Detlef is the S. James Ellen Distinguished Professor of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at NC State University. He is also a member of NCSU's Center for Human Health and the Environment and Deputy Director of NCSU's Superfund Research Program Center "Environmental and Health Effects of Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)." Detlef serves on the North Carolina Secretaries' Science Advisory Board and as Trustee of the Water Science and Research Division of the American Water Works Association.