Halff’s Ashley Pifer Selected As NWABJ Forty Under 40 Honoree

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Halff Director of Water/Wastewater Ashley Pifer, Ph.D., PE, was recently selected as a Northwest Arkansas Business Journal (NWABJ) Forty Under 40 honoree.

Forty Under 40 honorees are chosen by a panel of the NWABJ’s editorial staff based on career achievements and community work. The list includes young business and community leaders from throughout the Northwest Arkansas and Fort Smith metros.

Pifer is a nationally recognized water quality expert who specializes in disinfection and distribution system water quality with years of experience conducting applied research, treatment process feasibility studies, water quality assessments, and detailed designs for water and wastewater utilities nationwide.

Through her expertise, she has helped water systems manage disinfectant residuals, disinfection byproducts, nitrification and metals release. She has spent her career providing innovative solutions to ensure water quality for communities across the country.

She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas, where she focused her research on disinfection byproduct precursor characterization and removal through conventional and novel treatment processes.

Ashley Pifer was honored during the Forty Under 40 awards luncheon with colleagues from Halff’s Fayetteville office.

Pifer holds leadership roles in the industry, serving as a trustee for the American Water Works Association’s (AWWA) Water Science and Research Division. She is also co-chair for revisions to M68, AWWA’s manual of practice on distribution system water quality. Additionally, she has authored seven peer-reviewed journal articles.

She was honored at an awards luncheon on August 12 in Rogers, Arkansas.

About the Firm

Halff is an award-winning, employee-owned and full-service infrastructure consulting firm celebrating a legacy of 75 years of improving lives and communities. Founded in 1950 by Dr. Albert H. Halff, the firm has built a legacy of delivering innovative solutions with a people-focused approach.

Operating from more than 30 offices across Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas, Halff is a leader in design excellence and community impact, earning more than 90 project awards since 2021. For four consecutive years, Halff has ranked as an Engineering News-Record Top 100 Design Firm and as a USA TODAY National Top Workplace.