Dr. Charles Newell is a Vice President and Principal Engineer at GSI Environmental Inc. in Houston, Texas, with more than 35 years of experience as an environmental consultant. He is a Board Certified Environmental Engineer (BCEE) with the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists, a Certified Groundwater Professional with the National Ground Water Association, and an Adjunct Professor at Rice University.

Dr. Newell’s expertise spans site characterization, groundwater modeling, natural attenuation, LNAPL and DNAPL remediation, groundwater and soil remediation, and software development and technology transfer, with extensive experience addressing PFAS-related challenges. He has served on numerous national and international expert panels focused on complex environmental issues. Dr. Newell has co-authored more than 100 technical publications and has led or co-led multiple PFAS research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Defense, as well as research programs for the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, American Petroleum Institute, and industrial clients.

Dr. Newell has received numerous professional honors, including the 1994 Outstanding Presentation Award from the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the 1996 Hanson Excellence of Presentation Award from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. He later received the 2001 Wesley W. Horner Award from the American Society of Civil Engineers and the 2008 Outstanding Alumni Award from Rice University.

In recognition of his research leadership, he was a co-recipient of the 2014 Strategic Environmental Research and Development Program Project of the Year Award and received the 2016 Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council Environmental Excellence Award. More recently, he was honored with the 2020 Foundation Achievement Award from the Association for Environmental Health and Science and the 2024 Gordon Maskew Fair Award from the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists.