Research Team

graduate research assistants

Christine Hart (M.S in Natural Resources, 2018)

Christine's research focused on identifying points of intervention for minimizing pharmaceutical pollution. Her thesis examined sources of pharmaceutical waste in Vermont.

Alexandra Millar (M.S. in Natural Resources, 2017)

Alexandra's thesis focused on applying the use of metaphor on psychological distance to enhance communication tools regarding pharmaceutical take-back programs. Her work is currently under review for publication.

Alexandra received the 2016 Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources Outstanding Research and Scholarship Award for Demonstrated Excellence in Scholarly Accomplishment and Commitment to Intellectual Achievement, and the 2016 University of Vermont's Graduate Student Award for Outstanding Service-Learning Mentorship.

Romaney Granizo-Mackenzie (B.S. in Environmental Science, concentration in Environmental Health; minor in Health & Society, 2023)

Romaney is particularly interested in the greening of the healthcare industry and looking for ways to make infection prevention sustainable by finding alternatives to single-use plastics. She is interested in examining ways that nature contact can contribute to the greening of the healthcare industry, and is assisting with research on nature-based education programs available to children and families in Vermont.

Quinn DiFalco (B.A. in Health & Society, 2021)

Quinn's research has focused on two important areas related to minimizing consumer sources of pharmaceutical pollution: 1) disposal instructions that are provided directly to consumers on drug packaging and labels, and 2) medication disposal information provided via websites in all 50 states. Quinn is interested in the intersectionality of Environmental Health at a local and global level.

Emily Van Wagoner (B.S. in Environmental Studies, 2016)

Emily assisted with the development, implementation, and analysis of a survey on pharmaceutical use and disposal practices among UVM students during the fall of 2014. Emily's work contributed to two publications on pharmaceuticals in the environment.

Jessica Kane (UVM REU Research Assistant, summer 2015)

Jess applied her previous scientific experience in testing the effects of pharmaceutical exposure on Siamese fighting fish behavior to piloting a study on the potential effects of these contaminants contaminants on the swim behavior of the zooplankton Daphnia magna.

Alexi Jones (UVM REU Research Assistant, summer 2015)

Lexi's interdisciplinary interests in both biology and sociology allowed her to assist with two projects related to understanding pharmaceutical contamination in the Lake Champlain ecosystem. She helped develop and implement a survey of Burlington, Vermont residents pharmaceutical purchasing, use, and disposal practices, and she piloted research on the effects of specific known pharmaceutical contaminants on the zooplankton Daphnia magna.

Bret Turner (UVM REU Research Assistant, summer 2014)

Bret joined our team during the summer of 2014 summer as a member of the Research Experiences for Undergraduates program here at UVM. Bret brought a strong background in environmental science, and an interest in environmental policy. While at UVM, Bret assisted with a variety of research projects focused on pharmaceutical contamination in Lake Champlain. Read about Bret's experiences in the REU program.

Colleen Whitcomb (B.S. in Natural Resources, 2014)

Colleen's research focused on understanding trends in use of and access to the Healing Garden at the Vermont Cancer Center. Her main focus was to determine barriers that prevented people from using the garden, and to identify opportunities to improve garden access. Colleen employed a mixed-methods social science approach that relied on survey instruments and semi-structured interviews. Colleen presented her research at the annual UVM Student Research Conference in 2014.