Ohio University

David J. Bayless, Ph.D., P.E. (Mechanical Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign)

bayless@ohio.edu

http://www.ohio.edu/people/bayless/
Bayless is the Gerald Loehr Professor of mechanical engineering and holds graduate faculty status in chemical engineering. He is director of the Ohio Coal Research Center, director of the Robe Leadership Institute, director of the State of Ohio’s Third Frontier Wright Project on Algal Engineering Research and Commercialization, and faculty fellow at the Voinovich School. Bayless’ research interests include: the recycling of carbon dioxide emissions by biological sources; the use of coal to produce gas for conversion in solid oxide fuel cells; electrostatic precipitation using novel wet membrane collectors; combustion of solid fuels and slurries; and particulate emissions from coal and waste combustion. Bayless is also a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

Areas of Research: Energy, Water

Gerardine G. Botte, Ph.D. (Chemical Engineering, University of South Carolina)

botte@ohio.edu

http://www.ohio.edu/ceer/
Botte is an associate professor of chemical engineering and director of the Electrochemical Engineering Research Laboratory. She is also affiliated with the Institute for Corrosion and Multiphase Technology and currently serves on the advisory board for the development of a new curriculum in Fuel Cell Technology at Hocking College and Stark State College. Her research interests include: electrochemistry; fuel cells and battery technology; and the application of electrochemistry to generate hydrogen from coal and ammonia.

Areas of Research: Energy

Jennifer Bowman, M.S. (Geology, Ohio University)

bowmanj2@ohio.edu

Bowman is interim director of environmental programs at the Voinovich School and works regularly with the School’s environmental, water and GIS teams. She developed and manages an online water quality database for Ohio (www.watersheddata.com).  The online database is also an interactive evaluation system for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Mineral Resources Management to track successes of acid mine drainage remediation in Appalachian coal watersheds. She also teaches the course “Credible Data Training for Chemical Water Quality Assessment” and coordinates the training of area watersheds volunteers in family-level macroinvertebrate sampling. Other research interest include: evaluating headwater streams’ biological health, groundwater testing, and long-term monitoring of surface water to show trends in chemical and biological changes.

Areas of Research: Water, Data, Land, Shale

Geoffrey L. Buckley, Ph.D. (Geography, University of Maryland)

buckleg1@ohio.edu

http://www.ohio.edu/people/buckleg1/

Buckley is professor in the Department of Geography. He is Director of Studies (DOS) for the Honors Tutorial College's Environmental Studies Program and Director of the Edinburgh: City and Environment Education Abroad program. He has also served as Interim Director of the MSES program and chair of the Faculty Senate Ecology and Energy Conservation Committee. His research interests include conservation history, management of public lands, urban environments, environmental justice, and the evolution of mining landscapes. Much of his research today is conducted in support of the NSF-funded Long-term Ecological Research - Baltimore Ecosystem Study (LTER-BES).

Areas of Research: Land, Water

Annie Laurie Cadmus, M.S. (College Student Personnel Administration, Illinois State University)

cadmus@ohio.edu

cadmus@ohio.edu

http://www.ohio.edu/sustainability

Cadmus currently serves as the director of sustainability at Ohio University. Most recently, she served as the sustainability specialist at Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL where she worked closely with the Illinois Green Economy Network. Her interest in the role sustainability plays in the student leadership development process was refined during her previous work experiences at both Alliance for Climate Education in Chicago, IL and Green Mountain College in Poultney, VT.

Areas of Research: Land, Water, Energy, Data

Kevin Crist, Ph.D. (Chemical Engineering, University of Iowa)

cristk@ohio.edu

Crist is a professor of chemical engineering and a faculty fellow at the Voinovich School. He is also director of the Air Quality Center at the Institute for Sustainable Energy & the Environment, which supports and coordinates research, educational programs and community outreach in order to meet the challenges of protecting environmental quality and jobs in the Ohio River Valley Region. Crist’s research interests include: urban- and regional-scale air-quality monitoring; emission inventory assessments; and photochemical, dispersion, and pesticide emission modeling.

Areas of Research: Air, Energy, Data, Shale, Pesticides

Geoffrey Dabelko, Ph.D., Director, Environmental Studies

dabelkog@ohio.edu

Geoffrey D. Dabelko is a professor and director of the Environmental Studies Program at Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. His current research and teaching focus on climate change, natural resources, and security as well as environmental pathways to confidence-building and peacebuilding, with a special emphasis on water resources. He joined the Voinovich School in August 2012 and was previously director of the Washington-based Woodrow Wilson Center's Environmental Change and Security Program, a nonpartisan research-policy forum on environment, population, health, development, and security issues. He continues to work with the Wilson Center as a senior advisor. Geoff is also an adjunct professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (formerly the Monterey Institute of International Studies). Geoff has held prior positions with the Council on Foreign Relations, Foreign Policy, and Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service. Geoff is co-editor with Ken Conca of Environmental Peacemaking and Green Planet Blues: Critical Perspectives on Global Environmental Politics (5th edition). He was a lead author for the 5th assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC Working Group II, Chapter 12), and member of the UN Environment Programme's Expert Advisory Group on Environment, Conflict, and Peacebuilding. He currently chairs the Ohio University Kennedy/Frontiers in Science Lecture Committee and serves on the editorial advisory board of the Ohio University Press.  He holds an AB in political science from Duke University and a PhD in government and politics from the University of Maryland.

Areas of Research: Energy, Land, Policy, Water

Sarah Davis, Ph.D. (Biology, West Virginia University)

daviss6@ohio.edu

Davis, an ecosystem ecologist with expertise in energy bioscience, biogeochemistry and eco-physiology, is an assistant professor of environmental studies. Her research analyzes greenhouse gas fluxes of managed landscapes, the potential for sustainable bioenergy development, and carbon sequestration. Active research projects include (i) an experiment testing Agave spp., a group of obligate CAM plants, as bioenergy feedstocks in semi-arid regions, (ii) a study of the environmental and economic viability of advanced cellulosic bioenergy on abandoned agricultural land, (iii) development of a model for long-term carbon sequestration in forests that incorporate age-related physiological changes and responses to climate change, and (iv) a global analysis of bioenergy resources. Davis teaches graduate courses in ecology and environmental issues and bioenergy systems.

Areas of Research: Energy, Land, Policy, Air, Data

Jared L. DeForest, Ph.D. (Soil Ecology & Biogeochemistry, University of Michigan)

deforest@ohio.edu

http://www.plantbio.ohiou.edu/index.php/directory/faculty_page/jared_deforest/
DeForest is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental and Plant Biology. His research goals are to improve our understanding of how the soil environment alters the structure and function of terrestrial ecosystems, either natural or anthropogenic. Most of his research involves investigating the influence of soil microorganisms mediating the availability and cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. One active project, funded by NSF, involves understanding the impact of soil pH and phosphorus on nutrient cycling and productivity in acidic hardwood forests. Another project is investigating the impact of weather and micro-climate on capacity of forest ecosystems to sequester carbon. DeForest’s research draws from soil science, ecosystem ecology, microbial ecology and forestry.

Areas of Research: Land

James Dyer, Ph.D. (Geography, University of Georgia)

dyer@ohio.edu

http://www.ohio.edu/people/dyer/

Dyer is a professor in the Department of Geography. His research focuses on North American forests, especially in the eastern United States.  As a biogeographer, he is interested in the patterns that emerge from the interactions of the physical environment, biotic processes, and disturbance.  Incorporating field work, spatial modeling, and geographic information science techniques,  he is especially concerned with the role of humans in altering “natural” templates, and the implications for such change on biotic communities.

Areas of Research: Land, Water

Cheryl Hanzel, B.S. (Field Biology, Ohio University)

hanzel@ohio.edu

Hanzel is the program manager and academic advisor for the Environmental Studies program at the Voinovich School. She also works in the Voinovich School Office of Student Academic Services supporting students and working on academic and administrative issues. Hanzel has an Associate of Applied Arts and Science in Medical Laboratory Technology from Shoreline Community College in Shoreline, WA, a B.S. in field biology from Ohio University and is currently working on her Master’s degree in education.

Areas of Research: Policy

R. Patrick Hassett, Ph.D. (Oceanography, University of Washington)

hassett@ohio.edu

http://bios.ohio.edu/archives/author/hassett
Hassett is an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. His research interests include: plankton physiological ecology, focusing in particular on the nutritional ecology of marine and freshwater copepods and cladocerans. His past research has included effects of toxic algae on copepod physiology, and more recently the role of dietary sterol limitation in copepods and cladocerans.

Areas of Research: Water, Data

John C. Hoag, Ph.D. (Industrial and Systems Engineering, The Ohio State University)

hoagj@ohio.edu

Hoag is associate professor in the McClure School of Information and Telecommunication Systems and his research interests include Smart Grid and security. Hoag's projects include cybersecurity and performance for SCADA and AMI metering networks, for which he is developing lab capabilities. He is a senior member of the IEEE and active in Columbus and Cleveland chapters of IEEE PES.

Areas of Research: Data

Kelly S. Johnson, Ph.D. (Entomology, Michigan State University)

johnsok3@ohio.edu

http://www.ohio.edu/biosci/profiles/johnson.html
Johnson is an associate professor of biological sciences. Her research interests include: environmental toxicology, insect physiological ecology, and plant-herbivore interactions. Johnson's current research revolves around understanding the responses of aquatic macroinvertebrates to acid mine drainage, improving bioassessment tools for headwater and wadeable streams, and explaining patterns of ecological recovery of impaired streams and rivers. Much of the work is in collaboration with the Appalachian Watershed Research Group and has been funded by the U.S. EPA (STAR) program, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Department of Energy and the American Electric Power foundation. She also has interests in improving science, technology and math education in the region, and has participated in several K-12 projects supported by the Ohio Board of Regents and the National Science Foundation. Johnson provides training for the MAIS biological assessment protocol, organizes twice-annual Ohio River sampling excursions for high school classrooms as part of the Boat of Knowledge project, and teaches courses in field entomology, animal physiology, and aquatic biology.

Areas of Research: Water

Brad Jokisch, Ph.D. (Geography, Clark University)

jokisch@ohio.edu

Jokisch is an Associate Professor of Geography. His research interests lie at the nexus of population, environment, and development, mostly in Latin America. He is most interested in how migration and other population changes affect the environment and in turn how development affects population change. His research in the Ecuadoran Andes has focused on land-use/cover change and the impact of transnational migration on landscapes and livelihoods.

Areas of Research: Land

G. Jason Jolley, Ph.D. (Public Administration, North Carolina State University)

jolleyg1@ohio.edu

Jolley will serve as an assistant professor of rural economic development for the School beginning in January 2013. He most recently served as an adjunct assistant professor in the Kenan-Flagler Business School and as the senior research director for the Carolina Center for Competitive Economies (C3E) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He led C3E’s research activities in local/state economic development incentive policy evaluation and development, strategic planning, impact analysis, and industry cluster characterization to address issues of economic competitiveness. Jolley received his M.A. in political science from the University of Tennessee and his B.A. in economics from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Areas of Research: Data, Land, Policy

Elkan Kim, Ph.D. Candidate (Computer Technology, Ohio University)

kimt@ohio.edu

Kim works as a lead software development engineer at the Voinovich School where he develops data visualization tools which aim to significantly improve viewers’ understanding of information and database-driven web-based applications. In addition to developing these tools, Kim helps clients learn how to incorporate new technologies to better communicate with their local, regional and international audiences and train them in the maintenance and upkeep of the Web sites developed for them by the School. He uses a wide range of computer languages and tools (JavaScript, Perl, ColdFusion, VisualBasic, ASP, ASP.NET, SQL, MySQL, Oracle, and ArcGIS) in his work.

Areas of Research: Data, Energy, Shale

Greg Kremer, Ph.D. (Mechanical Engineering, University of Cincinnati)

kremer@ohio.edu

http://www.ohio.edu/people/kremer/
Kremer is the Robe Professor and chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, which began offering an undergraduate Energy Engineering degree in Fall 2014. He directs the ‘Designing to Make a Difference’ capstone design experience for the ME program, and has mentored design teams that have won numerous national awards and over $100,000 in prize money.  His expertise is in design and experimentation related to: automotive and advanced propulsion systems; alternative fuels; CO2 reduction from power plants emissions; and appropriate technology. In 2005-2006, he received the prestigious designation of Carnegie Scholar for his work on integrative learning.

Areas of Research: Energy, Engineering Education

Natalie Kruse, Ph.D. (Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University)

krusen@ohio.edu

http://oak.cats.ohiou.edu/~krusen/
Kruse is an assistant professor of environmental studies at the Voinovich School. She has worked on projects studying post-mining and post-industrial pollution for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Mineral Resources Management, the U.S. Department of Energy, the UK Coal Authority, Coal India, and many local watershed groups. Her research interests include prediction, characterization and mitigation of mining and industrial pollution.

Areas of Research: Water, Land, Data

Sarah Landers, M.C.R.P. (City and Regional Planning, The Ohio State University)

landerss@ohio.edu

Landers is an environmental specialist at the Voinovich School. She writes watershed plans and conducts chemical and biological water quality monitoring. Her background is in environmental planning and management and she gained experience in acid mine drainage (AMD) treatment and monitoring while serving as the Raccoon Creek Water Quality Specialist. Landers continues to maintain AMD treatment projects, collect water quality data, and analyze data in the Raccoon Creek Watershed. She also trains student researchers and assists them with designing study plans, field data collection, and data interpretation. Her research interests include AMD project performance optimization, storm water management, and exploring strategies for managing other non-point sources of water pollution throughout the coal-bearing region of Ohio.

Areas of Research: Water

Eung Seok Lee, Ph.D. (Hydrogeology, Indiana University)

leee1@ohio.edu

Lee is an assistant professor in the Department of Geological Sciences. His research interests include: KMnO4 treatment of DNAPLs in groundwater, especially large, dilute, or deep plumes; smart green technologies for best management of nonpoint source pollution; acid-mine drainage; flow and geochemical evolution of water in karst terrain; isotope hydrology; environmental controlled-release system; and hydrologic modeling.

Areas of Research: Water

Sunggyu "KB" Lee, Ph.D. (Case Western Reserve University)

lees1@ohio.edu

http://www.ohio.edu/people/lees1/
Lee is the director of the Sustainable Energy and Advanced Materials Laboratory, and since September 2010, he has held the positions of Russ Ohio Research Scholar in Syngas Utilization and professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering. He worked previously at the University of Akron, the University of Missouri-Columbia and the Missouri University of Science and Technology. Lee is the recipient of numerous awards, has authored, edited and published countless publications, and received research grants for more than 100 projects.  He has received 31 U.S. patents and over 80 international patents. His research specialties are in the areas of transportation and alternative fuels, advanced coal technology, remediation of contaminated soil, treatment of wastewater and drinking water, chemical process engineering and design, advanced supercritical fluid technology, and polymer synthesis and processing.

Areas of Research: Energy, Water, Land

Dina L. Lopez, Ph.D. (Geology, Louisiana State University)

lopezd@ohio.edu

http://www.ohio.edu/geology/lopez/

Lopez is a professor and chair of the Department of Geological Sciences. Her research interests include the geochemistry and hydrogeology of geothermal systems, including diffuse soil degassing and heat flow studies. Her areas of research are in Central America, Mexico, Colombia, Brasil, and in Spain (Canary Islands and Galicia). She is also interested in environmental problems associated with mining and resource exploitation. In Ohio, she investigates the chemistry, fluid flow and mass transfer associated with acid mine drainage from coal mines, as well as in arsenic pollution.

Areas of Research: Energy, Water, Geochemistry, Hydrogeology

Amy Mackey, (Wildlife and Fish Conservation and Management, University of Rio Grande)

mackey@ohio.edu

Mackey is the Raccoon Creek Watershed Coordinator at the Voinovich School. She has a background in fish and wildlife management and worked several related jobs before coming to the Voinovich School. Among these was a natural resources management internship with Geauga Park Districts, where she learned to conduct primary headwaters assessments, and a position doing fish sampling for Midwest Biodiversity Institute, where she learned to sample fish in streams.

Areas of Research: Water, Data

Nancy Manring, Ph.D. (Natural Resource Policy and Administration, University of Michigan)

manring@ohio.edu

Nancy Manring is Associate Professor of Political Science, a member of the Master of Science of Environmental Studies (MSES) Advisory Board, and the Sustainability Theme Coordinator in the College of Arts & Sciences. Dr. Manring's earlier research focused on collaborative dispute resolution in U.S. Forest Service public lands planning. Currently, Dr. Manring is investigating sustainability and climate change pedagogy, and has worked on university curriculum enhancement and new course development.  She is co-founder of the Kanawha Project, a multi-year project designed to enhance the undergraduate curriculum by integrating sustainability and climate change issues across disciplines through faculty professional development.

Areas of Research: Policy, Land

Loraine McCosker, M.S. (Environmental Studies, Ohio University)

mccosker@ohio.edu

McCosker is an advocate for environmental and sustainability education and has worked with the Environmental Studies Program since 2007, creating educational connections related to sustainability with faculty and staff on the Athens and regional campuses. McCosker coordinates the Kanawha Project, an environmental sustainability literacy project to educate faculty from diverse disciplines throughout the university. She also teaches a freshman university community class on sustainability and the introductory graduate seminar for incoming Environmental Studies students. McCosker also acts as advisor to graduate students and collaborates with the undergraduate certificate in Environmental Studies at Ohio University.

Areas of Research: Policy

Gilbert Michaud, Ph.D. (Public Policy and Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University)

michaudg@ohio.edu

Michaud is an adjunct assistant professor & cluster analyst at the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs. His research examines policies to encourage renewable energy investment, particularly for residential and commercial consumers. Other work includes the evaluation of community solar models, value of solar methodologies, and cooperative renewables programs. Michaud has published numerous academic articles in peer-reviewed journals, as well as technical reports on energy and economics issues for a variety of nonprofits, city, and state government entities. Prior to his academic career, Michaud worked as the lead researcher for the Energy & Power segment of U.S. Business Executive Journal.

Areas of Research: Energy, Data, Policy, Shale

Scott Miller, M.S. (Environmental Studies, Ohio University)

millers1@ohio.edu

Miller is associate dean of industry partnerships at the Russ College of Engineering and Technology. Previously with the Voinovich School, he worked with many stakeholders to shape and implement programs to elevate and enhance Ohio University’s research. Miller was named a 2010 National Energy Executive with the US Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado; was board chair for the University Clean Energy Alliance of Ohio; and is the principle program manager for the State of Ohio’s Climate Change Action Plan in partnership with The Ohio State University.

Areas of Research: Energy, Land, Water, Policy, Air, Data, Shale

Michele Morrone, Ph.D. (Environmental Planning, The Ohio State University)

morrone@ohio.edu

Morrone is a Professor and coordinator of the nationally-accredited Environmental Health Sciences program. Her research interests include: health disparities; social determinants of health in Appalachia; public perception of environmental risk; and environmental justice. She has published 3 books and more than 40 papers on topics related to environmental public health and environmental justice.

Areas of Research: Policy, Environmental Health Disparities

Jesus Pagan, M.S. (Welding Engineering, The Ohio State University)

paganj@ohio.edu

Pagan is an assistant professor in the Engineering Technology and Management Department where he teaches metal fabrication and control systems.  Previously, he was the assistant director and chemical hygiene officer for the Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment at Ohio University. He also worked as program manager for the Center for Algal Engineering Research and Commercialization (CAERC). CAERC was funded by a 2010 Third Frontier Wright Projects grant in collaboration with the University of Toledo and various industry partners. Prior to his work at ISEE, he was a visiting professional in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and founder of Zeus Robotics, an arc welding and automation company at the Ohio University Innovation Center.

Areas of Research: Energy, Automation

Phoebe Parker, None

pp400415@ohio.edu

Phoebe Parker is a sophomore at Ohio University doubling majoring in Political Scienceand Southeast Asian Studies. In addition to other certificates, she is receiving theEnvironmental Studies Certificate because of her interest in environmental justice andsustainability. This semester, she joined the Zero Waste Team as a Zero Waste StudentCoordinator. In addition to training departments on how to hold Green Events, she workswith Post-Landfill Action Network and oversees communications for the Zero WasteTeam. After graduation, she will attend law school or graduate school with a focus oninternational policy. She hopes to commit her life to helping those most disenfranchisedby environmental issues in Southeast Asia, specifically Indonesia.Phoebe Parker is a sophomore at Ohio University doubling majoring in Political Scienceand Southeast Asian Studies. In addition to other certificates, she is receiving theEnvironmental Studies Certificate because of her interest in environmental justice andsustainability. This semester, she joined the Zero Waste Team as a Zero Waste StudentCoordinator. In addition to training departments on how to hold Green Events, she workswith Post-Landfill Action Network and oversees communications for the Zero WasteTeam. After graduation, she will attend law school or graduate school with a focus oninternational policy. She hopes to commit her life to helping those most disenfranchisedby environmental issues in Southeast Asia, specifically Indonesia.Phoebe Parker is a sophomore at Ohio University doubling majoring in Political Scienceand Southeast Asian Studies. In addition to other certificates, she is receiving theEnvironmental Studies Certificate because of her interest in environmental justice andsustainability. This semester, she joined the Zero Waste Team as a Zero Waste StudentCoordinator. In addition to training departments on how to hold Green Events, she workswith Post-Landfill Action Network and oversees communications for the Zero WasteTeam. After graduation, she will attend law school or graduate school with a focus oninternational policy. She hopes to commit her life to helping those most disenfranchisedby environmental issues in Southeast Asia, specifically Indonesia.Phoebe Parker is a junior at Ohio University double-majoring in political science and Southeast Asian Studies. In addition to a variety of other certificates, she is receiving the Envrionmental Studies Certificate because of her interest in environmental justice and sustainability. During the spring semester of 2017, she joined the Zero Waste team as Zero Waste Student Coordinator. Although she primarily focuses on training departments and student organizations on how to plan Green Events, she also works with the Post-Action Landfill Network and oversees all communication for the Zero Waste team. After graduation, she plans on going to law school to pursue environmental law. She hopes to commit her life to helping those most disenfranchised by environmental issues in Southeast Asia, specifically Indonesia.

Areas of Research: Student

Steven Porter, M.S. (Geography, Ohio University)

porters1@ohio.edu

Porter is a geospatial software development engineer with the GIS team at the Voinovich School. His research interests include: open source GIS technology, using maps to convey public information and awareness, data workflow automation, and scientific programming. Porter is a commercial pilot working towards a certification in flight instruction.

Areas of Research: Data

R. Guy Riefler, Ph.D. (Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Connecticut)

riefler@ohio.edu

Riefler is an assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering. His research interests include: the biodegradation of TNT and other nitroaromatic compounds; acid mine drainage treatment; iron nanoparticles for the cleanup of groundwater pollution; phytoremediation; sediment transport in streams; the use of molecular tools to identify bacterial communities in the environment; and the cultivation of algae for biofuels.

Areas of Research: Water

Willem Roosenberg, Ph.D. (Biology, University of Pennsylvania)

roosenbu@ohio.edu

http://www.biosci.ohiou.edu/faculty/roosenburg/
Roosenburg is an associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences. His research interest is in the evolution of vertebrate life histories. Roosenburg uses a combination of demographic, experimental and phylogenetic techniques to study how historical and ecological processes produce variation in life history traits within and among individuals, populations and species.

Areas of Research: Land

Gaurav Sinha, Ph.D. (Geography, SUNY Buffalo)

sinhag@ohio.edu

Sinha is an assistant professor in the Department of Geography. His research interests are in the field of Geographic Information Science. He focuses on the ontology and geospatial semantics of environmental features and phenomena. His other research interests include GIS database modeling, cartographic generalization, terrain modeling, spatial statistics, multi-criteria analysis, and participatory GIS.

Areas of Research: Data

Gregory S. Springer, Ph.D. (Geology, Colorado State University)

springeg@ohio.edu

http://www.ohio.edu/geology/springer/
Springer is an associate professor in the Department of Geological Sciences. Springer researches the changing state of human-impacted rivers, particularly the effects of changes in water and sediment regimes, with implications for river management and regulation. He studies headwater streams on the western margin of the Appalachian Mountains, in particular how basin size influences channel type and morphology for different rock types. Springer is currently working on an EPA-funded project focused on stream health in southeastern Ohio.

Areas of Research: Water, Land, Data

Matt Trainer, M.A. (Geography, Ohio University)

trainer@ohio.edu

Trainer is a data/GIS specialist at the Voinovich School. He got his start in the GIS field in Wilmington, NC working for American Geographic Data, Inc. Trainer has also taught two different GIS courses for the Department of Geography at Ohio University as an adjunct instructor during the 2005-6 and 2006-7 academic years.

Areas of Research: Data

Jason P. Trembly, Ph.D.

trembly@ohio.edu

Trembly joined Ohio University in 2011 after serving as team leader for syngas and CO2 conversion at RTI International’s Energy Technology Unit. A graduate faculty member in the Departments of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Mechanical Engineering, he currently directs the Russ College’s Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment. Trembly’s research focuses on process intensification to increase sustainability in the energy and environmental spaces. His research group utilizes the combination of process modeling with material/process development to effectively address key regional, state, and national needs. Specific areas of interest include syngas conversion, natural gas/NGLs conversion, wastewater treatment, nutrient recovery, high temperature electrochemical systems, and techno-economic studies. He has been PI for more than $12 million in sponsored research, primarily for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and has a citation index more than 600. He completed his graduate studies as an ORISE Fellow at the U.S. DOE’s National Energy Technology.

Areas of Research: Energy, Shale, Water

Morgan L. Vis, Ph.D. (Phycology, Memorial University of Newfoundland)

vis-chia@ohio.edu

Vis is a professor of phycology in the Department of Environmental and Plant Biology. Her research interests include: freshwater algal ecology and evolution; systematics and biogeography of freshwater red algae; and the effects of acid mine drainage on stream algal communities. She collaborates with a team of researchers studying streams in southeastern Ohio to better understand efficacy of remediation strategies. She also works with the group of engineers at OU’s Institute for Sustainable Energy and the Environment on photobioreactor design, CO2 mitigation technology, and other devices needed to utilize algae as a next generation fuel.

Areas of Research: Water, Energy, Land

Lezlee J. Ware, Ph.D. (Experimental Social Psychology, Ohio University)

warel@ohio.edu

Ware is a research associate for Ohio University’s Voinovich School and works within applied research on projects employing quantitative, qualitative, and mixed research methods and analyses. Ware has a broad range of experience, including program evaluation and strategic planning, within a variety of disciplines. Her work can be found in peer-reviewed journals within the fields of public health, nursing, diabetes, applied and legal psychology. Ware has led several regional needs assessments for Federally Qualified Health Centers, and her work has been incorporated into numerous competitive grant applications and used to tailor health services to the needs of low-income residents in Ohio.

Areas of Research: Data, Shale

Mark Weinberg, Ph.D. (Political Science, University of North Carolina)

weinberm@ohio.edu

http://www.ohio.edu/voinovichschool/
An original CE3 faculty member, Weinberg is a professor of political science, founding director of the Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs, and faculty director of the Ohio University Executive Leadership Institute. His research interests include: public budgeting; financial management; public administration; strategic leadership; and management and performance measurement in the public and non-profit sectors.

Areas of Research: Policy

Elissa E. Welch, M.P.A. (Environmental Policy & Natural Resource Management, Indiana University)

welche@ohio.edu

Welch is a project manager for the Voinovich School. She serves as a coordinator for externally-funded projects and research endeavors related to energy for CE3. Additionally, Welch is a liaison between the Voinovich School and external academic, non-profit, public, and private sectors and promotes Ohio University's advanced energy expertise to enhance protection of environmental resources. Her research interests include international climate change policy, alternative energy development, carbon offsets and rural economic development and outreach.

Areas of Research: Policy, Energy

Matthew M. White, Ph.D. (Evolutionary Biology, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)

whitem@ohio.edu

http://www.ohio.edu/biosci/profiles/white.html

White is a Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Biological Sciences. He has research interests in phylogeography, fisheries genetics and conservation genetics of freshwater fishes. White measures variation in mitochondrial and microsatellite DNA sequences and identifies the historical and ecological influences on the distribution of genetic variation. His studies include: stock structure in Ohio River walleye; population genetics, systematics, and molecular evolution of brook lampreys; and conservation genetics.

Areas of Research: Water, Data

Valerie Young, Ph.D. (Chemical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University)

youngv@ohio.edu

http://www.ohio.edu/chemical/people/person.cfm?person=youngv&org=che
Young is an associate professor and chair of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. She is the faculty advisor for the Ohio University chapter of Omega Chi Epsilon (the chemical engineering honor society) and for the Chemical Engineering Graduate Student Organization. Young’s research interests include finding a better understanding of the chemistry of the troposphere in North America; the way human activities affect this chemistry; and the effects of atmospheric chemistry on human endeavors. She has been involved in major regional ozone investigations such as the Southern Oxidant Study, as well as studying chemistry in remote areas such as northern Michigan, Saskatchewan and the Arctic.

Areas of Research: Air, Data

Michael Zimmer, J.D. (University of Baltimore School of Law)

zimmerm@ohio.edu

In his more than 35 years of legal service, Michael Zimmer has advised domestic and international energy companies, utilities, manufacturing companies and state and local governments regarding a range of energy issues related to fuels, financing, efficiency, corporate sustainability, product analysis, renewable energy project development , microgrids, and more. Mr. Zimmer also has extensive experience working with business groups on understanding changes in energy and environmental policies and regulations, capital formation and project financing, rate design and incentives,  and advanced energy technology issues. He is regularly invited to testify before congressional committees, federal departments and agencies, and state commissions and agencies on electric energy, renewable energy, natural gas and energy tax proposals. He has served on prestigious committees, advisory boards or Boards of Directors for several energy and clean tech companies and national trade groups. His recent work has focused on energy and environmental issues in Ohio, Michigan, California, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Rhode Island for the manufacturing, buildings and commercial sectors. He holds a J.D. from University of Baltimore School of Law. For additional detail, click here.

Areas of Research: Air, Water, Energy, Policy, Advanced Energy Technologies, Microgrids, Industrial Energy