Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Rutgers University
Wright-Rieman Laboratories, 610 Taylor Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854, USA

Research Interests

I am interested in environmental geochemistry and geomicrobiology. The goal of my work is to understand the impact of microorganisms on the geochemical cycling of inorganic elements. My research involves employing microscopic, spectroscopic, and genetic techniques to investigate microbe-mineral interactions, biotransformation of contaminants, and anaerobic redox reactions. I use experimental data to develop models that predict microbial behavior, including when microbes are active, what mechanisms are involved, and under what conditions the mechanisms function. The principal area of my current work is focused on elucidating the molecular pathways of microbial-catalyzed redox reactions of mercury (Hg) and metalloid elements (Se, Te, and As).

Education

  • McGill University, B.Sc., 1997
  • University of Notre Dame, Ph.D., 2001

Appointments

  • Professor, Rutgers University, 2016 - present
  • Associate Professor, Rutgers University, 2010 - 2016
  • Assistant Professor, Rutgers University, 2004 - 2010
  • Visiting Scholar, University of Toronto, 2002 - 2003
  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Leeds, 2001 - 2003

Awards

  • 2009 Houtermans Medal, European Society for Geochemistry
  • 2010 Academic Excellence Award for Excellence in Teaching, Rutgers University
  • 2010 Rutgers Board of Trustees Research Fellowship for Scholarly Excellence