August 24, 2026
Two affiliate faculty members in the University of Washington’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) have been elected to the Washington State Academy of Sciences.
Nikolla Qafoku and Nathalie Voisin are among 30 scientists and educators from across the state named to the academy on July 16. Election to the academy recognizes an “outstanding record of scientific and technical achievement and a willingness to help the academy provide the best available scientific information to inform policy decisions in Washington.”
Nikolla Qafoku
Qafoku, a CEE affiliate professor, is a laboratory fellow emeritus at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and an advisor to its Center for the Remediation of Complex Sites, which focuses on cleaning up contaminated land and water. His research examines how contaminants move through soils, sediments and groundwater, findings that inform the cleanup of contaminated sites. The academy recognized his contributions to soil and environmental science across research, university teaching and mentoring, and professional service. Qafoku joined PNNL in 2000 and is an elected fellow of the Soil Science Society of America.
Nathalie Voisin
Voisin, also a CEE affiliate professor, is chief scientist for regional water-energy dynamics at PNNL, where she studies how water systems and the electric power grid shape one another. Voisin's research connects weather and climate forecasts to the decisions utilities make about planning and day-to-day operations. The academy recognized her for combining climate science with power systems research work that has lowered costs for energy customers and helped make the grid safer and more reliable. Voisin earned her doctorate in civil and environmental engineering at the UW and joined PNNL in 2010. She has been affiliated with CEE since 2016 and has served as an associate editor of the journal Water Resources Research since 2017.
A total of 12 UW faculty members were elected this year. Read more in the UW News story.