As a research hydrologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (1999–2003), his research focused on hydrochemical processes associated with the restoration and remediation of disturbed and/or contaminated areas at the U.S. Department of Energy Savannah River Site, South Carolina.Donald H. Marx is a chief scientist at the PHC Reclamation, Inc., Frogmore, South Carolina. He received his Ph.D. from North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina. While with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, he researched on the use of beneficial mycorrhizal fungi to improve forest generation and mined-land reclamation. He received the Marcus Wallenberg Prize for his practical work on mycorrhizal fungi.