Meet the New CEE Faculty
Rachel Pearson
Rachel Pearson is joining Virginia Tech as a Research Assistant Professor in civil and environmental engineering. She recently completed her Ph.D. in civil and environmental engineering at the University of Washington, where she also earned an M.S. She holds a B.S. in civil engineering from the University of Virginia. Dr. Pearson’s research focuses on sustainable infrastructure systems, using a sociotechnical systems approach to address the intersection of water and energy systems and their interactions with organizational and community stakeholders. Committed to advancing equitable and climate-adaptive infrastructure solutions, she employs interdisciplinary research methods, combining qualitative and quantitative techniques to analyze the technical, operational, and community dimensions of these systems. Her work aims to develop innovative, inclusive solutions that enhance the sustainability and resilience of infrastructure systems in the face of a changing climate.
Christin Salley
Christin Salley is joining as a Research Assistant Professor in civil and environmental engineering. She is dedicated to advancing equitable infrastructure systems and services within urban environments to enhance community resilience, particularly in the face of disasters and crises. Her work integrates cutting-edge technologies like Artificial Intelligence with sociotechnical and transdisciplinary approaches to address ethical considerations and improve outcomes for vulnerable populations. With expertise spanning community resilience, disaster studies, environmental justice, and infrastructure systems, Dr. Salley employs mixed methods to foster innovation and promote responsible research practices. She earned her Ph.D. in Civil Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, an M.S.E. in Civil Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.S. in Fire Protection Engineering from the University of Maryland.
Kirin Furst
Kirin Furst is an Associate Professor at Virginia Tech and the Principal Investigator of the Water Systems Chemistry Engineering Lab (Water SyCEL). Her research focuses on advancing water quality engineering to ensure safe drinking water access for all. Key areas of interest include water treatment and reuse, disinfection byproducts, PFAS mitigation, and the fate and transport of organic contaminants. Dr. Furst’s team investigates the impacts of extreme weather on water infrastructure and develops affordable treatment systems for simultaneous control of pathogens, disinfection byproducts, and emerging contaminants. She earned her Ph.D. and M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University and a B.S. in Liberal Arts from Sarah Lawrence College. Dr. Furst is a National Science Foundation CAREER Awardee and has received numerous honors, including the American Association of University Women Research Publication Award.