CV

Education

Virginia Tech Ph.D. Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2012                                 

Clemson University M.S. Environmental Engineering and Science, 2008                                           

Johns Hopkins University B.S. Environmental Engineering, 2006                                                                  

Research and Professional Experience

Associate Professor, Rutgers University Civil & Environmental Engineering, New Brunswick, NJ, 2019-current

Assistant Professor, Rutgers University Civil & Environmental Engineering, New Brunswick, NJ, 2013-2019

Postdoctoral Associate Virginia Tech Civil & Environmental Engineering, Blacksburg, VA, 2012-2013

National Research Program Field volunteer, US Geological Survey, Reston, VA, Summer 2012

Research/Teaching Assistant, Virginia Tech Civil & Environmental Engineering, Blacksburg, VA, 2008-2012

Research/Teaching Assistant, Clemson University Environmental, Engineering & Science, Clemson, SC, 2006-2008

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Johns Hopkins University Dept. Geography & Environmental Engineering, Baltimore, MD, Spring 2005     

Toxicology Intern, US Environmental Protection Agency Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxic Substances, Washington, DC, Summer 2005           

Awards, Honors, Certificates

40 under 40 Recognition, American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES), 2024

AEESP Distinguished Service Award, 2023

Outstanding Paper, Water Environment Research, 2021 & 2022

Big10 Academic Leadership Program Fellow, 2021-2022

Professor of the Year, Civil & Env Eng, nominated by student through Rutgers Engineering Governing Council, 2020

Best Paper 2019, Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology

NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, 2019

Outstanding Young Alumni, Virginia Tech Civil & Environmental Engineering, 2018

Outstanding Teaching Award, Rutgers ASCE,  2017

Favorite Faculty, nominated by student through VT Office Housing & Res Life, 2012    

Edna Bailey Sussman Internship, 2011     

AEESP Virginia Tech April 16th Memorial Travel Scholarship, 2011     

Via Academic Preparation Program, 2011     

Future Professoriate Graduate Certificate, Virginia Tech, 2010     

Global Perspectives in Higher Education, 2010

Clemson University Alumni Graduate Fellowship, 2006

Passed the NCEES Fundamentals of Engineering Exam (EIT), Maryland, 2006

Select Service

Associate Editor, Water Environment Research

Water Environment Federation Research & Innovation Committee, 2018-current

AEESP Membership and Demographics Committee, 2014-current

NJ American Water Works Technology Transfer Committee, 2017-current

Publications 

*Corresponding author when not last author, Students/Mentees

 

 Papers presented at professional meetings 

Students/Mentees

1.       Ehasz, G., Fahrenfeld, N.L.  (Poster)  Detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants in wastewater by multiplex qPCR.  NJ Water Environment Association.  Atlantic City, NJ.  May 2023.  (won 1st place for undergraduate posters)

2.       Ochoa, L., Chan, J., Auguste, C., Arbuckle Keil, G., Fahrenfeld, N.L., (Poster) Microplastic concentration, particle size, and composition in urban stormwater runoff.  NJ Water Environment Association.  Atlantic City, NJ.  May 2023.  (won 2nd place for MS student posters)

3.       Chan, J., Amurrio, F., Suresh, N., Ochoa, L., Antoine, D.,  Gilvey, C. Arbuckle-Keil, G., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Poster)  Lessons Learned from Creating Database of Environmental Microplastic Observations (DEMO) NJ Water Environment Association.  Atlantic City, NJ.  May 2023.

4.       Deshpande, A.S., Fahrenfeld, N.L. (Invited Oral)  Which bacteria carry antibiotic resistance genes in our rivers and how mobile are these genes?  NJ Water Environment Association (NJ WEA) 2023 Annual Conference.  Atlantic City, NJ.  5/2023.

5.       Fahrenfeld, N.L.  (Invited Oral)  Microplastics in Our Water: Issues, Techniques, and Case Studies.  Virginia AWWA Drinking Water Quality and Research Committee.  Richmond, VA.  April 19, 2023.

6.       Sipps, K., Fahrenfeld, N.L., Arbuckle Keil, G.  (Oral) Complementary polymer identification of microplastics via thermal analysis.  PittCon.  Philadelphia, PA.  March 29, 2023.

7.       Fahrenfeld, N.L.  (Invited oral) Microplastics in our waters.  NJ Environmental Health Association Educational Conference & Exhibit.  Atlantic City, NJ.  March 6, 2023.

8.       Fahrenfeld, N.L. Boni., W., Parmar, S., Bailey, K., Arbuckle-Keil, G.  (Oral).  Inter-Storm Variation in Microplastic Occurrence and Composition in Urban Stormwater.  Water Environment Federation Technical Exhibition & Conference (WEFTEC).  New Orleans, LA.  October 11, 2022.

9.       Deshpande AS, Fahrenfeld NL. 2022. (Oral) Influence of non-viable cell DNA on riverine water and biofilm microbiome, resistome, and mobilome. Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (SIMB) Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.

10. Bailey, K., Sipps, K., Walsh, K., Garzio, L., Saba, G., Chant, R., Arbuckle-Keil, G., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Oral)  Plastics from pathways of entry to copepods: A case study in the Hudson-Raritan estuary.  AEESP.  June 2022.  University of Washington, St. Louis, MO.

11. Deshpande AS, Fahrenfeld NL. 2022. (Poster) Abundance, diversity, and host assignment of total, intracellular, and extracellular antibiotic resistance genes in riverbed sediments. ASM Microbe, Washington, D.C.

12. Deshpande AS, Fahrenfeld NL. 2022. (Poster) Influence of non-viable cell DNA on riverine water and biofilm Microbiome, Resistome, and Mobilome. Gordon Research Conference: Microbiology of the Built Environment, Waterville Valley, NH

13. Bakacs, M., Fenyk, H. Fahrenfeld, N., Deshpande, A., Palomino, J.  (Poster)  Building an effective volunteer pathogen water monitoring program on the Lower Raritan River in Central New Jersey.  National Urban Extension Conference.  Camden, NJ.  May 23, 2022.

14.    Fahrenfeld, N.L.  (Invited Oral)  COVID-19 monitoring in wastewater: lessons learned.  NJ Water Environment Association Annual Meeting.  Atlantic City, NJ.  May 10, 2022.

15. Tehrani, R., Bartelt-Hunt, S., Fahrenfeld, N., Blaney, L.  (Oral)  Global Faculty Mentorship Initiative: Lessons Learned, Trends, and Continuous Improvements.  Research and Education Conference.  June 2022.  University of Washington, St. Louis, MO.

16. Patil, S., Sipps, K., Ochoa, L., Arbuckle-Keil, G., Fahrenfeld, N.L.  (Oral)  Effect of nitric acid weathering on microplastic spectral identification.  American Water Works Association NJ (AWWA) Student Research Dinner.  New Brunswick, NJ.  April 27, 2022. 

17. Deshpande, A., Fahrenfeld, N.L.  (Poster)  Differentiating intracellular and extracellular antibiotic resistance genes across a land use gradient.  American Society of Microbiology NJ Theobald Smith Society Fall Symposium.  Virtual.  December 8, 2021. (poster award winner)

18. Amurrio, F., Ochoa, L., Antoine, D., Suresh, H., Arbuckle-Keil, G., Fahrenfeld, N.L.  (Poster)  Microplastics in water matrices: metadata analysis and occurrence trends.  American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AICHE) annual meeting.  November 2021.

19. Morales Medina, W., D’Elia, S. Fahrenfeld, N.  (Oral)  SARS-CoV-2 accumulation in sewer biofilms and Outbreak Surveillance through Wastewater-Based Epidemiology in the State of New Jersey.  89th Annual Water Environment Federation's Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference.  Chicago, IL.  10/9-10/16/2021.

20. Sipps, K., Fahrenfeld, N., Arbuckle-Keil, G.  (Poster)  Investigating the use of DSC and TGA-IR as complementary techniques to spectroscopic analyses in the identification of microplastics in environmental samples.  Thermal Analysis Forum of Delaware Valley. Virtual conference. 12/15/2020.  (poster award winner)

21. Morales Medina, W., Eramo, A., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Oral)  Sewer biofilm microbiome and antibiotic resistance genes as function of pipe material, source of microbes, and disinfection: field and laboratory studies.  SACNAS.  Virtual conference.  10/22/2020.

22. Fahrenfeld, N.  (Oral)  Microplastics: Should we be concerned?  Knowledge Development Forum.  WEFTEC.  Virtual conference.  10/8/2020. 

23. Morales Medina, W., To, P., Taylor, M., Nguyen, C, Fahrenfeld, N.  Microbiology of biofilters: A pilot study for disinfection by-products precursor and manganese bio-removal from drinking water.  AWWA ACE2020.  Orlando, FL.  6/14-17/2020.  [Meeting cancelled due to COVID]

24. Sipps, K., Bailey, K., Walsh, K., Chant, B., Saba, G., Fahrenfeld, N., Arbuckle Keil, G. Geospatial distribution and fate of microplastics in the Hudson-Raritan estuary.  ACS.  Philadelphia, PA.  Spring 2020.  [Meeting cancelled due to COVID]

25. Morales Medina, W., Eramo, A., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Oral)  Understanding Antibiotic Resistance in Sewer Biofilm, Sewer Sediments, & Wastewater: Field & Lab Studies.  WEFTEC.  Virtual conference.  10/5/2020. 

26. Parrish, K., Bailey, K., Sipps, K., Chant, R., Saba, G., Arbuckle-Keil, G., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Invited Oral)  Microplastics and their biofilm microbiomes in fresh- and wastewaters.  American Chemical Society.  Virtual conference.  8/18/2020.

27. Patel, H., Eramo, A., Blanc, S., Fahrenfeld, N., Brazil, B., Zhao, R.  (Oral)  Impact of landfill leachate matrix on nitrogen removal process with heterogeneous community of heterotrophs and autotrophs in a lab-scale reactor.  Global Waste Management Summit.  Indian Wells, CA.  2/23-26/2020.

28. Walsh, K., Saba, G., Chant, B., Arbuckle-Keil, G., Sipps, K., Fahrenfeld, N.  Examination of microplastic consumption of zooplankton collected in an urban estuary and pristine Antarctic coastal system: approaches, challenges, and outcomes.  Ocean Sciences Meeting.  San Diego, CA.  2/21/2020.

29. Morales Medina, W., Fahrenfeld, N., To, P., Taylor, M., *Nguyen, C.  (Oral)  Comparing the Microbial Community and Water Quality Changes During Biofilters Acclimation Period.  Chesapeake Tri-Association Conference.  Ocean City, MD.  8/29/2019.

30. Morales Medina, W., Tu, M., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Poster)  The effect of sewer pipe materials on biofilm growth, persistence of antibiotic resistance genes and susceptibility to disinfection.  ASM Microbe.  San Francisco, CA.  6/22/2019.

31. Fahrenfeld, N.  (Invited Oral)  Microplastics and biofilm in river and wastewater systems.  ASM Microbe.  San Francisco, CA.  6/22/2019.

32. Parker, K., Sipps, K., Arbuckle Keil, G., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Poster)  Analysis of Microplastics in Sediment and Surface Water with Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectroscopy.  AEESP Research and Education Conference.  Tempe, AZ.  6/15/2019.

33. Arbuckle-Keil, G., Sipps, K., Parker, K., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Oral)  Identification of microplastics via FTIR micro-spectroscopy for potential source tracking in freshwater.  255th American Chemical Society (ACS).  Orlando, FL.  4/1/2019.

34. Parker, K., Sipps, K., Arbuckle-Keil, G., Fahrenfeld, N.L.  (Poster)  Fourier-Transform infrared spectroscopy analysis of microplastics in sediment and surface water.  Microplastics in the Urban Environment.  New Brunswick, NJ.  3/28/3019.

35. Blanc, S., Eramo, A., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Poster)  End-of-pipe treatment and regrowth of sulfonamide resistant E. coli in combined sewer overflows. American Water Works Association NJ (AWWA) 2019 Annual Conference.  Atlantic City, NJ.  3/20/2019.  (won 1st place for undergraduate posters)

36. Morales Medina, W., To, P., Taylor, M., Nguyen, C., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Poster)  Pilot scale biofiltration for disinfection by-product precursor and manganese bioremoval from drinking water.  American Water Works Association NJ (AWWA) 2019 Annual Conference.  Atlantic City, NJ.  3/20/2019.  (won 2nd place for graduate posters)

37. Arbuckle-Keil, G., Fahrenfeld, N.L.  (Invited Oral)  Use of spectral analysis to identify microplastics in the freshwater environment.  KnowItAll User Group Meeting.  PittCon.  Philadelphia, PA. March 17 - 21, 2019

38. Morales Medina, W., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Poster)  Antibiotic resistance in sewer biofilms and susceptibility to disinfection as a function of pipe material.  8th American Society of Microbiology Conference on Biofilms.  Washington, DC.  10/7-11/2018.

39. Elsaker, S., Parrish, K., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Oral) Role of bed sediments as a sink for microplastics.  256th ACS.  Boston, MA.  8/20/2018.

40. Fahrenfeld, N., Gallego, S., Eramo, A., Barkay, T.  (Invited Oral)  Viability and ecology-based tools to improve hazard characterization for environmental antibiotic resistance.  256th ACS.  Boston, MA.  8/20/2018.

41. Gallego, S., Barkay, T., Fahrenfeld, N(Poster)  Unlocking the microbial ecology of antibiotic resistance.  Environmental Sciences: Water.  Gordon Conference.  Holderness, NH.  6/24-28/2018.

42. Phelan, S., Soni, D., Morales Medina, W., Parker, K., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Poster) Finding the source: towards quantitative methods for microbial source tracking.  NJ Water Environment Association (NJ WEA) 2018 Annual Conference.  Atlantic City, NJ.  5/9/2018.  (won 1st place for graduate posters)

43. Eramo, A., Blanc, S., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Oral) Dynamics of antibiotic resistance in sewers and sewer sediments. 255th American Chemical Society (ACS).  New Orleans, LA.  3/18/2018.

44. Eramo, A., Yam, M., Morales Medina, W., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Oral) Differentiating non-viable ARG sources towards improved understanding of hazard. 255th ACS.  New Orleans, LA.  3/18/2018.

45. Parrish, K., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Oral) Do microplastic biofilm present a unique hazard?  255th ACS.  New Orleans, LA.  3/20/2018

46. Eramo, A., Yam, M., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Poster) Towards parameterizing the risk of ARG dissemination in waste and surface waters through seasonal sampling and viability PCR.  4th International Symposium on the Environmental Dimensions of Antibiotic Resistance. Lansing, MI.  8/15/2017.

47. Eramo, A., Delos Reyes, H., Blanc, S., Fahrenfeld, N. (Oral) Peracetic acid disinfection of combined sewer overflow effluent: indicators, antibiotic resistance, and microbial communities.  2017 Association for Environmental Engineering & Science Professors (AEESP) Research and Education Conference. Ann Arbor, MI.  6/20/2017.

48. Eramo, A., Delos Reyes, H., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Oral) Flux of microbial agents during wet weather flows: implications for end-of-pipe treatment.  2017 AEESP Research and Education Conference.  Ann Arbor, MI.  6/20/2017.

49. Parrish, K., Estahbanati, S., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Poster) Putting the micro in microplastic.  2017 AEESP Research and Education Conference.  Ann Arbor, MI.  6/20/2017.

50. Eramo, A., Delos Reyes, H., Fahrenfeld, N(Poster) Partitioning and flux of indicator and antibiotic resistant microbes in combined sewer overflows: implications for end-of-pipe treatment.  102nd NJ WEA.  Atlantic City, NJ.  5/10/2017.  (won 1st place for graduate posters)

51. Parrish, K., Estahbanati, S., Fahrenfeld, N(Poster) Putting the micro in microplastic.  102nd NJ WEA.  Atlantic City, NJ.  5/10/2017.  (won 1st place for undergraduate posters)

52. Garner, E., Wallace, J.S., Argoty, G.A., Wilkinson, C., Fahrenfeld, N., von Wagoner, E., Benitez, R. Sawyer, R., Shaberg, E., Heath, L. S., Zhang, Krometis, L.A., Hession, C., Arabi, M., D. S. Aga, D.S., Badgley, B., and Pruden, A.  (Poster) The urban water cycle as a key node in the spread of antibiotic resistance: Field studies in Colorado and Virginia.  ASM Microbial Ecology of Antibiotic Resistance and Bacterial Diseases. Crystal City, VA. 3/22/2017.

53. Rodenburg, L. and Fahrenfeld, N(Poster) Factors controlling antibiotic levels in biosolids.  SETAC 7th World Congress/37th North American Annual Meeting.  Orlando, FL. 11/9/2016.

54. Eramo, A., Delos Reyes, H.D., and *Fahrenfeld, N(Oral) Disinfection of microbial agents in combined sewer overflows using the green disinfectant peracetic acid.  89th Annual Water Environment Federation's Annual Technical Exhibition and Conference.  9/24-28/2016.

55. Blackburne, B., Fahrenfeld, N., Rodenburg, L.  (Oral) Factors controlling antibiotics levels in biosolids.  252nd ACS.  Philadelphia, PA.  8/22/2016.

56. Estahbanati, S. and *Fahrenfeld, N. (Oral) Impact of wastewater treatment plants on microplastics in freshwater.  252nd ACS.  Philadelphia, PA.  8/22/2016.

57. Fahrenfeld, N(Invited panelist)  Emerging contaminants in the Raritan River and Bay.  10th Annual Sustainable Raritan River Conference and Awards Ceremony.  Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ.  6/10/2016. 

58. Delos Reyes, H.D., Eramo, A., and Fahrenfeld, N.  (Poster)  Antibiotic resistance genes in wet weather flow: Impact of combined sewer overflows on New Jersey water quality.  101st NJ WEA Annual Conference and Exposition.  Atlantic City, NJ.  5/18/2016.  (won prize for undergraduate posters)

59. Estahbanti, S. and Fahrenfeld, N. (Poster)  Microplastics as emerging contaminants in New Jersey surface waters. 101st NJ WEA Annual Conference and Exposition.  Atlantic City, NJ.  5/18/2016.  (won 1st place for graduate posters)

60. Eramo, A., Delos Reyes, H.D., and Fahrenfeld, N.  (Poster)  Flux and treatment of antibiotic resistance genes in CSO.  101st NJ WEA Annual Conference and Exposition.  Atlantic City, NJ.  5/18/2016.

61. *Fahrenfeld, N., Eramo, A., Delos Reyes, H., Yam, M.  (Invited panelist)  Controlling pathogens in wet weather flows.  Parasites and Pathogens: Ecological and Medical Impacts of Global Climate Change.  Hofstra University, NY.  10/16/2015.

62. Cordero-Mercado, S. and *Fahrenfeld, N.  Microbial fuel cell for degradation of crude oil.  (Poster) 2015 Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science National Conference (SACNAS).  Washington, D.C.  10/30/2015.

63. Eramo, A., Delos Reyes, H., Cozzarelli, I.M., Mumford, A., Akob, D.M., Fahrenfeld, N.  (Poster)  Metagenomic signatures in unconventional oil and gas impacted surface water.  2015 AEESP Research and Education Conference.  6/15/2015.

64. Delos Reyes, H., Eramo, A., *Fahrenfeld, N., Mumford, A., Akob, D.M., Cozzarelli, I.M.  Does wastewater from energy resource development select for antimicrobial resistant bacteria?  (Oral) 3rd International Symposium on Bioremediation and Sustainable Environmental Technologies.  Miami, FL.  5/18/2015.

65. Ahmed, N., Fahrenfeld, N.  Reactive transport modeling of branched TNT biodegradation pathway.  (Poster)  American Water Works Association NJ (AWWA) 2015 Annual Conference.  Atlantic City, NJ.  3/18/2015.  (won 1st place for undergraduate posters)

66. Fahrenfeld, N., Pruden, A., Widdowson, M.W.  Kinetic and pathway modeling for anaerobic TNT degradation undergoing biostimulation.   (Poster) 9th International Conference on Remediation of Chlorinated and Recalcitrant Compounds. Monterey, CA.  5/19/2014.

67. Delmonaco, N., Fahrenfeld, N.  Integrating chemical fecal nonpoint source tracers with runoff in mixed land use watersheds.  (Poster)  99th NJ WEA.  Atlantic City, NJ: 5/13/2014.

68. Fahrenfeld, N., Hession, W.C., Knowlton, K.F., Pruden, A.  Watershed processes governing dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes.  (Oral)  Microbial Ecology and Water Engineering (MEWE).  Anne Arbor, MI.  7/9/2013.

69. Fahrenfeld, N., Hession, W.C., Knowlton, K.F., Pruden, A.  Watershed processes governing dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes.  (Oral)  AEESP.  Golden, CO.  July 15, 2013.

70. Fahrenfeld, N., Bailey, Z., Pruden, A., McGuire, J., Cozzarelli, I.  Role of microbial community structure and function in BTEX biodegradation at the Bemidji, MN crude oil spill site.  (Invited Oral) 2012 Geological Society of America (GSA) Annual Meeting & Exposition.  Charlotte, NC.  11/5/2012.

71. Fahrenfeld, N., Cozzarelli, I., Ackison, L., Pruden, A.  Application of biomolecular tools to explore bacterial community structure at Bemidji.  (Poster) Terrestrial Crude Oil Spills Symposium: Decades of Science from the Bemidji, MN Research Site.  St Paul, MN.  6/12/2012.

72. Fahrenfeld, N., Pruden, A., Widdowson, M.  Effect of biostimulation on TNT biodegradation rate and microbial ecology for Former Nansemond Ordnance Depot at bench-scale.  (Poster) International Symposium on Bioremediation and Sustainable Environmental Technologies. Reno, NV. 6/27/2011. 

73. Fahrenfeld, N., Widdowson, M., Pruden, A.  Effect of biostimulation on indigenous TNT-degrading bacterial community.  (Oral)  AEESP. 7/10/2011. 

74. Ackison, L., Cozzarelli, I., Fahrenfeld, N., Widdowson, M., Pruden, A.  (Poster)  BTEX biodegradation in microcosms containing wetland versus aquifer sediments from a crude-oil contaminated site, Bemidji, MN.  2011 GSA Annual Meeting. Minneapolis, MN. 10/11/2011.

75. Fahrenfeld, N., Coates, J.T., Elzerman, A.W.  (Poster) Fecal coliform source identification using chemical tracers.  237th ACS, Salt Lake City, UT.  3/25/2009.

76.    Huddleston, G.M., Warner, M.B., Jolley, L.W., Fahrenfeld, N.L., Elzerman, A.W., Molina, M., Lee., Y.J., Swank, R.R.  2008. (Proceedings Paper) Fecal coliform bacteria TMDL implementation on Cane Creek and Little Cane Creek in Oconee County, South Carolina.  Proceedings of the 2008 South Carolina Water Resources Conference.  Charleston, S.C.  10/15/2008.