Lab Members

Junyin Luo, Civil and Environmental Engineering, PhD

Project: Virus surface properties influence on membrane filtration  (Funding source: National Science Foundation and Bureau of Reclamation)

"When I am not in the lab, I’m a gardener. I like to water and feed my plants. I currently have two apricot trees, two apple trees, and some pumpkin bushes."

Ean Warren, Civil and Environmental Engineering, PhD

Project: Antibiotic resistance profiles in wastewater as an early warning of infections in long term care facilities (Funding source: CDC)

"When I am not in the lab, I am enjoying the natural environment around Utah. I like to visit the local national parks and monuments and state parks. Flaming Gorge, Dinosaur, and Goblin Valley are my favorites (so far). Other outdoor activities include Ultimate, skiing and snowboarding, and hiking."

Ibukunoluwa Salako, Civil and Environmental Engineering, PhD

Project: Elucidating Soil Health Impacts From Contaminants Of Emerging Concern In Municipal Biosolids Used For Agriculture(Funding source: USDA)

"When I am not in the Lab, I visit and explore new places in Utah and watch my favorite show on Netflix."

Dana Tran, Civil and Environmental Engineering, PhD

Dissertation: Improvement of insensitive munition wastewater treatment using ion exchange technology and environmental life cycle assessment (Funding source: SERDP)

Current position: EPA ORISE fellow

 Stephen Cavanaugh, Civil and Environmental Engineering, PhD

Dissertation: Experimental and model based approaches to evaluating mass transfer and efficiency of membrane technologies for various compounds of environmental concern. (SERDP)

 Katrina Brown, Civil and Environmental Engineering, MS

Thesis: Evaluating chemical and biological wastewater constituents of public health importance (UDOH, UDEQ, NSF)

Current position: CRW Engineering, Alaska

 Rubayat Jamal, Civil and Environmental Engineering, PhD

Dissertation: Investigating quantitative microarrays for advancing pathogen detection and informing microbial risk assessment (National Science Foundation)

Scientist, Cell Therapy Process Development, Cytiva

 Dani Zebelean, Civil and Environmental Engineering, MS

Project: Treatment trains for munitions wastewater management (SERDP)

Current position: Utah Divison of Water Quality

Saraswati Poudel Acharya, Civil and Environmental Engineering, PhD

Dissertation: processes controlling the fate and transport of new pesticide ingredients benoxacor and furilazole

Current position: State Water Board, California 

 Xiang Li, Civil and Environmental Engineering, PhD

Dissertation: A Novel Microbial Source Tracking DNA Microarray Used for Pathogen Detection in Environmental Systems

Current position: USDA

 Sirisha Mantha, Civil and Environmental Engineering, MS

Thesis: A poultry litter marker gene correlates with pathogen and fecal indicator bacteria deposition on, growth in and transport from poultry bedding (NSF)

Thomas Richard, Civil and Environmental Engineering, MS

Thesis: Characterization of fate and biological degradation processes and attenuation of IMX-101 munition constituents in the environment

Current position: Environmental Engineer USMC, Camp Lejeune

Autumn Sayre, Applied Environmental Microbiology, MS

Thesis: Development of a 16S rRNA gene sequence as a biomarker specific to the gastrointestinal tract and feces of swine based on suppressive subtractive hybridization 

Pujya Wagle Gautum, Civil and Environmental Engineering, MS

Thesis: Spatial relationship between the trichloroethylene degrading bacteria Dehalococcoides sp., and sulfate reducers and Archaea during reductive dechlorination

Michael Fisher

Project:  MCHM and PPH in Elk River water and drinking water treatment plant

Patrick Philbin

Project: MCHM and PPH in Elk River water and drinking water treatment plant

Elliot Hair

Project: Fate of poultry litter marker in riverine systems

Emily Lipscomb Garner

Project: Poultry litter marker and pathogens in environmental systems and simulated runoff studies

Current position: Assistant Professor West Virginia University