farhad Jazaei. Investigate the Factors that Influence the Microplastics Fragmentation: An Implication for Water Resources Protection. 2021 Kentucky/Tennessee Water Professionals Conference 
• Alqusaireen, E., Meier, C., Argerich, A., Jazaei, F. 3D High-Resolution Description of Hyporheic Exchange Flow in Gravel Bars. 2019 World Environmental & Water Resources Congress, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Jazaei, F., Waldron, B. A., Schoefernacker, O., & Larsen, D. (2018, December). Numerical tools for identifying confining unit breaches impacting semi-confined water-supply aquifers. In AGU Fall Meeting (Vol. 2018, pp. H41J-2212).
• Meier, Claudio I., Farhad Jazaei, and Alba Argerich. "What Happens under a Gravel Bar, Really? Estimating Travel Times of Hyporheic Exchange Flow at Very-High Spatial Resolution." AGU Fall Meeting. Vol. 2018. 2018. (Including Oral presentation)
• Jazaei, F., Clement, T.P., Simpson, M.J., 2016. Response-time analysis of groundwater flows perturbed by pumping wells. AGU Fall Meeting 2016, San Francisco, CA, (Oral presentation)
• Jazaei, F., Clement, T.P., Simpson, M.J., 2015. Predicting the time scales of groundwater response to surface-water variations. NGWA Groundwater Summit, San Antonio, Texas
• Jazaei, F., Abrishamchi, A., Tajrishy, M., Abrishamchi, Ali, 2008. “Urban groundwater level forecasting applying Artificial Neural Network (ANN),” International Conference on Water Scarcity, Global Changes and Groundwater Management Responses, University of California, Irvine

 
Teaching Courses (Undergraduate (U), Graduate (G))

• (G) Groundwater Hydraulics
• (G) Applied groundwater modeling (Developed Course)
• (G) Computational methods in hydraulics and hydrology (Developed Course)
• (G) Engineering Analysis
• (U&G) Water Resources Management and Planning 
• (U) Statics
• (U) Hydrology
• (U) Hydraulics and Hydrology Lab
• (U) Engineering Problem Solving (ENGR 1009/1010)

 
Current and graduated Master's Students

1. Tareq Jamal Chy (2021)
2. Bisesh Joshi (2022) (Co-advisor)

Current and graduated Ph.D. Students 

1. Muhammad Hamza (TBD)
2. Sohail Tufail (TBD)
3. Faraz Ul Haq (TBD) 
4. Fahim Aslam (TBD)
5. Alireza Bakhshaee (TBD)
6. Ahmed Shakir Ali (2024)
7. Muhammad Masood Ashiq (2024)
8. Linkon Bhattacharjee (2024) 
9. Babak Azari (2023) (Co-advisor)
10. Nazli Aghashahi (2023) (Co-advisor) 
11. Eatedal Alqusaireen (2021) (Co-advisor)

Member of UoM Graduate Student Committees

1. Kushal Regmi, MSc student, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (2019)
2. Haley Grace Gallo, MSc student, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (2021)
3. Joel Pierce, MSc student, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (2022)
4. Reza Bonyadi, Ph.D. student, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (2023)
5. Md Hadiuzzaman, Ph.D. student, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (2022)
6. Khairul Hassan, Ph.D. student, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (2023)
7. S. Mohamad Hossein, Ph.D. student, Department of Earth Sciences (2023)
8. Aashis Sapkota, Ph.D. student, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (2021)
9. Angel Alberto Jimenez, Ph.D. student, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (2023)
10. Benja Ledesma, Ph.D. student, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (2025)
11. Saman Ebrahimi, Ph.D. student, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (TBD)
12. Mahdis Khorram, Ph.D. student, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (TBD)
13. April Bonner, Ph.D. student, Department of Mechanical Engineering (TBD)
14. Juan Pablo Jimenez-Gonzalez, Ph.D. student, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (TBD)
15. Mahmudul Hasan, Ph.D. student, Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering (TBD)

 
Laboratory Development

• Microplastic Research Lab, Herff College of Engineering 

Grants and contracts

• NSF CAREER: Determining the mechanism and significance of microplastic pollution impacts on soil hydrology, National Science Foundation (NSF), 2024 (PI), ~$550K 
• MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of a Micro-Computer Tomography System, National Science Foundation (NSF), 2023 (PI)- ~$450K
• Memphis Aquifer Conservation (Multi-Projects), Memphis Light, Gas, and Water Division & City of Memphis, 2023 (Co-PI)- ~$10M
• Shelby County Stormwater Management guideline, Christian Brother University & USGS, 2023 (PI)- ~3K
• Investigating the Occurrence of Microplastic Pollution within the Biosolids of Wastewater Treatment Plants, Great Lakes Water Authority & Brown and Caldwell, 2022 (PI)- ~$85K
• Occurrence of Microplastics Pollution in Agricultural Farms, Brown and Caldwell, 2022 (PI)- ~35K
• Developing a framework to quantify Microplastic load transported by urban stormwater, Brown and Caldwell, 2021 (PI)- ~$33K
• ITESO-Memphis Engineering Exchange, US Department of State, 2021 (co-PI)- ~$83K
• Pre- and post-restoration assessment of Loan Oak basin, West Tennessee River Basin Authority, 2021 (Co-PI)- ~$163K
• Microplastics Fate and Transport in Agricultural Soil: Interrelation of Hydrodynamics, Chemistry, and Material Sciences, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA-NIFA), 2020 (PI) - ~$590K
• Toward a Water Smart Campus- Green Fee, University of Memphis, 2020 (PI)- ~$34K
• Investigating contaminant storage and release mechanisms at low permeability zones, Herff College of Engineering Faculty Research Grants- UoM, 2020 (PI)- ~$15K 
•  West TN Dept of Agriculture, Tennessee Department of Agriculture, 2019 (Co-PI) ~$430K
• MLGW Aquitard, Memphis Light, Gas, and Water Division, 2019 (Co-PI)- ~$5M
• Community of Research Scholars grant (CoRS), University of Memphis, 2019 (PI) -$2K
• Allen Wellfield Evaluation, Memphis Light, Gas, and Water (MLGW) Division, 2017 (Co-PI)- $1.2M

Reviewer for Journals and Funding Agencies

• Ad hoc/panel reviewer of National Science Foundation (NSF)
• Environmental science & technology
• Water Resources Research (WRR)
• Reviewing book proposals for Weily
• Advances in Water Resources
• Journal of Environmental Earth Sciences
• Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection (GEP)
• Water- MDPI
• Water Environment Research and International Journal of Environmental Engineering (IJEE)
• Journal of Ecology & Natural Resources (JENR)
• Environmental Earth Science
• Applied Sciences- MDPI 

Education and outreach

• Leading undergraduate research team- Works in Progress Symposium 2024. Winner: Anthony Bryant, Aidan Espy, and Jefferson Minton, “Microplastic Analysis and Research in Natural Environments”
• Invited speaker- Rhodes College, Science Café at Overton Park Conservancy, Memphis, TN (2024)
• Invited speaker, NSF EPSCor Track-2 IGM Meeting: A Framework for Harnessing Big Hydrological Datasets for Integrated Groundwater Management. The University of Alabama (2023)
• The University of Memphis STEM Pipeline- 2023 (Campus School)
• Herff Engineering Day 2023 - present
• Invited speaker, NSF Groundwater Security Workshop, University of Alabama (2022)
• Collaborating with the City of Memphis and Christian Brothers University on reviewing and preparing the Storm Water Management Manual for the City of Memphis and Shelby County.
• Hosting member of "Your Water, Your Research (2021)" public forum, University of Memphis
• Herff Scholars Day 2021
• Resident member of Engineers' Club of Memphis

 Media Coverage and News Mentions

• https://cohen.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-cohen-announces-national-science-foundation-grant-12 
• https://www.memphis.edu/mediaroom/releases/2023/september/uofm-wins-instrumentation-investment.php

• https://www.memphis.edu/ce/news/index.php

 Service Activities

• UofM Affiliated Faculty- The NSF Mid-South I-Corps Hub
• Affiliated Faculty - MANNER Student Chapter at the University of Memphis (2025-Present)
• Research Advisory Board Member of Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP), NSF-University of Memphis (2024-Present)
• University HS dual enrollment/shadowing in the lab (2024-Present)
• Member of Strategic Planning of the Herff College of Engineering (2024-Present)
• College Laboratory Space committee member of the Herff College of Engineering (2023)
• Prospective student and parent preview day (2022-Present)
• CIVL 4199: Civil Engineering Senior Design Mentor (2020-Present)
• Civil Engineering Undergraduate Student Advisor (2019-Present)
• Member of Computing Committee (2019-Present)
• Member of Scholarship Committee (2019-Present)
• Member of Undergraduate Curriculum Committee (2019-Present)
• Member of Undergraduate Recruiting and Retention Committee (2019-Present)
• Member of Graduate Curriculum and Policies Committee (2019-Present)
• Member of Laboratory and Facilities Committee (2019-Present)
• New faculty search committee (2022-Present)