Dr. David L. Freedman retired in 2026 after 30 years of service in the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences. During his service, he led as department chair for nine years after a two-year stint as interim chair. David taught foundational classes in biodegradation processes in natural and engineered systems at the graduate and undergraduate levels. He is noted for the contagious enthusiasm of his lecturing style. David mentored 12 doctoral students, 68 master’s students, and many undergraduate students who conducted research in his lab. David has served as co-chair and on the committees of many graduate students in the department and beyond. Several of his student mentees won national and state-wide recognition for their research. His former students serve in a variety of roles in academia, government, consulting, and industry across the US and internationally.
David’s research is groundbreaking in understanding the role of anaerobic dechlorination. In 2008, his disciplinary peers recognized him for the publication of a highly cited journal paper in 1989 that led the way in the field of biodegradation of tetrachloroethylene (PCE) and trichloroethylene (TCE), notorious contaminants known to cause cancer. David and his students were also well-known for their research on the biodegradation of 1,4-dioxane, another groundwater and wastewater contaminant of concern. During the COVID-19 pandemic, David led a team to systematically monitor wastewater from the university and the city of Clemson for biomarkers of the virus. His efforts were some of the early pioneering work that occurred around the nation as public health officials tried to stay ahead of outbreaks. Dr. Deborah Birx, national coordinator of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, visited Clemson in September 2020 and stated “We’ve been to 17 college campuses in the past few weeks, and Clemson has the absolute best website of any University we’ve visited. The transparency of data and comprehensive information is really well done, not only for the community here but also for the general public.”
David has led or been a key member of teams that have secured more than $7.2 million in research funding since he has been at Clemson. A wide variety of federal, state, and industrial organizations had funded research by David and his teams.
In addition to his national Outstanding Publication Award from the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors, David has been honored by his undergraduate alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay with the 2023 Earth Caretaker Award, and by the College of Engineering, Computing, and Applied Sciences at Clemson with the Esin Gulari Leadership and Service Award in 2025.
In May 2026, the Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences celebrated David’s achievement and successes. At that gathering were faculty, staff, students. He truly exemplifies the best of both worlds of being an educator and researcher.
At the 2026 Battelle Chlorinated Conference held in Ft. Worth, David was honored by a surprise gathering of former students and many friends and colleagues, as captured in the photo below. This is a reflection of his widespread impact on the field of environmental remediation.
His colleagues at Clemson and many other universities, consulting firms, and industries with which he has partnered value his passion for his research, teaching, and mentoring. He continues to work with students and colleagues as an emeritus professor. Below are a gallery of photos from the department recognition in May 2026.
EEES Students & Post-Docs
& Former Research Associates
& Dr. Debora Rodrigues, EEES Dept. Chair
