Faculty

Robert Nerenberg
Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies
Ph.D. Northwestern University, Illinois, 2003

Environmental biotechnology, molecular tools; biofilm processes; biological drinking water treatment; wastewater treatment/reuse; membrane processes; bioremediation.

Joshua Shrout
Associate Professor
Ph.D. University of Iowa, Iowa, 2002

Bacterial biofilms; environmental engineering; sociomicrobiology of bacteria in engineered systems and public health; genetics and physiology of bacterial communities; bacterial surface motility; and bioremediation.

Diogo Bolster
Assistant Professor
Ph.D. University of California, San Diego, 2007

Environmental fluid dynamics (analytical, experimental and laboratory): transport and reactive flows in heterogeneous porous media; multiphase flows in porous media (related to CO2 sequestration); buoyancy driven flows; mixing; sustainable building ventilation; contaminant transport in low energy ventilated spaces; risk analysis; vortex rings.

Peter Burns
Henry J. Massman Professor
Ph.D. University of Manitoba, Canada, 1994

Environmental mineralogy; mineralogy and crystallography; mineral crystal structures and crystal chemistry; mineral structural energetics; mineral paragenesis; nuclear waste disposal

Jeremy Fein
Professor and Director of the Center for Environmental Science and Technology
Ph.D. Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 1989

Geomicrobiology; Aqueous environmental geochemistry; Experimental studies of the effects of bacteria on water-rock interactions; Application of chemical thermodynamics to model bacteria-water-rock systems; Metal-organic complexation studies of environmental and geological interest.
Bacteria co-exist with minerals in near-surface geologic systems. We are investigating not only how bacteria influence mineralization, but also their influence on mineral dissolution and contaminant adsorption and transport in the subsurface. We use a range of approaches, from wet chemistry experiments to x-ray absorption spectroscopy to molecular dynamics modeling.

Harindra Joseph S. Fernando
Wayne and Diana Murdy Professor
Ph. D. The Johns Hopkins University, 1983

Fluid mechanics; specifically turbulence in homogeneous, stratified, and rotating flows; double-diffusive phenomena; multiphase flows; oceanic and atmospheric flows, especially boundary layers and transport processes; industrial fluid mechanics; energy storage and extraction, urban air pollution; sustainability engineering, remote sensing.

Patricia Maurice
Professor
Ph.D. Stanford University, California, 1994

Field and laboratory based studies of mineral-water interface geochemistry; organic and microbial interactions with mineral surfaces; geochemistry of humic substances; soil chemistry; chemical weathering; hydrology and biogeochemistry of freshwater wetlands; remediation of metal contamination; global climate change.

Clive Neal
Professor
Ph.D. University of Leeds, United Kingdom, 1986

Environmental effects of heavy metal pollution; petrogenesis of Large Igneous Provinces; ICP-MS analytical techniques; evolution of the Moon; evolution of Mars; geochemical and environmental consequences of plate interactions; origin of the Solar System.

Antonio Simonetti
Associate Professor
Ph.D. Carleton University, Canada, 1994

Development of analytical protocols for isotope measurements involving either solution mode- and/or laser ablation- multi-collection inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS); Geochemical and radiogenic isotope investigations of alkaline rocks/carbonatites and mantle samples; long-range tracing of atmospheric pollution; strontium isotope studies of teeth from burial sites of Archaeological interest.