Brittany Zepernick is a 5th year PhD student in Dr. Steven Wilhelm’s lab at the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Her research focuses on Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs), which threaten global water quality due to their prolific biomasses and/or toxic secondary metabolites which render drinking water unsafe for human consumption. Her passion and commitment to water quality was sparked during her early childhood. She grew up in Cleveland, Ohio: a region well-known for its various water quality issues ranging from “rivers catching on fire” to “toxic algal blooms in Lake Erie”. In addition to HAB research, she seeks to improve regional water quality in Tennessee via various volunteer opportunities including river clean ups and trail adoptions with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and membership in the Great Smoky Mountains Association (GSMA). 

Selene is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research focuses on studying the pathogen E. coli responsible for various outbreaks in produce and a particular mechanism it uses to respond to environmental stress. When she’s not in the lab, Selene spends her time playing computer and board games with her partner and friends as well at doting on her rescue cat Mary. Selene is passionate about teaching, science education, and diversity and inclusion in STEM.

Mikayla is a PhD candidate in Microbiology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her work focuses on the pathogenic fungi Candida albicans and how it can be genetically manipulated to make it more recognizable by the host immune system. She cares deeply about STEM education, which led her to join K-TESST. When not in the lab, Mikayla is spending time with her cats, hiking, or playing video and board games.

Emily is a Microbiology PhD student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research focuses on understanding the microbial community structure of the open ocean. Growing up on the coast, Emily became very interested in how water runoff made its way into the ocean and how runoff negatively impacts marine ecosystems. This led her to join K-TESST, where she hopes to encourage people to learn more about their local streams and storm drains.

Kennedi is a Microbiology PhD student in Dr. Erik Zinser’s Lab at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research focuses on studying freshwater cyanobacteria which produce Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs) as well as the host-phage interactions that occur in these environments. When she’s not in the lab, Kennedi enjoys taking her two puppies on new adventures. Kennedi is passionate about science education and outreach as she hopes to expand the public’s knowledge about soil and water quality.

Walter is a Computer Science Masters student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in addition to working part time at Knoxville Montessori School. He is passionate about STEM education and outreach, with a particular focus on teaching computer science. He enjoys working with children in K-12 and joined K-TESST in order to help excite the younger members of the community about science and how they can get involved.

Fumnanya is a PhD student in Microbiology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research focuses on understanding the functional abilities of microbial communities in permafrost and how it relates to climate change. Her hobbies include reading, watching fun shows and catching up with friends. She is passionate about science education and diversity and inclusion in STEM.

Lauren is a Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology PhD student at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Her research interests include structural biology, biophysics, and biochemistry. Her work combines experimental methods like crystallography with computational methods like molecular dynamics. Aside from research, she is also involved on campus as a graduate student senator. In her free time, she enjoys hanging out with her dog and friends, volleyball, embroidery, and being a plant mom. She joined K-TESST wanting to encourage others to think about soil quality.

Jennifer is a PhD student in the Microbiology Department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She studies methanotrophs—bacteria that eat methane—and how they interact with other members of their local microbial community and their environment. Her hobbies include knitting, origami, and reading. She is committed to engaging in scientific outreach and improving STEM education.  

Madeline is a first year Master's candidate in the Biosystems Engineering and Soil Science Department at the University of Tennessee. Her research focuses on using GIS to model soil carbon budgets along the US Cotton Belt, using sustainability metrics and greenhouse gas emission data related to agricultural production practices. She enjoys working with geospatial data, learning about climate change, and seeking new ways to improve soil health and water quality. 

Donna-Katie McCullough (she/her) is a PhD Candidate in the Talmy lab at UTK using math models to quantify multiple stress dynamics controlling microbes in surface ocean waters.  While she got her research start in coral reef ecology, the principles of individual species' interactions affecting ecosystem dynamics has been a mainstay in her research interests. During the pandemic, she focused her outreach time on food/supply driven needs in the Knoxville area. However, with easing covid strains, she has been looking for a way to get into (science-specific) Knoxville outreach. 

Sayali is a PhD student in the Microbiology Department at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She is working in Dr. Mircea Podar’s lab at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Her current research focuses on microbial ecology and activity at extreme environments such as the Arctic subsurface as well as the sulphuric springs. She is passionate about inclusive SciComm and advocates for making scientific knowledge accessible to everybody everywhere! Outside her work, she enjoys hiking, clay target shooting and yoga.