People

Dr. Samuel Snow, Ph.D.

Effie C. and Donald M. Hardy Assistant Professor

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

3230J, Patrick Taylor Hall, Baton Rouge LA, 70803

Dr. Samuel Snow obtained a B.S. in Earth and Atmospheric Science from Georgia Tech in 2009. During those college years, an internship with NOAA's Holling's scholarship program and the chance to participate in a research project with Dr. Ellery Ingall (GT, EAS) were particularly meaningful to Snow's career goals. Motivated to pursue an advanced degree in a field directly relevant to humanity, Dr. Snow embarked on a journey towards a Ph.D. under the supervision of Dr. Jaehong Kim in Environmental Engineering. During his Ph.D., Snow studied the fundamental materials and chemical properties of fullerenes in order to better understand how they could be used to treat water. During that time, Snow played a pivotal role in starting a class called "Environmental Technology in the Developing World," where he and Kim brought undergraduate students to Nicaragua to help a group called Amigos for Christ provide clean drinking water and hygiene solutions to rural Nicaraguans. Upon graduating in 2014, he then moved to Michigan and worked briefly as a permit writer for Michigan's Department of Environmental Quality before joining Dr. Vlad Tarabara's research group at MSU as a postdoctoral researcher in 2015. While there, Snow engaged in a couple projects involving combining photocatalysts with membranes for water treatment. The interactions of organic matter with photocatalytic materials proved to be a particularly interesting topic, warranting further research. When Snow was hired at LSU in 2016, he setup his laboratory with to better understand the challenges and advantages of innovative and water treatment technologies. Likewise, Snow investigates the role of photochemistry in natural and engineered systems. Regarding his instructional role, Snow enjoys teaching the fundamentals of water and waste water treatment in the courses he teaches. Of particular interest are his plans to develop a study abroad course to provide students with hands-on experience with water treatment, water quality analysis, and designing sustainable solutions for water and hygiene challenges in developing countries.

Group Members

Current Graduate Students

- Ebenezer Etsiwah began his M.S. in January 2023 and is assembling and testing point-of-use wastewater disinfection units.

- Caleb Osei-Appau began his Ph.D. in August 2022 and is using UV LEDs to innovate advanced oxidation processes.

Undergraduate Students

Maddie Hathcock

Former Group Members

Annie Lobitz (U.G. Researcher)

Andrea Martinez - M.S. 2023

Monica Sarmiento (U.G. Researcher)

Sarah Anselmo (U.G. Researcher)

Madhusudan (Madhu) Kamat - Ph.D. 2022.

Mostafa Maghsoodi - Ph.D. 2021.

Gabrielle Langlois (U.G. Researcher)

Grace Lowry (U.G. Researcher)

Katherine Savoy (U.G. Researcher)

Ian Smith (U.G. Researcher)

Jasmine Bekkaye (U.G. Researcher)