Faculty and Staff Directory
"Sure, we can do that."
Yushin Ahn
Assistant Professor, School of Technology
Research Interests
- Digital photogrammetry and mapping
- Sensor modeling and calibration
- Sensory data fusion
- 3D reconstruction from remote sensing data
- Glacier dynamics/polar region monitoring
- Feature tracking (Image matching)
Teaching Interests
- Surveying/Field practice/Computation
- remote sensing data fusion
- Digital image acquisition and processing
- Adjustment computation
- Digital Mapping
Robert A. Andersen
Adjunct Professor, Biological Sciences
Senior Research Scientist, University of Washington
Emeritus Director, Provasoli-Guillard National Center for Marine Algae and Microbiota (CCMP, now NCMA)
906-370-1886
raa48@uw.edu
raa48@uw.edu
Research Interests
- Chrysophyte algae
- Algal Systematics
- Algal Culturing
Jamey Anderson
Coordinator of Marine Operations
Specialties
- Oversee research buoys
- Maintain and repair Remote Operated Vehicles
- Maintain R/V Agassiz to USCG standards
- Maintain and operate survey vessels
- Provide electrical and mechanical support of specialized research equipment
Carol J. Asiala
Research Scientist/Engineer, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Martin T. Auer
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Links of Interest
Teaching Interests
- Surface water quality engineering
Research Interests
- Limnology
- Engineering approaches to lake and river management
- Mathematical modeling of surface water quality
Links of Interest
New Link
- The Great Lake Sturgeon http://msupress.msu.edu/bookTemplate.php?bookID=4362
Research Interests
- Fish Biology
- Zooplankton ecology
- Limnology
- Conservation Biology
Brian D. Barkdoll
Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Dam Decommissioning
- Environmental Engineering
- Hydraulic Structures
- River Mechanics
- Sediment Transport
- Stream Rehabilitation
- Sustainability
Audrey Barnett
Research Associate, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Research Interests
- Oceanography, limnology and biogeochemistry
- Phytoplankton physiology and ecology
- Optics and remote sensing
- Harmful algal bloom prediction and mitigation
- Mass algal culture for wastewater remediation
- Instrumentation and data accessibility
Leonard J. Bohmann
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
Areas of Interest
- Electric power systems analysis
- Utility applications of power electronics (HVDC, SVC, FACTS)
- Power system dynamics
- Power quality
- Power system transients
- Computer analysis and simulation of power systems
William S. Breffle
Associate Professor of Economics, School of Business and Economics
Teaching Interests
- Environmental economics
- Natural resource economics
- International economics
- Mathematical economics
- Principles of economics
Research Interests
- Non-market valuation
- Discrete choice modeling
- Benefit-cost analysis
- Restoration program planning
- Health economics
Links of Interest
- Western UP Center for Science, Math & Environmental Education
- Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative
- Family Engineering
- Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education
- Urban Forest Stewardship Program in Detroit Public Schools - MAEOE
- Urban Forest Stewardship Program in Detroit Public Schools - SFI
- Green Film Series
Areas of Expertise
- Great Lakes education and stewardship
- Watershed management ; stream monitoring
- Environmental education
- Elementary engineering education
- K-12 science education
- K-12 teacher professional development
- Communicating Science to a lay audience
Cathy Codere
Assistant to the Vice President for Research
Assists in administration of the following:
"Good things come in small packages—you can get a GREAT liberal arts education from us. Our graduates get jobs and enroll in fine graduate programs at universities like Yale, Michigan, and Johns Hopkins."
—Mary Durfee
—Mary Durfee
Mary H. Durfee
Associate Professor of Government, Social Sciences
Department Advisor for Majors University Competitive Scholarships Advisor
Visiting Professor, University of Malta
Links of Interest
Areas of Expertise
- Great Lakes of North America
- International Law
- Malta
- Scholarship of Pedagogy
Gary Fahnenstiel
Senior Scientist, Great Lakes Research Center and Michigan Tech Research Institute
Adjunct Professor, Biological Sciences
Research Interests
- Limnology of the Great Lakes
- Primary productivity
- Phytoplankton dunamics
- Laurentian Great Lakes
Hugh S. Gorman
Professor of Environmental History and Policy, Social Sciences
Fields
- Environmental History and Policy
- History of Technology
- History of Science
- Economic History
Research Interests
- The historical interaction between technological change, uses of the environment, and systems of governance.
- The political ecology of energy.
Sarah A. Green
Professor, Chemistry
Research Interests
- Origin and fate of DOC in terrestrial, lake, and marine environments
- Methods for detection of free radicals, photochemical transformations of natural and anthropogenic organic compounds in the environment
- Oxidative degradation reactions
- Response of aquatic systems to climate change
- Effects of electrostatic charge and ionic strength on fast reaction kinetics
- Behavior of metal-contaminated sediments in the Lake Superior basin
- Fluorescence-based analytical methods
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Algal Extracellular Polymers and Biocomposites - Regulation of Biogenesis
Kathleen E. Halvorsen
Professor of Natural Resource Policy
Joint Appointment in Social Sciences and School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Links of Interest
Areas of Expertise
- Woody bioenergy
- Climate change
- Natural resource policy
- Water resource policy
- Bioenergy policy
Casey J Huckins
Associate Professor, Biological Sciences
Program Director Peace Corps Master's International Program in Biological Sciences
Research Expertise
- Fish ecology, biology, functional morphology
- Ecology of lakes, streams, and their riparian interface with terrestrial systems
- effects of land use on ecological systems
- Biomonitoring for research and restoration
"If trees could run away from their place of establishment, believe me many of them probably would!"
Evan S. Kane
Assistant Professor, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Links of Interest
Areas of Expertise
- Soil carbon
- Plant/soil relationships
- Decomposition
- Dissolved organic carbon
- Wildfire
- Black carbon
Charles Kerfoot
Professor, Biological Sciences
Director, Lake Superior Ecosystem Research Center
Adjunct Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Aquatic Ecology
- Paleoecology
"Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature -- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter."
—Rachel Carson
—Rachel Carson
Nancy Langston
Professor of Environmental History, Social Sciences
Member of the Great Lakes Research Center
nelangst@gmail.com
209 Academic Office Bldg, GLRC 220
209 Academic Office Bldg, GLRC 220
Specialties
- Environmental history
- Watershed change
- Ecological history
- Fisheries history
- Mining history
Eugene Levin
Associate Professor, School of Technology
Program Chair, Surveying Engineering
Faculty Advisor, Digital Mapping Enterprise
Research Interests
- Integrated geospatial technologies for sustainable development
- Mobile mapping platforms for geographical and environmental studies
- SAR- and LIDAR-based remote sensing and GIS
- Geosensorics, real-time networks of geosensors
- Human-computer symbiosis for knowledge extraction and expertise transfer
- Visual perception in remote sensing and GIS
- 3-D geospatial visualization and augmented reality
- Visual and automated feature extraction in multispectral and hyperspectral image interpretation
- Geospatial-sensor modeling and calibration
- Image processing and automated feature extraction from aerial and satellite imagery
- Automated systems for vision-based autonomous navigation and control of manned/unmanned robotic platforms
- Image fusion and analysis
- Photogrammetry of aerial and high-resolution satellite imagery
Teaching Interests
- Earth observation systems
- Geodesy
- Photogrammetry
- Geospatial technologies, data, and systems
- Global positioning systems
- Remote sensing
- LIDAR-, SAR-/InSAR-based remote sensing
- Geospatial 3-D visualization
- Geospatial imaging: perception and interpretation
- Introductory and advanced GIS
- Spatial analysis and modeling
- Spatial decision support
- Cartography and cybercartography
Carol A. MacLennan
Associate Professor of Anthropology, Social Sciences
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Environmental anthropology
- Anthropology of industry (mining, sugar)
- Hawai`i and the Pacific
- Anthropology of public policy
Nina Mahmoudian
Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering–Engineering Mechanics
Areas of Expertise
- Nonlinear Control and Dynamics
- Cooperative Control of Multi Agent Systems
- Autonomous Vehicles with Special Interest in Underwater Gliders
Amy M. Marcarelli
Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Limnology
- Ecosystem Ecology of Streams and Rivers
- Biogeochemistry
Areas of Expertise
- Industrial archaeology
- Industrial heritage
- Historical archaeology
Alex S. Mayer
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Teaching Interests
- Groundwater flow and transport and subsurface remediation
Research Interests
- Numerical and Experimental Investigations of Contaminant Transport in Groundwater Vadose Zones
- Mathematical Optimization of Groundwater Remediation Systems: Multi-Objective and Uncertainty Problems
- Surfactant-Enhanced Dissolution of Nonaqueous Phase Liquids in Subsurface Systems
- Groundwater Flow in a Fault Zone in the Vicinity of Desert Hot Springs, California
- Simulation of Saltwater Intrusion in the Guaymas Valley, Sonora, Mexico California
"Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life."
—Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder
—Rachel Carson, The Sense of Wonder
Audrey L. Mayer
Associate Professor of Ecology and Environmental Policy
Coordinator, Peace Corps Masters International Program in Forestry
Areas of Expertise
- Environmental and Natural Resources Policy
- Sustainability science
- Landscape ecology
- Biodiversity and Conservation
- International Trade
- Information Theory
Lynn R. Mazzoleni
Assistant Professor, Chemistry
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Understanding the identities, occurrence, and transformation of aerosol organic compounds
- Identifying organic aerosol constituents from a variety of atmospheric environments
- Exploration of new LC column chemistries with ultrahigh pressure pumps for fast and thorough separations
- Aqueous reaction pathways
Guy Meadows
Director, Great Lakes Research Center
Adjunct Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Research Interests
- Large scale field experimentation in the Inland Seas of the Great Lakes and coastal oceans
- Nearshore hydrodynamics and prediction
- Autonomous and semi-autonomous environmental monitoring platforms (surface and sub-surface)
- Underwater acoustic remote sensing
- Marine engineering
David Millie
Environmental Scientist, Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI)
941-544-7926
dfmillie@mtu.edu
dfmillie@mtu.edu
Research Interests
- Phycology - Physiological and Quantitative Ecology
- Coastal Marine, Estuarine/Wetland Biology and Limnology
- Univariate and Multivariate Statistics, Experimental Design
- Environmental Modeling
Colleen B. Mouw
Assistant Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Oceanography and Limnology
- Aquatic optics and remote sensing
- Development of novel aquatic satellite products
- Aquatic biogeochemical processes
- Phytoplankton ecology
- Response of aquatic systems to environmental change
"Be the change that you want to see in the world."
—Mahatma Ghandi
—Mahatma Ghandi
Emma S. Norman
Assistant Professor of Geography, Social Sciences
Environmental and Energy Policy Program
Areas of Expertise
- Transboundary Water Governance
- Water Security
- Political and Cultural Geography
- Environmental Governance
- Nature-Society
Kara Oikarinen
Science/Environmental Educator, Civil and Environmental Engineering
kcoikari@mtu.edu
GLRC 114
GLRC 114
Judith A. Perlinger
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Links of Interest
Teaching Interests
- Environmental engineering
- Transport & transformation of organic chemicals in the environment
- Boundary layer meteorology
- Sustainability
Research Interests
- Air and water quality
- Atmosphere/biosphere exchange of chemicals
- Micrometeorology
- Environmental analytical chemistry
Stephen Roblee
Research Vessel Primary Captain, Great Lakes Research Center
Mark D. Rouleau
Assistant Professor, Social Sciences
Research Interests
- Social simulation
- Agent-based modeling
- Land-use modeling
- Social science methods
- International relations
- European politics
- International policy development
"Whether it is wading in a stream to sample trout, digging under logs to count salamanders or peering under rocks to examine mayflies, both teaching and research benefit from this type of real world experience"
Amy Schrank
Research Assistant Professor, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Science
Areas of Expertise
- Aquatic ecology
- Aquatic-terrestrial links
- Conservation and management of aquatic systems
- Long-term monitoring
David Schwab
Computer & Math Sr. Scientist, Great Lakes Research Center
Specialties
- Hydrodynamic modeling of the Great Lakes and other coastal regions including theoretical, numerical, and observational investigations of circulation, thermal structure, seiches, storm surges, wind waves, and air-sea interaction
- Applications of hydrodynamic modeling to water quality problems, including transport of bacteria from tributary sources to swimming beaches and predictive tracking of algal blooms
Robert A. Shuchman
Adjunct Professor, Biological Sciences
Co-director of the Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI)
Research Interests
- Oceanic Sciences/Natural Resources
- AR, MS, and Photo-imaging Applied to Oceanography
- Earth Resources
- Military Coastal Environmental Assessment
Noel R. Urban
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Environmental cycles of major and trace elements
- Sediment diagenesis and stratigraphy
- Chemistry of natural organic matter
- Wetland biogeochemistry
- Environmental impact and fate of pollutants
- Influence of organisms on the chemical environment
- Role of chemical environment in controlling populations
James Vivian
Research Vessel Relief Captain, Great Lakes Research Center
jrvivian@mtu.edu
GLRC B006B
GLRC B006B
David Watkins
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Links of Interest
Teaching Interests
- Water resources planning and management
- Environmental systems analysis
- Hydrologic and hydraulic engineering
- Fluid mechanics
- Engineering economics
- Numerical methods
Research Interests
- Watershed modeling
- Hydrologic frequency analysis
- Extreme event (drought/flood) damage mitigation
- Seasonal hydro-climatic forecasting
- Climate change impact assessment
- Decision theory and information technology applications in water resources
"...when I have been in Canada, I have never heard a Canadian refer to an American as a "foreigner." He is just an "American." And, in the same way, in the United States, Canadians are not "foreigners," they are "Canadians.""
—Franklin Roosevelt
—Franklin Roosevelt
Adam M. Wellstead
Assistant Professor of Environmental and Energy Policy, Social Sciences
Links of Interest
Areas of Expertise
- Policy Capacity
- New Governance Arrangements
- Survey Research
- Policy Process Frameworks
Areas of Interest
- Canadian Energy and Environmental Issues
- Climate Change Adaptation
- Oil Sands Development
- Forest Policy
- Canadian history
Richelle L. Winkler
Assistant Professor of Sociology and Demography, Social Sciences
Links of Interest
Areas of Expertise
- Rural Sociology
- Population and Environment
- Environmental Sociology
- Community Engaged Scholarship
- Internal Migration
- GIS and spatial analysis
Pengfei Xue
Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
pexue@mtu.edu
GLRC 317
GLRC 317
Research Interests
- Hydrodynamic Modeling
- Coupled physical-biological numerical modeling
- Dynamics of Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Models
- Ocean Data Assimilation
- Estuary and Coastal ocean circulation, oceanic frontal processes
Foad Yousef
Post Doc, Biological Sciences
Links of Interest
Research Interests
- Remote Sensing and GIS applications in freshwater aquatic ecosystem
- Population dynamics (predator-prey, competition, parasitism)
- Lower food-web (zooplankton, phytoplankton) in lakes
