Saftner, who earned an M.S. in geotechnical engineering from UM in 2006, was chosen from a group of six well-qualified applicants. The applications were reviewed by Ellen Rathje, Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Austin and chair of the EERI Student Activities Committee; Jack Baker, Assistant Professor at Stanford University; Youssef Hashash, Associate Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and Tara Hutchinson, Associate Professor at the University of California, San Diego. The candidates were drawn from the fields of structural and geotechnical engineering at universities in California, Indiana, Michigan, and Georgia.

Saftner’s research at the University of Michigan focuses on the sand aging phenomenon as it relates to liquefaction mitigation. It combines synergistic field and laboratory components, allowing discernment of scale effects and stress state effects on aging. After determining the mechanisms underlying sand aging, he will develop a quality assurance metric for remedial densification of liquefiable sands that is not sensitive to aging effects. His faculty sponsor is Associate Professor Russell A. Green, who states that the results of Saftner’s research will significantly improve the profession's ability to predict and mitigate the damaging effects of liquefaction.

Saftner plans to embark on a career in academia upon completion of his Ph.D. He is particularly interested in earthquake issues in the central and eastern United States, because the seismic risk there is less apparent to non-engineers than it is in the western U.S. After obtaining his B.S. in structural engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, he served with the U.S. Army in Iraq, where he earned the Bronze Star for meritorious service.