Faculty and Staff Directory | Great Lakes Research Center

Jamey Anderson

Assistant Director, Marine Operations
Manager, Marine Research Assets Shared Facility

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
Expanded Biography

Jenny Apriesnig

Assistant Professor of Economics, College of Business

jlapries@mtu.edu
906-487-2223
Academic Office Building 123

Teaching Interests

Principles of Economics
Microeconomics
Environmental and Natural Resource Economics

Research Interests

Coupled human and environmental systems
Fishery economics and management
Computable General Equilibrium Modeling
Natural Capital Valuation

Martin T. Auer

Professor Emeritus, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Links of Interest

Faculty Web Page

Teaching Interests

Surface water quality engineering

Research Interests

Limnology
Engineering approaches to lake and river management
Mathematical modeling of surface water quality

Nancy A. Auer

Emeritus Research Professor, Biological Sciences

Links of Interest

Research Interests

Fish Biology
Zooplankton ecology
Limnology
Conservation Biology

Melissa F. Baird

Associate Professor of Anthropology

mfbaird@mtu.edu
906-487-2366
Academic Office Building 209A

Links

http://ss.sites.mtu.edu/baird/

Research Interests

Extractive zones
Critical heritage
Forensic heritage
Expert knowledge
Ethnographic methods
Politics of archaeology

Brian D. Barkdoll, PE

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Links of Interest

Faculty Web Page

Research Interests

Dam Decommissioning
Environmental Engineering
Hydraulic Structures
River Mechanics
Sediment Transport
Stream Rehabilitation
Sustainability

Andrew Barnard

Director, Great Lakes Research Center
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering—Engineering Mechanics
Faculty Advisor, SENSE Enterprise

Areas of Expertise

Acoustics
Noise Control
Vibration
Real Time Control Systems
LabVIEW programming and instruction

Research Interests

Advanced Measurements and Signal Processing
Acoustic Intensity and Vector Sensors
Room Acoustics
Acoustic Material Characterization
Outdoor Sound Propagation
Physical Acoustics
NI LabVIEW Data Acquisition and Control
Microphones
Crowd Noise
Underwater Acoustics
Structural Acoustics
Array Signal Processing

Jennifer Becker

Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Affiliated Associate Professor, Biological Sciences

Links of Interest

Faculty Webpage

Teaching Interests

Water and wastewater treatment
Biological treatment processes

Research Interests

Bioremediation of Contaminated Groundwater Environments
Microbial Ecology and Kinetics of Chlorinated Aliphatic Solvent Biodegradation
Conversion of Organic Solid Wastes and Cellulosic Feedstocks to Electricity via Microbial Fuel Cells

Leonard J. Bohmann

Associate Dean for Academic Affairs
Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Links of Interest

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, College of Business

wsbreffl@mtu.edu
906-487-1959
Academic Office Building G019

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
Environmental sustainability
Health economics

Colin Brooks

Senior Research Scientist, Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI)
Adjunct Lecturer, Biological Sciences

Areas of Expertise

Transportation Applications Including Road and Bridge Condition Assessment
Mapping of Changing Ecosystems
Agricultural Remote Sensing
Geohazard Evaluation
Invasive Species Mapping With a Focus on Submerged Aquatic Vegetation
Developing Unmanned Aerial System Capabilities
3D Optical, Multispectral, Thermal, and LiDAR Sensing
Decision Support System and App Development
Integration of Remote Sensing Technologies Into Sponsor Workflows
Research Project Management

Research Interests

Aquatic and Landscape Ecology
Invasive Species Mapping
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Monitoring
Applications of Unmanned Aerial Systems
Assessment of Transportation Infrastructure Condition Using Remote Sensing
Automated Road and Bridge Condition Analysis
Multispectral Sensing
Development and Deployment of Decision Support Systems
Land Cover Change Mapping and Monitoring

Gary A. Campbell

Professor of Natural Resource Economics, College of Business
Director of MS in Applied Natural Resource Economics
Affiliate Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences

gacampbe@mtu.edu
906-487-2808
Academic Office Building 122

Teaching Interests

Natural Resource Economics
Principles of Economics
International Economics

Specialties

Metal markets
Sustainability of mining
Social decision-making about resource use

Angie Carter

Assistant Professor, Environmental/Energy Justice

ancarter@mtu.edu
906-487-1431 (leave voicemail)
Academic Office Building 207 (working remotely Spring 2021)

Areas of Expertise

Environmental & rural sociology
Community-based and participatory research
Social movements and social change
Gender & ecofeminism
Agrifood systems

Joan Chadde-Schumaker

Director, Center for Science and Environmental Outreach
Instructor, Cognitive and Learning Sciences

Links of Interest

Areas of Expertise

Great Lakes education and stewardship
Watershed management ; stream monitoring
Environmental education
Elementary engineering and STEM education
K-12 science education
K-12 teacher professional development
Communicating Science to a lay audience

Rupali Datta

Professor, Biological Sciences

Links of Interest

Personal Home Page

Specialties

Plant Biochemistry
Environmental Remediation
Plant-Microbe Interactions

Carolyn A. Duncan

Assistant Professor, Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology
Affiliated Assistant Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Affiliated Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

Research Interests

Mobility and postural control in aging and special populations
Ergonomics and design of built environments for special populations

"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 H. Durfee

Professor Emerita

mhdurfee@mtu.edu
906-487-2112
Academic Office Building 216

Links of Interest

Areas of Expertise

Great Lakes of North America
International Law
Malta
Scholarship of Pedagogy
Arctic Affairs

Beth Frederick

Custodian

bmfreder@mtu.edu

Valoree Gagnon

Director, University-Indigenous Community Partnerships, Great Lakes Research Center
Research Assistant Professor, College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science

Links of Interest

Research Interests

University-Community Partnerships, research engagement, and equitable practice and design
Environmental Justice and Policy, toxic substances, risk management, and promoting holistic health
Indigenous / Native American Studies, treaties and the government-to-government relationship, food sovereignty, and Indigenous wisdom in the Great Lakes region
Environmental Stewardship and the Seven Generations Philosophy

Jackie Gebhardt, PMP, CSM

Coordinator, Great Lakes Research Center

John S. Gierke, PE

Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Affiliated Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Links of Interest

Faculty Web Page

Teaching Interests

Hydrogeology
Ground water Engineering
Contaminant Transport
Subsurface Remediation

Research Interests

Field performance of air sparging for removing volatile organic chemicals from ground water
Volatile organic vapor transport in unsaturated soils
Sulfur dioxide interactions with volcanic ash

Amanda Gonczi

Assistant Research Scientist, Great Lakes Research Center
Instructor, Cognitive and Learning Sciences
Director of Research and Evaluation, Michigan Science Teaching and Assessment Reform

algonczi@mtu.edu

Areas of Expertise

Design and implementation of professional development for K-12 and undergraduate STEM teachers
K-12 STEM education research
Program evaluation

Amanda's CV

Research Interests

Instructional practices that support environmental literacy and stewardship
Integration of computing into STEM education
Teachers beliefs about reforms-based science instruction including nature of science, inquiry, engineering, Next Generation Science Standards, and technology integration
Professional development elements (remote and face-to-face) that support instructional change, teacher leadership and reforms-based science instruction
Using levels of inquiry to support teachers' understanding and integration of mathematical and scientific inquiry in k-12 education
Teachers' understandings regarding key concepts in science including respiration and photosynthesis

Hugh S. Gorman

Department Chair, Social Sciences
Professor of Environmental History and Policy, Social Sciences

hsgorman@mtu.edu
906-487-2116
Academic Office Building 215

Fields

Environmental Policy and History
History of Technology
History of Science
Economic History

Research Interests

The historical interaction between technological change, uses of the environment, and systems of governance
Adaptive governance
Sustainable energy and environmental policy

Sarah A. Green

Interim Department Chair, Chemistry
Professor, Chemistry

sgreen@mtu.edu
906-487-2048
Chemical Sciences 607

Links of Interest

Research Interests

Climate change communication
Science-policy interface
Response of aquatic systems to climate change
Great Lakes
Behavior of metal-contaminated sediments in the Lake Superior basin
Fluorescence-based analytical methods
Aerosol chemistry
Origin and fate of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in terrestrial, lake, and marine environments
Methods for detection of free radicals, photochemical transformations of natural and anthropogenic organic compounds in the environment
integration of biological, geological, physical, and chemical data for understanding global cycles.

Michael R. Gretz

Professor, Biological Sciences
Director, Chemical Advanced Resolution Methods Laboratory

Links of Interest

Research Interests

Algal Extracellular Polymers and Biocomposites - Regulation of Biogenesis

David Hand

Professor Emeritus, Civil and Environmental Engineering

dwhand@mtu.edu

Research Interests

Development and application of physical and chemical processes for the recovery, removal, or destruction of organic compounds from air and water streams in industrial processes and the environment

Elizabeth Hoy

Director, Business & Program Development
Great Lakes Research Center

Specialties

Facilitates partnerships that support Institute growth
Directs the development and distribution of outreach material to external partners
Oversees administrative operations

Casey J Huckins

Professor, Biological Sciences

cjhuckin@mtu.edu
906-487-2475
Dow 716, GLRC 112

Research Expertise

Ecology of lakes, streams, and their riparian interface with terrestrial systems
Fish ecology, biology, functional morphology
effects of land use on ecological systems
Biomonitoring for research and restoration
Effects of Invasive Species

Liza Jenkins

Research Scientist, Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI)

lliverse@mtu.edu
734-913-6869
Ann Arbor, Michigan

Areas of Expertise

Satellite Remote Sensing
Spatial Data Analysis

Research Interests

Fusing Electro-Optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar Data
Innovative Field Data Collection Schemes and Sensors
Temporal Monitoring and Detection of Landscape Change, and Big Data Analysis For Natural Resource Applications
Arctic and Boreal Systems in the Domains of Fires, Lakes, Peatlands, Wetlands, and Glaciers

"Cellulose is the fiber of human civilization."

Chandrashekhar P. Joshi

Department Chair and Professor, Biological Sciences
Affiliated Professor, CFRES

Links of Interest

Research Interests: Biological Sciences

Plant Molecular Genetics

Areas of Expertise: Biology and Forestry

Cellulose and lignin biosynthesis in trees
Wood formation
Tree growth and development
Engineering trees
Forest bioinformatics

"If trees could run away from their place of establishment, believe me many of them probably would!"

Evan S. Kane

Associate Professor

eskane@mtu.edu
906-482-6303
Forest Service Building 123

Areas of Expertise

Soil carbon
Plant/soil relationships
Decomposition
Dissolved organic carbon
Wildfire
Black carbon

Charles Kerfoot

Professor, Biological Sciences
Adjunct Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences

wkerfoot@mtu.edu
906-487-2769
GLRC 305, office

Links of Interest

Keweenaw Buffalo Reef Project

Research Interests

Aquatic Ecology
Paleoecology

Don Lafreniere

Associate Professor of Geography and GIS
Director, Geospatial Research Facility
Director, Historical Environments Spatial Analytics Lab (HESAL)

djlafren@mtu.edu
906-487-2189
AOB 200A/GLRC 318

Links of Interest

Research Interests

Environmental Change and Life Course Epidemiology
Urban Environments and Population Health
Public Participatory GIS
Historical GIS & Deep Mapping
Spatial Humanities
Deindustrialization and Shrinking Cities
Time-Space Integration and Modeling in GIS
Demography and Historical Record Linkage
Sense of Place and Neighborhood Construction

Nancy Langston

Professor of Environmental History, Social Sciences
Member of the Great Lakes Research Center
Affiliated Professor, CFRES

nelangs3@mtu.edu
Academic Office Building 220

Links of Interest

Areas of Interest

Toxics, forested watersheds, and northern lakes
Environmental history
Watershed change and water quality
Mining history

John D. Lenters

Associate Research Scientist, Great Lakes Research Center

Areas of Expertise

- Lake evaporation
- Physical limnology
- Great Lakes weather and climate
- Surface waves and coastal storms
- Air-sea interaction
- Autonomous buoys
- Watershed hydrology
- Global and regional climate change

Research Interests

Impacts of climate on lake temperature and ice cover
Lake surface energy balance studies
Marine weather observations and forecasting
Great Lakes evaporation and water levels
Climate impacts on lake and land surface hydrology
Mesoscale and boundary layer meteorology
Great Lakes observation networks
Societal impacts of climate change
Autonomous sensors at the lake-air interface

Eugene Levin, CP

Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Director, Integrated Geospatial Technology Graduate Program
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

Daniel J. Lizzadro-McPherson

Geospatial Research Scientist

Areas of Expertise

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Geostatistical Analysis
Lake Superior Geology, Coastal Geomorphology, and Geoheritage
GPS, GIS Data Collector Applications, and Mapping Technologies
Web-based GIS Data Dissemination and Applications
Interdisciplinary GIS Project Management

Carol A. MacLennan

Professor of Anthropology, Social Sciences

camac@mtu.edu

Links of Interest

Research Interests

Environmental anthropology/political ecology
Anthropology of industry (mining, sugar)
Hawai`i and the Pacific
Anthropology of public policy

Michael Madison

PhD Student, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology

mgbleddy@mtu.edu

Advisor

Don Lafreniere

Education

MS, Professional Studies (GIS), Middle Tennessee State University
MA, Public History, Middle Tennessee State University
BA, History, University of South Carolina

Research Interests

Historical GIS
Rural Landscapes
Oral History
Folklore
Community Engagement

Amy M Marcarelli

Associate Professor, Biological Sciences

Links of Interest

Research Interests

Limnology
Ecosystem Ecology of Streams and Rivers
Biogeochemistry

Patrick E. Martin

Research Professor of Archaeology

Links of Interest

Areas of Expertise

Industrial archaeology
Industrial heritage
Historical archaeology

Audrey L. Mayer

Professor of Ecology and Environmental Policy
Assistant to the Provost, Academic Equity and Inclusion

almayer@mtu.edu
906-487-3448
Noblet Building 145A

Links of Interest

Private Land Management and Voluntary Incentive Programs project
Sustainable Futures Institute
Follow me on Twitter! @AudreyLMayer

Areas of Expertise

Landscape ecology
Conservation Biology
Environmental and Natural Resources Policy
Sustainability science

Alex S. Mayer, PE

Professor Emeritus, Civil and Environmental Engineering

asmayer@mtu.edu

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

Lynn R. Mazzoleni

Associate 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

Cory P. McDonald

Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Teaching Interests

Surface Water Quality Engineering
Water Quality Modeling

Research Interests

Limnology
Aquatic-terrestrial connectivity and landscape-scale drivers of water quality
Water quality modeling
Carbon cycling and ecosystem metabolism
Nutrient biogeochemistry

Guy Meadows

Director, Marine Engineering Laboratory
Robbins Professor of Sustainable Marine Engineering
Research Professor, Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics

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

Thomas E. Merz

Professor of Economics, College of Business

temerz@mtu.edu
906-487-2805
Academic Office Building G007

Teaching Interests

Game theory
Public sector economics
Microeconomic theory

Research Interests

Game theory
Public sector economics
Microeconomic theory

Daisuke Minakata

Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Affiliated Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry
Affiliated Associate Professor, Department of Physics

Links of Interest

Personal Website

Teaching Interests

Physical-Chemical Treatment Processes
Environmental Process and Design
Computational Environmental Engineering and Chemistry

Research Interests

Sustainable water and wastewater treatment and management
Development of assessing and predicting tools for water treatment technologies
Innovative water and wastewater treatment technologies for energy saving and harvesting
Systematic and integrated understanding of water and wastewater reuse
Application of computational chemistry and molecular modeling

Daya Muralidharan

Adjunct Assistant Professor of Economics, College of Business

dmuralid@mtu.edu

Teaching Interests

Natural resource economics
Environmental economics
Water resource economics
Microeconomics
Econometrics

Research Interests

Water management and drainage in agriculture
Groundwater management
Forest use in developing economies
Groundwater quality externalities

Jill A. Olin

Research Scientist, Great Lakes Research Center
Assistant Research Professor, Biological Sciences

Areas of Expertise

Ecology of aquatic systems
Fisheries science
Aquatic-terrestrial energy linkages
Dietary biomarkers (e.g., stable isotopes, fatty acids, compound-specific isotopes of AA and FA)
Trophic ecology of top predators in marine, estuarine and coastal communities
Predator-prey interactions

Research Interests

Understanding species- and food web-level responses to environmental stressors using combined dietary biomarker, ecological and modeling approaches
Evaluating distributional patterns of organisms and the mechanisms that drive these patterns
Using abundance and biomass estimates to quantify nekton communities
Quantifying the mechanisms and processes that structure food webs and ecosystems
Developing ecosystem models to evaluate the effect of environmental change

Lei Pan

Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering

Links of Interest

Laboratory of Multiscale Separation Technologies (LAMST)

Research Interests

Particulate Separation
Surface Chemistry
Process Modelling

Gord Paterson

Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

Areas of Expertise

Legacy and emerging pollutants
Ecotoxicology
Great Lakes fisheries
Multiple stressors
Fisheries bioenergetics

Research Interests

Using pollutants as ecological tracers
Overwintering bioaccumulation and bioamplification
Energy dynamics in Great Lakes food-webs
Energetic costs of multiple stressors

Judith A. Perlinger

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Links of Interest

Faculty Web Page

Teaching Interests

Environmental Engineering
Transport & Transformation of Organic Chemicals
Boundary Layer Meteorology
Sustainability

Research Interests

Air and Water Quality
Atmosphere-biosphere Exchange of Chemicals
Micrometeorology
Environmental Analytical Chemistry
Sustainability

Christopher Pinnow

Electronics/Computer Engineer, Great Lakes Research Center

Specialties

Support GLRC research programs
Focus on measurements of the over water and in-water environments
Support design, fabrication, testing & utilization of prototype field deployable instruments, including programming and decision support algorithms
Statistical analysis of remote sensing and in situ data sets
Expanded Biography

Tom Polkinghorn

Building Mechanic III

tjpolkin@mtu.edu

Valentin Pulido

PhD Student, Industrial Heritage and Archaeology

vpulido@mtu.edu
Annex 206 / GLRC 316

Advisors

Don Lafreniere and Sarah Scarlett

Education

MS, Historic Preservation, Eastern Michigan University
BA, Sociology, Michigan State University
BS, Graphic Design, The Art Institute of Las Vegas

Research Interests

Industrial Heritage
Memory and Heritage
Cultural Landscape
Historic Preservation
Historical GIS

Stephen Roblee

Professor Emeritus, Mathematical Sciences
Captain, R/V Agassiz, Great Lakes Research Center

Professional Preparation and Education

U.S.C.G. Merchant Mariner - Master 100 Ton
Bachelor of Science - Applied Physics, Michigan Technological University
Master of Science - Business Administration, Operations Research, Computer Modeling, Michigan Technological University

Specialties

Responsible as captain of the R/V Agassiz for navigation and piloting of the vessel in central and western Lake Superior including Isle Royale. Ensuring safe operations for the crew, passengers and vessel while underway and while conducting science operations. Certifications in C.P.R. and A.E.D.
Responsible for maintaining the vessel to ensure compliance with all Coast Guard equipment, safety procedures and annual safety inspections. Assist all scientists and other users in their onboard activities including planning, deployment, operation, maintenance and repair of science equipment when necessary. Assisting in educational activities when requested.
Experienced in limnological, biological, acoustical, hydrodynamic, geophysical, atmospheric and education activities aboard the Agassiz, including the deployment and operation of remotely operated vehicles.
Experience in wood and metal shop skills, repair and fabrication of hardware in support of Great Lakes Research Center activities.
Expanded Biography

Mark D. Rouleau

Associate Professor, Social Sciences

mdroulea@mtu.edu
906-487-2039
Academic Office Building 205

Research Interests

Social simulation
Agent-based modeling
Land-use modeling
Norm evolution
Survey design
International relations

"Whereas innovation, in the backwards reading of creativity, lies outside of time, improvisation, in a forward reading, is inherently temporal."
—Elizabeth Hallam and Tim Ingold (2007) Creativity and Cultural Improvisation. Berg, New York.

Timothy J. Scarlett

Associate Professor of Archaeology and Anthropology

scarlett@mtu.edu
906-487-2359
Academic Office Building 210

Links of Interest

Research Interests

Historical and Industrial Archaeologies
Creativity and Work Process
Archaeometry and Conservation Sciences
Remote Sensing, Survey, and Geospatial Sciences
Community-based scholarship, public science/humanities
Heritage, Placemaking, and Culture Building

Chelsea Schelly

Associate Professor of Sociology
Graduate Director, IA/H and EEP

cschelly@mtu.edu
906-487-1759
Academic Office Building 226

Links of Interest

Research Interests

Alternative technology adoption
Renewable energy technologies
Renewable and alternative technology policy
Sustainable communities
Energy conservation and consumption practices
Self-provisioning
Environmental education

Eric Seagren, PE

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Affiliated Professor, Biological Sciences

Links of Interest

Faculty Webpage

Research Interests

Environmental biotechnology, including in situ bioremediation of contaminated subsurface environments, monitoring and evaluation of the performance of biological treatment processes, development of in situ biological treatment systems for urban storm water runoff, innovative reuse of waste materials, and in situ improvement of soils properties via microbially-mediated processes.

Bruce Seely

Professor of History and STS

Robert Shuchman

Co-Director, Michigan Tech Research Institute (MTRI)
Research Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences
Adjunct Research Professor, Biological Sciences

Areas of Expertise

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Applications
Multispectral and Hyperspectral Remote Sensing
Applied Photo Imaging
Sea and Lake Ice
Environmental in situ Sensing

Research Interests

Great Lakes Remote Sensing
Ocean Optics
High Latitude Oceanography
Dynamic Decision Support Systems
Water Quality of Inland Lakes

Roman Sidortsov

Assistant Professor, Energy Policy

rsidortsov@mtu.edu
906-487-1095
Academic Office Building 206

Research Interests

Sustainable Energy Systems
Energy Security and Justice
Risk Governance of the Energy Sector
Arctic Energy Development
Russian Energy Policy
U.S. Energy Policy

Areas of Expertise

Energy and Environmental Policy
Comparative and International Energy Law
U.S. Energy Law
U.S. Environmental Law
Russian Energy and Environmental Law
Energy Geopolitics

Jason Swain

Captain and Marine Logistics Coordinator, Great Lakes Research Center

Specialties

USCG Licensed Captain - 100 Ton Master

R/V AGASSIZ Captain responsible for the safety of all crew, safe operation and navigation of the boat, assisting with the operation of scientific equipment, following all applicable local and federal rules/regulations

Coordinate use of Marine Research Assets Shared Facility (MRAF) to support the needs of faculty,staff, and the public. Liaison for Smart Ships Coalition and Marine Autonomous Research Site (MARS)

Support for proposal and budget development and assists with project management. Assist with research buoy assembly and maintenance

USCG Retired with 20 years of experience in Search & Rescue, Law Enforcement, Vessel operation, Navigation, Risk Management, training, and workforce development

Stephen Techtmann

Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

Research Interests

Environmental Microbiology
Next-generation sequencing technology and bioinformatics
Microbial physiology and biochemistry
Microbes as sensors for the environmental impacts of oil and gas production
Microbially-mediated remediation of crude oil contamination

Roger Turpening

Research Professor, Geological and Mining Engineering and Sciences

Noel R. Urban

Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Links of Interest

Faculty Web Page

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

Trista Vick-Majors

Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

tjvickma@mtu.edu
GLRC 114

Links of Interest

Faculty Webpage

Google Scholar Profile

Subglacial Antarctic Lakes

Research Interests

Microbial Ecology
Biogeochemistry
Limnology
Cryosphere

Erika Vye

Geosciences Research Scientist, Great Lakes Research Center

Areas of Interest

Geoheritage
Geoscience education
Interpreting geology
Geoconservation and the value of public lands

Craig Waddell

Emeritus Professor of Rhetoric, Humanities

Zhaohui Wang

Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering

Links of Interest

Faculty Web Page

Areas of Interest

Communications
Signal processing
Communication networks
Network security
Emphasis on underwater acoustic applications

David Watkins, PE

Distinguished Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Associate Director, Sustainable Futures Institute

Links of Interest

Teaching Interests

Water resources planning and management
Environmental systems analysis
Hydrologic and hydraulic engineering
Optimization methods
Learning through service

Research Interests

Integrated water resources planning
Hydrologic modeling and forecasting
Flood risk management
Climate change mitigation and adaptation planning
Food-Energy-Water Nexus
Systems optimization under uncertainty
Sustainable development engineering

Veronica L. Webster, PE

Associate Professor, Water Resources Engineering

Links of Interest

Faculty Web Page

Teaching Interests

Probability and statistics
Stochastic hydrology
Numerical methods
Water resources
Risk analysis and management

Research Interests

Water resources
Uncertainty analysis
Flood frequency and analysis of extreme events
Impacts of climate and land use changes

"Academics are the only people I can think of for whom this sentence makes sense: 'I'm hoping to get some time off so that I can get some work done.'"
—Sidney Verba

Adam M. Wellstead

Professor of Public Policy, Social Sciences

awellste@mtu.edu
906-487-2115
Academic Office Building 227

Links of Interest

Areas of Expertise

Policy advisory systems
Governance and political mechanisms
Survey research
Policy process frameworks

Areas of Interest

Canadian Energy and Environmental Issues
Climate Change Adaptation
Oil Sands Development
Forest Policy
Canadian Studies
Policy Innovation Labs
Policy Design

Lloyd Wescoat

Education Program Assistant & Service Learning

Travis White

Research Engineer, Great Lakes Research Center
Relief Captain, Great Lakes Research Center

Specialties

Responsible for administration of the Marine Autonomy Research Site and Smart Ships Coalition and coordination with the Marine Research Assets Shared Use Facility (MRAF) in support of client needs.
Provide scientific and engineering support to faculty, staff, partners, and sponsors with expertise in design, manufacturing, and integration of marine systems. Support budget and proposal development, project management, and strategic planning.
Over 10 years' experience as a licensed captain on the Great Lakes with expertise in navigation systems, marine electronics, mechanical systems, and maintenance, repair, and operations.
Expanded Biography.