Samuel D. Hodges Ph.D., P.E.
Water and wastewater engineer connecting research, design, and teaching.
Professional Licensure
TN EPSC Level 1#157867 · 2026
Certifications
Autodesk ACC Design Management: Files, Issues & Sheets2026
AutoCAD 2024 Essential TrainingLinkedIn · 2025
CrossFit Level 1 TrainerCF-L1 · 2024
Education
Ph.D. Civil EngineeringUniversity of Arkansas · 2023
M.S. Engineering–CivilLeTourneau University · 2019
B.S. Engineering–CivilLeTourneau University · 2016
Experience
Olsson
Engineer, Water/Wastewater · Aug 2026 – Present
Water/Wastewater team member on projects ranging from conveyance to process design.
- Municipal water line replacements: Oklahoma City, OK; Parsons, KS; Fayetteville and Rogers, AR.
- Municipal wastewater process design in Clarksville, AR.
- DEQ permit coordination in Arkansas.
Liberty University
Adjunct Professor · Oct 2025 – Present
Supporting the senior capstone sequence through project team mentoring and design review, alongside core engineering courses.
Kimley-Horn
Civil Analyst, Development Services · Sep 2025 – Aug 2026
- Design of sanitary sewer, storm sewer, domestic water, and fire utilities for a 300+ acre industrial site.
- Water modeling in WaterGEMS; gravity sewer design in Civil 3D and StormCAD.
- Scope and fee coordination for a private lift station.
- Construction administration: submittal review and response, RFI response, and specification compliance.
Buchart Horn
Engineer in Training II, Water Resources · Jan 2025 – Aug 2025
Lead Grading & Drainage Reviewer for the City of Memphis Land Development Office. Enforced SMM standards for all municipal plan submittals.
- PFAS pilot study for well field remediation.
Christian Brothers University
Assistant Professor · 2024 | Adjunct Faculty · 2025
Taught the department's water resources and environmental courses, co-advised senior project, advised the freshman class, and served on the curriculum committee and two faculty searches.
Olsson (Earlier Roles)
Assistant & Associate Engineer (Remote) · Feb 2024 – Dec 2024 | Engineering Intern · May 2019 – Nov 2019
- Wastewater treatment plant startup and grit tank consultation: Jonesboro, AR.
- Waterline replacement: Fayetteville, AR.
- Master plan clearwell CT study and finished water line: Lowell, AR.
- Raw water pump upgrade: Holiday Island, AR.
Areas of Expertise
Water & Wastewater Design
Municipal water line replacements across Oklahoma, Kansas, and Arkansas, wastewater treatment process design, and permit coordination.
Industrial Infrastructure
Design of sanitary sewer, domestic water, and fire protection utilities for industrial sites exceeding 300 acres, carried through construction administration: submittal review, RFI response, and specification compliance.
Hydraulic Modeling
Comprehensive modeling including water age optimization, lift station sizing, and water treatment clearwell evaluations.
Stormwater Compliance
Technical application of the City of Memphis Stormwater Management Manual and regional submittal standards.
Emerging Contaminants
Research into PFAS transport mitigation utilizing DGT methodology and inorganic chloramine decomposition studies.
Software & Methods
AutoCAD Civil 3D
Bentley WaterCAD
WaterGEMS
StormCAD
Autodesk Construction Cloud
Autodesk Forma
HydroCAD
ArcGIS
R Studio
Experimental Design
Laboratory Analysis
Field Inspection
Research & Service
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Harris, B. J.;
Hodges, S. D.; Wahman, D. G.; Haupert, L. M.; Chimka, J. R.; Fairey, J. L. “PFAS Quantitation with Diffusive Gradients in Thin-Film Passive Samplers: Capturing Time-Weighted Average Concentrations Around Maximum Contaminant Levels to Facilitate Compliance.”
Water Research (2026).
doi:10.1016/j.watres.2026.125918Fairey, J. L.; Laszakovits, J.; Pham, H. T.; Do, T. D.;
Hodges, S. D.; McNeill, C.; Wahman, D. G. “Chloronitramide anion is a decomposition product of inorganic chloramines.”
Science 386, 882–887 (2024).
doi:10.1126/science.adk6749Hodges, S. D.; Wahman, D. G.; Haupert, L. M.; Pham, H. T.; Bozarth, M. K.; Howland, M. B.; Fairey, J. L. “Non-Steady-State Fickian Diffusion Models Decrease the Estimated Gel Layer Diffusion Coefficient Uncertainty for Diffusive Gradients in Thin-Films Passive Samplers.”
Environmental Science & Technology 57 (26), 9793–9801 (2023).
doi:10.1021/acs.est.3c01861
Conference Presentations
Hodges, S. D., et al. “PFAS in the Environment: Fate, Transport, and a Novel Low-Cost Monitoring Approach.” PA-AWWA 77th Annual Conference & Expo, Pocono Manor, PA (2025).
Hodges, S. D., et al. “Advancing the Diffusive Gradients in Thin-Films Passive Sampling Device for Monitoring PFAS in Drinking Water Systems.” AWWA Water Quality Technology Conference, Cincinnati, OH (2022).
Poster presentations on DGT passive sampling for PFAS (SERDP Project ER20-1363) at the SERDP & ESTCP Symposium and PFAS Project Meetings (2021–2022).
Professional Service
- AWWA: Emerging Water Quality Issues Committee (2026 – Present)
- The Water Research Foundation: Project Advisory Committee, PFAS proposal review (2025 – Present)
- Northrise University, Zambia: Engineering Advisory Board (2023 – Present); Curriculum Committee (2018 – 2023)
- ASCE Cold Regions Engineering Division: Committee rewriting the Cold Regions Utility Monograph (2025 – 2026)
- TSPE: Board Member (2024 – 2025)
- Memberships: ASCE (2012 – Present), AWWA (2019 – Present), ITRC (2023 – Present), WEF (2025 – Present)
Teaching
Liberty University Online
- ENGR 481: Engineering Design 1 – Capstone Project
- ENGR 482: Engineering Design 2 – Capstone Project
- ENGV 380: Project and Construction Management
- ENGR 315: Fluid Dynamics
- ENGR 105: Introduction to Engineering I
Christian Brothers University
- CBU 101: Orientation to CBU
- CE 110: Introduction to Civil Engineering
- CE 299: Hydraulics & Lab
- CE 313: Hydrology
- CE 329 & 429: Environmental Engineering I & II
- CE 431: Senior Project I & II
- CE 489: Licensing and Certification
University of Arkansas
- CVEG 3243: Environmental Engineering (Instructor)
- CVEG 4243: Environmental Engineering Design (Instructor)
- CVEG 3213: Hydraulics (TA)
- CVEG 3223: Hydrology (TA)
LeTourneau University
- CEGR 3522: Geotechnical Engineering Laboratory
Laboratory Management: Coordinated equipment calibration, safety protocols, and instruction support.
About
Practitioner’s Philosophy
Bridging Theory and Reality
As a teenager, I worked in my father’s construction business, where I first experienced the friction between design and implementation. The most prevalent complaint surrounding impractical designs shaped my professional pursuit: I am relentless about maintaining the tie between application and theory so that solutions are never divorced from reality.
Stewardship of Knowledge
Success is not measured solely by the systems we build, but by the competence we leave behind. My goal is to equip others to solve their own challenges. "If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime."
Collaboration
Effective engineering requires humility and the curious pursuit of diverse perspectives. I prioritize leveraging every team member's skill set to find the most sustainable solutions.
Global Impact & Wellness
Humanitarian Engineering
Ecuador: Led design of spring capture projects in remote jungle regions.
Senegal: Drilled 30-meter well bores utilizing slurry-powered techniques for water access.
Zambia: International Engineering Advisory Board member for Northrise University.
Wellness & Physical Discipline
CrossFit Level 1 Trainer (CF-L1): Coached at Element 47 Fitness (2024–2025). I prioritize physical discipline as a bedrock for professional mental endurance.
Get in Touch
