Graduate Students
Chunmei Chen
B.S. Agricultural Resources and Environment - 2004, Nanjing Agricultural University
M.S. Environmental Science - 2007, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Plant and Soil Sciencs, Environmental Soil Chemisty Group, University of Delaware
Research Interests:
My research is focusing on the interactions between organic matter and minerals under different landscape topographic positions at the molecular scale. By targeting a hillslope transect and a floodplain at within the Christina River Basin Critical Zone Observatory (CRB-CZO), I am specifically looking at: (1) the structural composition of soil organic matter by using C NEXAFS and ATR-FTIR techniques; (2) soil Fe speciation by employing synchrotron-based XAS; (3) the associations of C with specific minerals in soils via using STXM coupled C NEXAFS and TEM-EELS.
Meg Christie
B.S. Biology- 2008, Cedar Crest College
M.E.S. Geology- 2011 University of Pennsylvania
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Delaware
Research Interests:
My research interests include paleo-environmental reconstruction, micropaleontology, and the affects of human settlement and sea level changes on floodplains and estuaries.
Department of Geological Sciences
Julia Marquard
Diploma in Geosciences – 2010, Leibniz University of Hannover, Germany
Ph.D. Candidate, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, United Kingdom
Research interests: My research interests include quantifying surface processes and evaluating the impact of different forcings such as anthropogenic influences, tectonic and climate on landscape. I'm approaching this by using different geochemical methods with a focus on analysing soil movement using different radionuclides. My objectives within the CRB-CZO are to analyse the impacts of anthropogenic activities on landscape development, with particular reference to erosion rates and vertical soil mixing rates.
College of Life and Environmental Sciences
Chris McLaughlin
B.S. Environmental Sciences - 2001, Virginia Tech
M.S. Biology- 2003, Arizona State University
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Graduate Group, University of Pennsylvania
Research interests: To investigate water flow paths that deliver nitrogen and carbon to stream ecosystems and to determine the impact of their delivery on stream ecosystem function. The objective of this research is to develop a hydrologic model that describes the sources of water to White Clay Creek watershed, and to determine how changes in DOC and N as a result of the activation of different flow paths influence in-stream N transformations.
Yi Mei
B.S. Hydrology and Water Resources- 2005, China University of Geosciences, China
M.E. Hydrology and Water Resources -2008, Department of Hydrosciences, Nanjing University, China
M.S. Environmental Science - 2010, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering/ Vanderbilt Institute for Energy and Environment, Vanderbilt University
Research interests:
1) Hydrological regulation on Dissolved Organic Carbon transport in watersheds.
2) Groundwater surface water interaction and it's effects on DOC export.
3) Hydrological and water chemistry modeling at multiple scales.
Vanderbilt Institute for Energy and Environment
Weinan Pan
M.S.Environmental Soil Physics - 2010, North Carolina State University
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Bioresources Engineering, Watershed Hydrochemistry Group, University of Delaware
Research interest: Mineral surface area, DOM quality (humic, non-humic fractions, etc.), and redox controls for carbon-mineral complexation. Land uses influence on DOC complexation. Spatial variation of carbon-mineral complexation on watershed scale with GIS technique.
Watershed Hydrochemistry Group
Adam Pearson
B.S. Environmental Geology, Beloit College
M.S. Geology, Boston College
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Delaware
Research interest: I am primarily interested in fluvial geomorphology, specifically on river response to anthropogenic alterations.
Department of Geological Sciences
John Van Stan
B.S, Environmental Science - 2005, University of Delaware
B.A. English - 2006, University of Delaware
M.S. Environmental Science and Policy - 2007, Johns Hopkins University
M.S. Geography - 2009, University of Delaware
Ph.D, Candidate, Department of Geography, Ecohydrology Group, University of Delaware
Research interest: My research seeks to enhance our understanding of the interface between forest hydrological processes and ecosystem functioning, as this is critical to the advancement of natural resource & watershed management. I primarily perform field-based investigations of hydrological processes and their relationships to forest ecology and biogeochemistry, including instrumentation & methods development. Besides CZO funding, this research has also been supported by an NSF DDRI grant from the Geography and Spatial Sciences Program (BCS-1003047), an RA-ship from a NSF Hydrological Sciences Program grant (EAR-0809205), and the University of Delaware's own Office of Economic Innovation & Partnerships.
Department of Geological Sciences
Beth Wenell
B.S. Geology, emphasis in Hydrogeology and Water Chemistry - 1999,
University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
M.S./Ph.D. Candidate, Land and Atmospheric Science, Department of
Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Soil, Water, and Climate, University of Minnesota
Research interest: Understanding and comparing the fate of carbon in
pristine and anthropogenic landscapes by investigating the processes
of soil development, chemical weathering, and erosion. Examining these
processes from a mineral grain to watershed scale and spatially
integrating results using LIDAR and GIS technologies.
Department of Soil, Water, and Climate
Elyse Williamson
B.A Geological Sciences- 2006, Hamilton College
M.S Candidate, Department of Geological Sciences, University of Delaware
Research interest: My primary focus is in sediment transport and storage. I will be working along a short reach in the White Clay Creek watershed to calculate a time-averaged rate of suspended sediment transport. As part of this project I will be determining rates of sediment exchange between the water column and storage areas. I also hope to discern if some of the suspended material is washed downstream without being held in storage for a significant amount of time.
Department of Geological Sciences
Jing Yan
B.S. Environmental Engineering - 2009, Lanzhou University
Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Environmental Soil Physics Group, University of Delaware
Research interest: To investigate the complex dynamic interactions of colloids, carbon, and Fe oxides and their implications in colloid mobilization and carbon cycling. Specific objectives include: (1) quantify transport of organic matter transport with soil colloids under different redox conditions, (2) collect the small size fractions to quantify the colloids' contribution to carbon transport, (3) collect and analyze field samples to relate mobilization and transport of colloid-organic complexes in the subsurface environments with environmental and land use conditions.
Environmental Soil Physics Lab
