Jett McFalls

TTI Research Scientist

Education

• B.L.A., Landscape Architecture, Texas A&M University, 1990

Short Biography

Jett McFalls is a Research Scientist with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute Environment Group since 1990. He is the research manager of the TTI Sediment and Erosion Control Laboratory (SEC Lab). The SEC Lab is a 19-acre, international facility that provides the transportation industry with a world-renowned research/development and performance evaluation program for roadside environmental management.  The SEC Lab was recently awarded the International Erosion Control Association’s (IECA) Environmental Excellence Award. This award is IECA’s highest recognition, recognizing exceptional stormwater and erosion/sediment control programs that exemplify outstanding natural resource conservation and environmental protection.

Research at the SEC Lab includes roadside vegetation establishment/maintenance, herbicide use, pollinators, wildlife, and stormwater issues. Research also includes full-scale performance evaluations of erosion and sediment control products approved for use on TxDOT roadways. He has served as principal investigator or co-principal investigator for numerous water quality research studies, including projects with TxDOT, TCEQ, NCHRP, and the EPA. McFalls also co-authored several erosion/sediment control training and certification courses for highway construction for various state DOTs.  McFalls was the principal investigator on a recent study that developed a formal performance-based program to evaluate the effectiveness of sediment retention devices to assist the designer/engineer in the selection of the most effective sediment control best management practice. McFalls led the research on NCHRP 14-41, a project focused on finding long-term ways to control vegetation along roadsides.

McFalls is a registered Landscape Architect with a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Texas A&M University. He is a member of the ASTM D18 Soil and Rock Subcommittee. McFalls is an active member of the International Erosion Control Association where he is currently on three Subcommittees: Stormwater Management, Erosion and Sediment Control, and University Partners. He is a member of the IECA Environmental Connection Editorial Review Committee. McFalls is a Directing Member of the Erosion Control Technology Council (ECTC).