Faculty Listed by Foundation

Environment & Society 

Isabella Alcaniz (*currently not accepting students)
ialcaniz@umd.edu
web site 
Environmental and climate politics, international financial mechanisms for climate change, social network analysis, the state in the global south, and Latin American politics 

Lee Blaney
blaney@umbc.edu
web site
Fate and transport of emerging contaminants in natural and engineered systems; environmental detection of pharmaceuticals or treatment processes aimed at removing pharmaceuticals from drinking water/wastewater matrices

Walter R. Boynton (*currently not accepting students)
boynton@umces.edu
web site 
Estuarine whole systems ecology, nutrient budgets, eutrophication, sediment nutrient dynamics, environmental policy

Kaye L. Brubaker
klbrubak@umd.edu
web site
Physical hydrology; numerical modeling; stream and estuary water-quality modeling; water vapor transport; hydroclimatology; land-atmosphere interactions

Mark S. Castro
mcastro@umces.edu
web site
Atmosphere-biosphere interactions, greenhouse gas fluxes, global environmental changes, effects of atmospheric deposition and human activities on nutrient dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems, the composition of the atmosphere

Mark Cochrane (*currently not accepting students)
mark.cochrane@umces.edu
web site
Understanding spatial patterns, interactions and synergisms between the multiple physical and biological factors that affect ecosystems; climate change, human dimensions of land-cover change and the potential for sustainable development; the drivers and effects of disturbance regime changes resulting from various forms of forest degradation, including fire, fragmentation and logging as well as the mitigating effects of forest and land management.

Shiladitya DasSarma
sdassarma@som.umaryland.edu
web site
I have spent many years studying the evolutionary biology of microorganisms growing in extreme environments and the effects of environmental stressors on cells. My research ranges from microbial genomics to the impacts of saline waters in climate change to vaccine development against tropical diseases. My interests include climate education, having co-authored a Climate Introduction and A Roadmap for Responding to Climate Change. I received MIT’s MacVicar Award for climate leadership and I serve as UMB’s Representative to the MEES Program.

Eric Davidson (*currently not accepting students)
edavidson@umces.edu
web site
Biogeochemistry and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, including the effects of management, land use change, and climatic change on soil C and N stocks, trace gas emissions from soils, and leaching of plant nutrients to streams and groundwater. Current study areas include the Brazilian Amazon Basin and Cerrado region and the forests of New England.

Cathlyn D. Davis (Stylinski) (*currently not accepting students)
Cathlyn.Davis@umces.edu
web site
Environmental science education and scientific inquiry in precollege classrooms; remote sensing and plant ecophysiology

William Dennison
dennison@umces.edu
web site
Coastal ecosystem ecology; ecophysiology of marine plants; bioindicators in nearshore environments; assessing ecosystem health

Katharina Engelhardt (*currently not accepting students)
kengelhardt@umces.edu
web site
Effects of species richness on wetland ecosystem functioning and services; community ecology and ecosystem ecology

J. Edward Gates
egates@umces.edu
web site
Wildlife, habitat and landscape ecology; habitat fragmentation and alteration, connectivity, edge effects and boundary dynamics; habitat suitability for vertebrate species

Reginal M. Harrell (*currently not accepting students)
rharrell@umd.edu
web site
Environmental and bioethics; conservation and restoration ecology; breeding genetics and hybridization; stress physiology of vertebrates

Lora A. Harris
harris@umces.edu
web site
Systems ecology; theoretical ecology; primary producers from phytoplankton to macrophytes; ecosystem modeling

Maggie Holland
mholland@umbc.edu
web site

My scholarly interests rest, at a most fundamental level, on the intersections between rural livelihoods, land use dynamics, governance, and conservation strategies. To date, the majority of my research has situated itself in Latin America, with an added layer of focus on forests. Since 2017, I have engaged in research with colleagues in Mozambique, focused both on protected areas and community engagement, as well as a newer line of work on urban agriculture and green spaces. I collaborate actively with economists, geographers, conservation biologists, as well as conservation and development practitioners. The common thread in this interdisciplinary effort is a commitment to developing research that not only contributes to academic discourse, but also is relevant and practical, informing a specific policy or management dialogue.

Ali B. Ishaque
abishaque@umes.edu
web site
Environmental chemical stressors (organic, inorganic and microplastics). Fatty acid markers, stable isotope ratios and mercury concentrations to understand trophic relationships and how food web changes in relation to environmental factors and climate variability.

Paul T. Leisnham
leisnham@umd.edu
web site
Population and Community ecology; Invasion ecology; Vector ecology; Entomology; Coupled Human-Natural Systems; Socio-Ecology

Dong Liang
dliang@umces.edu
web site
Spatial statistics, spatiotemporal models, bayesian methods; remote sensing applications to environment and health

Slava Lyubchich
lyubchich@umces.edu
web site
Time series analysis, forecasting, applied statistics, non-parametric inference, bootstrap, environmental modeling, random networks

Andrew J. Miller (*currently not accepting students)
miller@umbc.edu
web site
Surface-water hydrology and fluvial geomorphology; interaction between flow patterns and boundary conditions imposed by geometry; effects of human activities on watershed hydrology and river channels

Carys Mitchelmore
mitchelm@umces.edu
web site
Investigating molecular, biochemical and cellular responses of aquatic organisms to inorganic and organic pollutants; determining species-specificity; biochemical pathways and toxic effects; applying and developing novel biomarkers to existing and emerging environmental problems

Jennifer L. Mullinax (Murrow)
wildlife@umd.edu
web site
Applied spatial wildlife ecology, with emphasis on habitat modeling, habitat use and selection, and animal movements in suburban and urban ecosystems; conflict resolution and conservation planning in natural resources

Judith O'Neil (*currently not accepting students)
joneil@umces.edu
web site
Harmful Algal Bloom dynamics; plankton nutrient and trophodynamics; Cyanobacteria ecophysiology

Margaret Palmer (*currently not accepting students)
palmer@umces.edu
web site
Stream community and ecosystems ecology; restoration ecology; stream ecosystem structure and function; influence of land use, hydrology and geomorphology on health of running-water ecosystems

Karen L. Prestegaard
kpresto@umd.edu
web site
Sediment transport and depositional processes; mechanisms of streamflow generation and their variations with watershed scale, geology and land use; hydrology of coastal and riparian wetlands

Allison Reilly (*currently not accepting students)
areilly2@umd.edu
web site
Dr. Reilly is a civil engineer specializing in risk and resilience of infrastructure systems. She is particularly interested in characterizing the interplay between the resilience of infrastructure and individual decision-making. Recent projects include examination of investment decisions by managers of interdependent infrastructure systems and the movement of hazardous materials under threat of terrorism. Other interests include: hazard risk assessments; decision-making, and infrastructure system performance and protection

Eric Schott
schott@umces.edu
web site
The Schott lab research focuses on understanding aquatic health in two main areas: the discovery and tracking of estuarine pathogens in the blue crab and other shellfish and the health of urban estuaries for living resources and people. Dr. Schott collaborates with numerous researchers and stakeholders, applying molecular methods to study the health of fisheries and describe the biodiversity of Baltimore Harbor.

L. Jen Shaffer (*currently not accepting students)
lshaffe1@umd.edu
web site
Ethnoecology/Local Environmental Knowledge; social-ecological systems; conservation; livelihoods; food and water security; adaptation to environmental change; resilience; vulnerability; historical ecology; wildlife conflict & co-existence

Christopher Swan (*currently not accepting students)
cmswan@umbc.edu
web site
Steam community and ecosystem ecology; riparian biodiversity and stream processes; urban riparian-steam ecology

Stephen Tomasetti
sjtomasetti@umes.edu
web site
Global change ecology with emphasis on warming, deoxygenation, and acidification; Shellfishes and biogenic habitats; Resilience and climate-adapted habitat restoration; Aquaculture and sustainable coastal food systems; Socio-ecological systems

Alba Torrents
alba@eng.umd.edu
web site
Chemical transformations and sorption of organic pollutants; environmental fate of toxic chemicals; applications of spectroscopic techniques to environmental systems

Kate Tully
kltully@umd.edu
web site
Research interests: agroecology; nutrient and carbon cycling in plant-soil-water systems; soil health, environmental impacts of agriculture; sustainable agricultural systems; impacts of agriculture on Chesapeake Bay water quality; impacts of sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion on coastal farmlands.

Yan Waguespack
yywaguespack@umes.edu
web site
Lethal and sublethal responses of early life-stages of winter flounder to habitat contamination in their natal estuaries; sublethal physiological effects of heavy metal on ecologically key marine and aquatic organisms by using 31P NMR, AAS and ICP-AES; characterization of high molecular weight mucin-like glycoconjugates from fish models; heavy metal and polyaromatic hydrocarbon investigations on sediment along Maryland coastal bay, and heavy metal contaminants' effect on SAV plant along Maryland coastal bay; phyto remediation of TNT, DNT and other contaminants

Lisa Wainger
wainger@umces.edu
web site
Risk analysis and decision support tools for prioritizing natural resource management options; invasive species risk assessment; wetland restoration prioritization; ecological and economic indicators for communicating relative costs and benefits of natural resource change

Raymond R. Weil (*currently not accepting students)
rweil@umd.edu
web site
Soil ecology; plant-soil relationships; soil fertility; soil quality; environmental impacts of agricultural systems; nutrient and carbon cycling; cover crops in sustainable cropping systems; soil management. 

Claire Welty
weltyc@umbc.edu
web site
Transport processes in aquifers; mathematical modeling of groundwater flow and transport in porous and fractured media; application of stochastic methods to interpreting groundwater problems; design and analysis of field-scale hydraulic and tracer tests

Michael Wilberg
wilberg@umces.edu
web site
Stock assessment; dynamics of exploited populations; harvest policy development and application; statistical model selection and averaging

Meng Xia
mxia@umes.edu
web site
Numerical modeling of estuarine and coastal ocean, such as hydrodynamic modeling and plume dynamics; water quality modeling and bio-physical interaction; wave-current coupling and nearshore circulation 

Xin Zhang
xzhang@al.umces.edu
web site
Environmental science and policy, coupled human and natural systems, biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nitrogen, earth system modeling, atmospheric-biosphere interactions.

Faculty Listed by Foundation

Earth & Ocean Science

Andrew Baldwin
baldwin@umd.edu
web site
Wetland ecology; plant community dynamics of coastal marshes and mangroves; disturbance and regeneration ecology of wetland vegetation; wetland seed banks; influence of sea level rise on coastal wetlands; community and ecosystem processes of created and restored wetlands; nutrient effects on wetland plant communities

Neil V. Blough (*currently not accepting students)
neilb@umd.edu
web site
Methods for detecting and identifying free radicals in condensed phases; impact of (photo)oxidative reactions on the transformation and fate of organic & inorganic compounds in natural waters and biological systems

Kaye L. Brubaker
klbrubak@umd.edu
web site
Physical hydrology; numerical modeling; stream and estuary water-quality modeling; water vapor transport; hydroclimatology; land-atmosphere interactions

James Carton
carton@umd.edu
web site
Exponential growth in the power of computers and richness of observational coverage is revealing how the ocean and sea ice systems exchange heat, mass, and momentum with the atmosphere to produce weather and climate. These same tools are just beginning to explore how ocean circulation and the biological processes that carry out half of the planet's photosynthesis are able to sequester 20-30% of the excess carbon dioxide that humans release into the atmosphere each year. The ocean's growing contributions to the global economy; including fisheries, recreation, and waste disposal; are adding to the stresses on these systems with unanticipated consequences. The ocean climate lab exploits the power of these new computational and observational tools to explore the science of ocean/sea ice variability, interactions with atmosphere and land, and how human activities are changing the ocean/sea ice systems.

Mark S. Castro
mcastro@umces.edu
web site
Atmosphere-biosphere interactions, greenhouse gas fluxes, global environmental changes, effects of atmospheric deposition and human activities on nutrient dynamics in terrestrial ecosystems, the composition of the atmosphere

Feng Chen (*currently not accepting students)
chenf@umces.edu
web site
Ecological interaction among marine viruses, bacteria and phytoplankton; phylogenetic diversity and molecular evolution of marine microbes; whole cell or in situ molecular detection; functional genes and microbial genome

Paulinus Chigbu
pchigbu@umes.edu
web site
Fisheries ecology; influence of variations in climatic factors on water quality and biota; culture of rotifers and copepods for use in rearing marine fish larvae; trophic dynamics in marine and freshwater environments; zooplankton ecology

Victoria J. Coles (*currently not accepting students)
vcoles@umces.edu
web site
Physical and biological response and feedbacks to climate variability and change; Observation and modeling of ocean circulation and ventilation, biogeochemical tracer, and ecosystem cycling

Lee Cooper
cooper@umces.edu
web site
Interdisciplinary aspects of biogeochemistry and ecology, including stable and radioisotope composition of organic materials and natural waters; aquatic plant physiology; high latitude oceanography and hydrology

Jeffrey C. Cornwell
cornwell@umces.edu
web site
Sediment biogeochemistry; burial of sediment and associated chemical constituents; nutrient exchange in sediment; influence of tidal marshes on ecosystem N and P balances

Jacob Cram
jcram@umces.edu
web site
I am a microbial ecologist whose research focuses on entire microbial communities. I am interested both in which organisms are present and in how those those organisms affect and in turn are shaped by their environment. My group observes micro-organisms in their native environments through molecular biology techniques and microscopy. We also use statistical and mechanistic models to integrate data and better understand microorganisms in their environments, as well as perform experiments to see how entire communities respond to perturbations.

Thomas Cronin
cronin@umbc.edu
web site
Visual ecology, especially of marine invertebrates with a concentration on crustacean visual neuroscience

Kausik Das
kdas@umes.edu
Understanding of the capillary and wetting dynamics on under-sea bio-solid substrates, the role of viscous bio-films on contact line dynamics to reveal the micro-scale information of the under-liquid wetting transition, and use it into developing macroscopic tools and techniques to i) develop tools for characterization of under-water pollutant plumes and its impact on marine ecosystems; ii)Develop surfaces which will simultaneously behave as superhydrophobic (water repellant) and superleophobic (oil repellant); (iii) Develop efficient under-water structures with antifouling properties; iv) Develop novel micro-fluidic devices for mixing/demixing. 

Andrew Elmore (*currently not accepting students)
aelmore@umces.edu
web site
Land use and land cover change; ecohydrology; biogeochemistry; remote sensing and spatial analysis; effects of urban development and agriculture on stream ecosystems; impact of climate change om forest phenology and biogeochemistry

Keith N. Eshleman
keshleman@umces.edu
web site
Watershed and wetlands hydrology; groundwater/surface water interactions; biogeochemical processes in upland and wetland ecosystems; hydrochemical modeling; ecosystem interactions with land use change

Clara Fuchsman (*not currently accepting students)
cfuchsman@umces.edu
web site
The Fuchsman lab studies how biological organisms (bacteria, viruses, zooplankton) affect biogeochemical cycling in the ocean. Low or zero oxygen waters are our speciality, but we are also interested in oxygenated systems for comparison.

Patricia M. Glibert
glibert@umces.edu
web site
Transformations and fate of nitrogen in marine and estuarine systems; ecology of phytoplanktons; effects of eutrophication; growth and physiology of harmful algal bloom species

Michael Gonsior (*currently not accepting students)
gonsior@umces.edu
web site
Molecular diversity of natural organic matter; disinfection by-products; effluent organic matter characterization; marine debris and its impact on the world's oceans; natural organic matter in extreme environments; biogeochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur and chlorine

Jacqueline Grebmeier
jgrebmei@umces.edu
web site
Pelagic-benthic coupling on continental shelves, benthic ecology, invertebrate zoology, contaminant distributions, high latitude oceanography

Lora A. Harris
harris@umces.edu
web site
Systems ecology; theoretical ecology; primary producers from phytoplankton to macrophytes; ecosystem modeling

Andrew Heyes (*currently not accepting students)
heyes@umces.edu
web site
Biogeochemistry, trace metal chemistry, fate of human derived chemicals

Anson Hines (*currently not accepting students)
hinesa@si.edu
web site
Marine and estuarine invertebrate and fish population biology and community ecology

Edward D. Houde (*currently not accepting students)
ehoude@umces.edu
web site
Fisheries science and management; recruitment mechanisms; effects of environment on reproductive success of fishes; ecology of marine and estuarine fishes, especially early-life stages

Ali B. Ishaque
abishaque@umes.edu
web site
Environmental chemical stressors (organic, inorganic and microplastics). Fatty acid markers, stable isotope ratios and mercury concentrations to understand trophic relationships and how food web changes in relation to environmental factors and climate variability.

Joe Jurisa
jjurisa@umces.edu
web site
I am a physical oceanographer mainly focused on mixing and transport processes in estuarine and coastal systems.  My research focuses on understanding the mixing and transport processes driving the water mass transformation in the estuarine and coastal regions as these processes ultimately control the fate of freshwater and the water mass structure on the continental shelf.  I develop novel analytical tools and utilize numerical models along with observational oceanographic and meteorological data in an attempt to capture and advance the understanding of the underlying physical processes.

K. Halimeda Kilbourne (*currently not accepting students)
kilbourn@umces.edu
web site
Paleoclimate and Paleooceanography; causes of past climate variability and its implications for future climates, geochemical records of biogenic carbonates, learning from the geologic record of environmental change. 

Laura Lapham (*currently not accepting students)
lapham@umces.edu
web site
Methane biogeochemistry, marine methane seeps, gas hydrates, Arctic permafrost, sediment biogeochemistry, carbon and nitrogen cycling, sulfate reduction, methanogenesis, anaerobic methane oxidation

Ming Li
mingli@umces.edu
web site
My research spans several areas in oceanography, including estuarine and coastal dynamics, turbulence, sea level rise, and regional impacts of climate change. I am also actively engaged in interdisciplinary research to address pressing environmental problems such as hypoxia, ocean acidification, and harmful algal blooms.

Slava Lyubchich
lyubchich@umces.edu
web site
Time series analysis, forecasting, applied statistics, non-parametric inference, bootstrap, environmental modeling, random networks

Sairah Malkin
smalkin@umces.edu
web site
Biogeochemistry and microbial ecology, particularly in sediment environments; benthic ecology; coastal and large lakes ecology.  Current projects are investigating the ecology of sulfur oxidizing bacteria in coastal marine systems.

Eric B. May
ebmay@mail.umes.edu
web site
Effects of environmental contamination and habitat degradation on aquatic animal health; use of biochemical and metabolic indicators to determine the response of fish to injurious agents of conditions; establishment of clinical methods for non-lethal testing

Andrew J. Miller (*currently not accepting students)
miller@umbc.edu
web site
Surface-water hydrology and fluvial geomorphology; interaction between flow patterns and boundary conditions imposed by geometry; effects of human activities on watershed hydrology and river channels

Carys Mitchelmore
mitchelm@umces.edu
web site
Investigating molecular, biochemical and cellular responses of aquatic organisms to inorganic and organic pollutants; determining species-specificity; biochemical pathways and toxic effects; applying and developing novel biomarkers to existing and emerging environmental problems

William Nardin
wnardin@umces.edu
web site
We have 2 new projects and I am looking for candidates with engineering background to work on quantify metric's design of coastal restoration projects. Those projects involve mostly modeling and some fieldwork. Knowing how to pilot a drone is preferential.

David M. Nelson (*currently not accepting students)
dnelson@umces.edu 
web site
Ecosystem responses to natural and human-induced variations in climatic and environmental conditions; study of plants and microbes in geologic and modern settings utilizing isotopic, paleoecological, genomic and biogeochemical tools

Elizabeth North
enorth@umces.edu
web site
Fisheries oceanography with emphasis on shellfish in estuaries; Three-dimensional habitat and particle trajectory modeling; Carbon capture with microalgae; Stakeholder-driven research

Judith O'Neil (*currently not accepting students)
joneil@umces.edu
web site
Harmful Algal Bloom dynamics; plankton nutrient and trophodynamics; Cyanobacteria ecophysiology

Andrea Pain
apain@umces.edu
web site
My research links terrestrial and coastal processes by looking at the quantity and quality of water flowing from land to sea, including both stream runoff and groundwater. Streams and groundwater both contribute carbon and nutrients to the coast but vary in composition due to differences in how they flow through the landscape. I am interested in how terrestrial processes impact the quantity and quality of freshwater delivery to the coast and implications for ecological and biogeochemical processes in coastal regions, particularly in the face of climate change and rising sea levels.

Cindy Palinkas
cpalinkas@umces.edu
web site
Continental-margin sedimentation; formation and preservation of sedimentary strata in the geological record; deposition and accumulation of fluvial sediment in the coastal ocean

James J. Pierson (*currently not accepting students)
jpierson@umces.edu
web site
Zooplankton ecology; how individual behaviors affect population dynamics; how zooplankton individuals and groups function within an ecosystem; microplastic distribution and transport in estuaries; broadening participation in geoscience and ocean science.

Allen Place (*currently not accepting students)
place@umces.edu
web site
Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms that permit organisms to adapt to unique diets, environments, and interactions (symbiosis); genomics of toxic dinoflagellates; and using aragonite to mitigate agricultural nutrient production

Karen L. Prestegaard
kpresto@umd.edu
web site
Sediment transport and depositional processes; mechanisms of streamflow generation and their variations with watershed scale, geology and land use; hydrology of coastal and riparian wetlands

Martin Rabenhorst
mrabenho@umd.edu
web site
Genesis, morphology and classification of hydromorphic soils, particularly non-tidal wetlands and coastal marshes; pedogenesis and resource inventory of subaqueous soils

Michael R. Roman
roman@umces.edu
web site
Biological oceanography; zooplankton ecology

Lawrence P. Sanford (*currently not accepting students)
lsanford@umces.edu
web site
Coastal and esturaine physical oceanography; fine sediment transport mechanics, geophysical boundary layers, turbulence, surface and internal waves

Johan Schijf
schijf@umces.edu
web site
Aqueous geochemistry of trace metals, especially the rare earth and alkaline earth elements; uptake of trace metals by aquatic plants; trace metal coordination by siderophores and other biogenic organic ligands; using tree cores as archives of environmental metal pollution; environmental impacts of fossil energy production; physical chemistry of seawater; geochemistry of marine anoxic basins; inductively coupled plasma mass and atomic emission spectrometry; electrochemistry and potentiometric titration; ion chromatography

Greg Silsbe
gsilsbe@umces.edu
web site
Biological oceanography with an emphasis on the role of phytoplankton in the global carbon cycle. Satellite remote sensing; phytoplankton physiology; African Great Lake limnology.

Lori Staver (*currently not accepting students)
lstaver@umces.edu
web site
The common denominator in my work has been the role of nitrogen in aquatic plant ecology. I am most interested in how to build resilience into restored coastal habitats, given that most of these sites are impacted to some degree by eutrophication, and are also on the front lines of climate change and sea level rise. I am currently collaborating with others on biogeochemistry, restoration genetics, geomorphology, and the application of facilitation theory to vegetation establishment methods in tidal marsh restoration.

J. Court Stevenson (*currently not accepting students)
court@umces.edu
web site
Coastal zone resources and water quality management; ecology of marsh and sea grass systems; effects of sea-level rise on wetlands and coastal shorelines; environmental history of Chesapeake Bay and its watershed

Diane Stoecker (*currently not accepting students)
stoecker@umces.edu
web site
Biological oceanography & plankton ecology, microzooplankton; Mixotrophy (alternate modes of nutrition) in the plankton

Stephanie Stotts
snstotts@umes.edu
web site
Dr. Stephanie Stotts is Associate Professor of Forest Ecology and faculty lead for UMES' Urban Forestry Program. Dr. Stotts is a dendroecologist with expertise in tree and root response to changing environmental conditions

Cathlyn D. Stylinski
cstylinski@umces.edu
web site
Environmental science education and scientific inquiry in precollege classrooms; remote sensing and plant ecophysiology

R. Dwi Susanto
dwisusa@umd.edu
web site
Quantitative study of oceanography in the tropical Indo-Pacific region using in situ observation and remote sensing approaches, including the Indonesian throughflow (ITF) monitoring; Upper ocean circulation and processes (ocean currents, upwelling, tidal mixing, air-sea interactions, internal waves, marine heat waves) and their impacts on marine primary productivity; Ocean renewable energy

Jeremy M. Testa (*currently not accepting students)
jtesta@umces.edu
web site
Coastal marine ecology, including eutrophication, nutrient cycling, and dissolved oxygen dynamics; interactions between biological, chemical, and physical processes in coastal ecosystems using a combination of experimental efforts, historical data analysis, and coupled biogeochemical-hydrodynmaic modeling studies to examine these aspects of estuarine and coastal aquatic science. 

Claire Welty
weltyc@umbc.edu
web site
Transport processes in aquifers; mathematical modeling of groundwater flow and transport in porous and fractured media; application of stochastic methods to interpreting groundwater problems; design and analysis of field-scale hydraulic and tracer tests

Meng Xia
mxia@umes.edu
web site
Numerical modeling of estuarine and coastal ocean, such as hydrodynamic modeling and plume dynamics; water quality modeling and bio-physical interaction; wave-current coupling and nearshore circulation 

Xin Zhang
xzhang@al.umces.edu
web site
Environmental science and policy, coupled human and natural systems, biogeochemical cycles of carbon and nitrogen, earth system modeling, atmospheric-biosphere interactions.

Jian Zhao
jianzhao@umces.edu
web site
I am a physical oceanographer seeking to understand multi-scale oceanic processes and their roles in the global climate system. My approach is observational, using both traditional and modern innovative instrument platforms – such as autonomous underwater vehicle– coupled with numerical modeling, to explore fundamental physical processes. 

Faculty Listed by Foundation

Ecological Systems

Andrew Baldwin
baldwin@umd.edu
web site
Wetland ecology; plant community dynamics of coastal marshes and mangroves; disturbance and regeneration ecology of wetland vegetation; wetland seed banks; influence of sea level rise on coastal wetlands; community and ecosystem processes of created and restored wetlands; nutrient effects on wetland plant communities

Hongsheng Bi
hbi@umces.edu
web site
Ocean-climate variability and ecosystem response; zooplankton community and population dynamics; application of satellite techniques in marine fisheries

Mercedes Burns (*currently not accepting students)
burnsm@umbc.edu
web site
Evolutionary ecology of reproductive traits and behaviors, sexual conflict, reproductive polymorphism, arthropod biology

Paulinus Chigbu
pchigbu@umes.edu
web site
Fisheries ecology; influence of variations in climatic factors on water quality and biota; culture of rotifers and copepods for use in rearing marine fish larvae; trophic dynamics in marine and freshwater environments; zooplankton ecology

J. Sook Chung
chung@umces.edu
web site
Response of crustaceans to the neurotransmitter, neurohormones and pheromones that regulate critical events in the life cycle

Mark Cochrane (*currently not accepting students)
mark.cochrane@umces.edu
web site
Understanding spatial patterns, interactions and synergisms between the multiple physical and biological factors that affect ecosystems; climate change, human dimensions of land-cover change and the potential for sustainable development; the drivers and effects of disturbance regime changes resulting from various forms of forest degradation, including fire, fragmentation and logging as well as the mitigating effects of forest and land management.

Emily Cohen
emily.cohen@umces.edu
web site
Understanding animal migration biology in the context of the full annual cycle; using field, lab, and remotely sensed data integrated with rigorous quantitative tools to: address fundamental questions about migration biology, understand how and why migration is changing and migratory species are declining, and develop tools for the inclusion of stopover and airspace habitats into conservation and management efforts for migratory species.

Victoria J. Coles (*currently not accepting students)
vcoles@umces.edu
web site
Physical and biological response and feedbacks to climate variability and change; Observation and modeling of ocean circulation and ventilation, biogeochemical tracer, and ecosystem cycling

Jeffrey C. Cornwell
cornwell@umces.edu
web site
Sediment biogeochemistry; burial of sediment and associated chemical constituents; nutrient exchange in sediment; influence of tidal marshes on ecosystem N and P balances

Maurice Crawford (*currently not accepting students)
mkcrawford@umes.edu
web site
Estuarine habitat conservation/restoration; the dispersal and movement of organisms, and the interplay between science and policy.

Jonathan Cumming
jrcumming@umes.edu
web site
I currently work at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where I am chair of the Department of Natural Sciences. My research focuses on the ecology and physiology of plants in stressful environments. These studies include the plant root microbiome My current projects include 'CBI: The Center for Bioenergy Innovation' with Oak Ridge National Lab, which focuses on the full lifecycle of aviation fuel production from cellulosic feedstocks.

Eric Davidson (*currently not accepting students)
edavidson@umces.edu
web site
Biogeochemistry and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, including the effects of management, land use change, and climatic change on soil C and N stocks, trace gas emissions from soils, and leaching of plant nutrients to streams and groundwater. Current study areas include the Brazilian Amazon Basin and Cerrado region and the forests of New England.

William Dennison
dennison@umces.edu
web site
Coastal ecosystem ecology; ecophysiology of marine plants; bioindicators in nearshore environments; assessing ecosystem health

Andrew Elmore (*currently not accepting students)
aelmore@umces.edu
web site
Land use and land cover change; ecohydrology; biogeochemistry; remote sensing and spatial analysis; effects of urban development and agriculture on stream ecosystems; impact of climate change om forest phenology and biogeochemistry

Katharina Engelhardt (*currently not accepting students)
kengelhardt@umces.edu
web site
Effects of species richness on wetland ecosystem functioning and services; community ecology and ecosystem ecology

Matthew Fitzpatrick
mfitzpatrick@umces.edu
website
My research emphasizes the development and application of spatial modeling approaches for understanding and mapping past, current, and future patterns of biodiversity, with a focus on terrestrial systems, mainly plants.

J. Edward Gates
egates@umces.edu
web site
Wildlife, habitat and landscape ecology; habitat fragmentation and alteration, connectivity, edge effects and boundary dynamics; habitat suitability for vertebrate species

Matthew Gray (*currently not accepting students)
mgray@umces.edu
web site
Oysters and other marine invertebrate provide numerous benefit to coastal communities and local environments. As an ecophysiologist, my research focuses on understanding the physiological response of marine invertebrates to current and future environmental conditions (e.g. ocean acidification) and the ecological benefits provided by these organisms over space and time.  My studies are intended to broaden our knowledge base and provide relevant information to help inform stakeholder, management, and policy in Maryland and elsewhere.

Jacqueline Grebmeier
jgrebmei@umces.edu
web site
Pelagic-benthic coupling on continental shelves, benthic ecology, invertebrate zoology, contaminant distributions, high latitude oceanography

Reginal M. Harrell (*currently not accepting students)
rharrell@umd.edu
web site
Environmental and bioethics; conservation and restoration ecology; breeding genetics and hybridization; stress physiology of vertebrates

Lora A. Harris
harris@umces.edu
web site
Systems ecology; theoretical ecology; primary producers from phytoplankton to macrophytes; ecosystem modeling

Robert H. Hildebrand (*currently not accepting students)
rhilderbrand@umces.edu
web site
Ecology and conservation biology of running waters; watershed and stream habitat restoration; linking landscapes and populations

Edward D. Houde (*currently not accepting students)
ehoude@umces.edu
web site
Fisheries science and management; recruitment mechanisms; effects of environment on reproductive success of fishes; ecology of marine and estuarine fishes, especially early-life stages 

Patrick Kangas
pkangas@umd.edu
web site
Ecological engineering; natural resource management; tropical ecosystems

Paul T. Leisnham
leisnham@umd.edu
web site

Population and Community ecology; Invasion ecology; Vector ecology; Entomology; Coupled Human-Natural Systems; Socio-Ecology

Sairah Malkin
smalkin@umces.edu
web site
Biogeochemistry and microbial ecology, particularly in sediment environments; benthic ecology; coastal and large lakes ecology.  Current projects are investigating the ecology of sulfur oxidizing bacteria in coastal marine systems.

Eric B. May
ebmay@mail.umes.edu
web site
Effects of environmental contamination and habitat degradation on aquatic animal health; use of biochemical and metabolic indicators to determine the response of fish to injurious agents of conditions; establishment of clinical methods for non-lethal testing

Tamra Mendelson (*currently not accepting students)
tamram@umbc.edu
web site
Ecology & evolution of communication; rate of communication evolution vs. ecological divergence & other reproductive barriers; biology at the science-policy-practice interface.

Thomas Miller (*currently not accepting students)
miller@umces.edu
web site
Recruitment and population dynamics of aquatic animals; fish early life history; feeding and bio-physical interactions; aquatic ecology; blue crabs

Carys Mitchelmore
mitchelm@umces.edu
web site
Investigating molecular, biochemical and cellular responses of aquatic organisms to inorganic and organic pollutants; determining species-specificity; biochemical pathways and toxic effects; applying and developing novel biomarkers to existing and emerging environmental problems

Jennifer L. Mullinax (Murrow)
wildlife@umd.edu
web site
Applied spatial wildlife ecology, with emphasis on habitat modeling, habitat use and selection, and animal movements in suburban and urban ecosystems; conflict resolution and conservation planning in natural resources

Genevieve Nesslage (*currently not accepting students)
nesslage@umces.edu
web site
Fish and wildlife population dynamics; fisheries stock assessment; invasive species biology, quantitative ecology. 

David M. Nelson (*currently not accepting students)
dnelson@umces.edu 
web site
Ecosystem responses to natural and human-induced variations in climatic and environmental conditions; study of plants and microbes in geologic and modern settings utilizing isotopic, paleoecological, genomic and biogeochemical tools

Elizabeth North
enorth@umces.edu
web site
Fisheries oceanography with emphasis on shellfish in estuaries; Three-dimensional habitat and particle trajectory modeling; Carbon capture with microalgae; Stakeholder-driven research

Judith O'Neil (*currently not accepting students)
joneil@umces.edu
web site
Harmful Algal Bloom dynamics; plankton nutrient and trophodynamics; Cyanobacteria ecophysiology

Margaret Palmer (*currently not accepting students)
palmer@umces.edu
web site
Stream community and ecosystems ecology; restoration ecology; stream ecosystem structure and function; influence of land use, hydrology and geomorphology on health of running-water ecosystems

James J. Pierson (*currently not accepting students)
jpierson@umces.edu
web site
Zooplankton ecology; how individual behaviors affect population dynamics; how zooplankton individuals and groups function within an ecosystem; microplastic distribution and transport in estuaries; broadening participation in geoscience and ocean science.

Louis V. Plough
lplough@umces.edu
web site
Population genetics of marine animals, quantitative genetics and experimental breeding of shellfish; oyster biology and aquaculture; ecological genomics of stress adaptation in marine animals; larval biology of marine invertebrates

Karen L. Prestegaard
kpresto@umd.edu
web site
Sediment transport and depositional processes; mechanisms of streamflow generation and their variations with watershed scale, geology and land use; hydrology of coastal and riparian wetlands

Martin Rabenhorst
mrabenho@umd.edu
web site
Genesis, morphology and classification of hydromorphic soils, particularly non-tidal wetlands and coastal marshes; pedogenesis and resource inventory of subaqueous soils

Michael R. Roman
roman@umces.edu
web site
Biological oceanography; zooplankton ecology

Kenneth Rose
krose@umces.edu
web site
Dr. Rose is the France-Merrick Professor in Sustainable Ecosystem Restoration at Horn Point Laboratory of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science.  Prior to coming to UMCES, Dr. Rose was a professor at Louisiana State University and a research staff member at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. His research centers on using mathematical and computer simulation modeling to predict and better understand fish population and food web dynamics in estuaries, lakes, reservoirs, and oceans.

Christopher Rowe (*currently not accepting students)
rowe@umces.edu
web site
Physiological ecology and ecotoxicology of ectothermic animals. Research is focused on bioenergetic and resource-related effects of climate warming and environmental contamination.

Lawrence P. Sanford (*currently not accepting students)
lsanford@umces.edu
web site
Coastal and esturaine physical oceanography; fine sediment transport mechanics, geophysical boundary layers, turbulence, surface and internal waves

David Secor (*currently not accepting students)
secor@umces.edu
web site
Fish ecology; fish life history and migration studies; fisheries stock enhancement; migration and habitat use as behaviors controlling and regulating population dynamics

Eric Schott
schott@umces.edu
web site
The Schott lab research focuses on understanding aquatic health in two main areas: the discovery and tracking of estuarine pathogens in the blue crab and other shellfish and the health of urban estuaries for living resources and people. Dr. Schott collaborates with numerous researchers and stakeholders, applying molecular methods to study the health of fisheries and describe the biodiversity of Baltimore Harbor.

Greg Silsbe
gsilsbe@umces.edu
web site
Biological oceanography with an emphasis on the role of phytoplankton in the global carbon cycle. Satellite remote sensing; phytoplankton physiology; African Great Lake limnology.

Lori Staver (*currently not accepting students)
lstaver@umces.edu
web site
The common denominator in my work has been the role of nitrogen in aquatic plant ecology. I am most interested in how to build resilience into restored coastal habitats, given that most of these sites are impacted to some degree by eutrophication, and are also on the front lines of climate change and sea level rise. I am currently collaborating with others on biogeochemistry, restoration genetics, geomorphology, and the application of facilitation theory to vegetation establishment methods in tidal marsh restoration.

J. Court Stevenson (*currently not accepting students)
court@umces.edu
web site
Coastal zone resources and water quality management; ecology of marsh and sea grass systems; effects of sea-level rise on wetlands and coastal shorelines; environmental history of Chesapeake Bay and its watershed

Christopher Swan (*currently not accepting students)
cmswan@umbc.edu
web site
Steam community and ecosystem ecology; riparian biodiversity and stream processes; urban riparian-steam ecology

Jeremy M. Testa (*currently not accepting students)
jtesta@umces.edu
web site
Coastal marine ecology, including eutrophication, nutrient cycling, and dissolved oxygen dynamics; interactions between biological, chemical, and physical processes in coastal ecosystems using a combination of experimental efforts, historical data analysis, and coupled biogeochemical-hydrodynmaic modeling studies to examine these aspects of estuarine and coastal aquatic science. 

Stephen Tomasetti
sjtomasetti@umes.edu
web site
Global change ecology with emphasis on warming, deoxygenation, and acidification; Shellfishes and biogenic habitats; Resilience and climate-adapted habitat restoration; Aquaculture and sustainable coastal food systems; Socio-ecological systems

Allison Tracy
amtracy@umbc.edu
web site
I am a community ecologist studying the impact of the environment on species interactions. I'm especially interested in the ecology and evolution of disease, spatial ecology, and the role of habitat-forming foundation species in ecosystems.

My research focuses on marine health and disease, with a focus on Chesapeake Bay organisms and ecosystems. I study the ecology of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, including the reef habitat they form, the impact of restoration and management, and species interactions. Chesapeake Bay oysters are a well-studied system for understanding marine disease, which serves as a strong foundation for my work on host-parasite interactions. The other branch of my research focuses on co-infection, immunity, and environmental drivers on corals reefs in Puerto Rico. Understanding and conserving foundation species is a uniting theme of my work.

Gerardo R. Vasta
GVasta@som.umaryland.edu
web site
Molecular aspects and evolution of the acute phase response in vertebrates and invertebrates; structure/function relationships in carbohydrate-binding proteins; role of lectins in development and internal defense; host/parasite interactions; disease prevention, control in fisheries

Lisa Wainger
wainger@umces.edu
web site
Risk analysis and decision support tools for prioritizing natural resource management options; invasive species risk assessment; wetland restoration prioritization; ecological and economic indicators for communicating relative costs and benefits of natural resource change

Raymond R. Weil (*currently not accepting students)
rweil@umd.edu
web site
Soil ecology; plant-soil relationships; soil fertility; soil quality; environmental impacts of agricultural systems; nutrient and carbon cycling; cover crops in sustainable cropping systems; soil management. 

Michael Wilberg
wilberg@umces.edu
web site
Stock assessment; dynamics of exploited populations; harvest policy development and application; statistical model selection and averaging

Ryan Woodland (*currently not accepting students)
woodland@umces.edu
web site
Trophic and food web ecology, anthropogenic effects on coastal ecosystems, stable isotope ecology, ecological connectivity across coastal ecosystems

Faculty Listed by Foundation

Environmental Molecular Science & Technology

Neil V. Blough (*currently not accepting students)
neilb@umd.edu
web site
Methods for detecting and identifying free radicals in condensed phases; impact of (photo)oxidative reactions on the transformation and fate of organic & inorganic compounds in natural waters and biological systems

Som Chatterjee
schatterjee@umaryland.edu 
web site
Decipher the biological basis for pathogenic of S. aureus using a wide variety of molecular biology, genomic, biochemical, and immunological approaches; study beta-lactam drug resistant phenotypes and genotypes through proteomics and genomics; explore non-canonical (novel) targets responsible for beta-lactam resistance in S. aureus to re-sensitize resistant bacteria to beta-lactam drugs; explore novel approaches, such as developing nano-bodies, to treat staphylococcal infections.

Feng Chen (*currently not accepting students)
chenf@umces.edu
web site
Ecological interaction among marine viruses, bacteria and phytoplankton; phylogenetic diversity and molecular evolution of marine microbes; whole cell or in situ molecular detection; functional genes and microbial genome

J. Sook Chung
chung@umces.edu
web site
Response of crustaceans to the neurotransmitter, neurohormones and pheromones that regulate critical events in the life cycle

Kathleen Cusick
kcusick@umbc.edu
web site
Microbial ecology of coastal marine systems, with an emphasis on saxitoxin-producing harmful algal bloom ecology and evolution using a combination of genetics, genomics, and transcriptomics

Kausik Das
kdas@umes.edu
Understanding of the capillary and wetting dynamics on under-sea bio-solid substrates, the role of viscous bio-films on contact line dynamics to reveal the micro-scale information of the under-liquid wetting transition, and use it into developing macroscopic tools and techniques to i) develop tools for characterization of under-water pollutant plumes and its impact on marine ecosystems; ii)Develop surfaces which will simultaneously behave as superhydrophobic (water repellant) and superleophobic (oil repellant); (iii) Develop efficient under-water structures with antifouling properties; iv) Develop novel micro-fluidic devices for mixing/demixing.

Shao-Jun (Jim) Du
sdu@som.umaryland.edu
web site
Cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling differentiation of muscle and nerve cells during embryogenesi

Russell T. Hill (*currently not accepting students)
hillr@umces.edu
web site
Marine microbiology focused on symbiosis between bacteria and marine invertebrates. Symbiotic bacteria associated with marine micro algae with potential in biofuels production and carbon sequestration.

Rosemary Jagus
jagus@umces.edu
web site
Translational control of gene expression; regulation of gene activity during early development; host defense against virus infection and viral countermeasures; role of protein synthesis in lactation

Madan Kharel (*currently not accepting students)
mkkharel@umes.edu
web site
Our lab seeks to identify bioactive natural products from marine resources. Our focus is to explore their potential applications both as therapeutics or their significance at local ecosystems. We utilize molecular biology, synthetic biology and bioorganic chemistry techniques to address research questions.

Yantao Li
yantao@umces.edu
web site
My research program aims to understand abiotic and biotic interactions of microalgae with the environment, and the molecular mechanisms regulating carbon assimilation and lipid biosynthesis during those interactions.

Sairah Malkin
smalkin@umces.edu
web site
Biogeochemistry and microbial ecology, particularly in sediment environments; benthic ecology; coastal and large lakes ecology.  Current projects are investigating the ecology of sulfur oxidizing bacteria in coastal marine systems.

Carys Mitchelmore
mitchelm@umces.edu
web site
Investigating molecular, biochemical and cellular responses of aquatic organisms to inorganic and organic pollutants; determining species-specificity; biochemical pathways and toxic effects; applying and developing novel biomarkers to existing and emerging environmental problems

Allen Place (*currently not accepting students)
place@umces.edu
web site
Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms that permit organisms to adapt to unique diets, environments, and interactions (symbiosis); genomics of toxic dinoflagellates; and using aragonite to mitigate agricultural nutrient production

Louis V. Plough
lplough@umces.edu
web site
Population genetics of marine animals, quantitative genetics and experimental breeding of shellfish; oyster biology and aquaculture; ecological genomics of stress adaptation in marine animals; larval biology of marine invertebrates

Joseph Pitula
jspitula@umes.edu
web site
PFAS contamination of environmental sites and its biological impacts

Eric Schott
schott@umces.edu
web site
The Schott lab research focuses on understanding aquatic health in two main areas: the discovery and tracking of estuarine pathogens in the blue crab and other shellfish and the health of urban estuaries for living resources and people. Dr. Schott collaborates with numerous researchers and stakeholders, applying molecular methods to study the health of fisheries and describe the biodiversity of Baltimore Harbor.

Harold Schreier (*currently not accepting students)
schreier@umbc.edu
web site
Microbial molecular genetics and physiology; nitrogen metabolism in Bacillus subtilis; control of glutamine synthease operon expression; regulation of gene expression

Kevin R. Sowers
sowers@umbc.edu
web site
Biology of methanogenesis; anaerobic bioremediation; regulatory pathways in methanogenic Archaea; bioprocess scale-up of microorganisms from extreme environments.

Alba Torrents
alba@eng.umd.edu
web site
Chemical transformations and sorption of organic pollutants; environmental fate of toxic chemicals; applications of spectroscopic techniques to environmental systems

Allison Tracy
amtracy@umbc.edu
web site
I am a community ecologist studying the impact of the environment on species interactions. I'm especially interested in the ecology and evolution of disease, spatial ecology, and the role of habitat-forming foundation species in ecosystems.

My research focuses on marine health and disease, with a focus on Chesapeake Bay organisms and ecosystems. I study the ecology of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, including the reef habitat they form, the impact of restoration and management, and species interactions. Chesapeake Bay oysters are a well-studied system for understanding marine disease, which serves as a strong foundation for my work on host-parasite interactions. The other branch of my research focuses on co-infection, immunity, and environmental drivers on corals reefs in Puerto Rico. Understanding and conserving foundation species is a uniting theme of my work.

Gerardo R. Vasta
GVasta@som.umaryland.edu
web site
Molecular aspects and evolution of the acute phase response in vertebrates and invertebrates; structure/function relationships in carbohydrate-binding proteins; role of lectins in development and internal defense; host/parasite interactions; disease prevention, control in fisheries

Victoria Volkis
vvolkis@umes.edu
web site (under construction)
Natural plants in antifouling protection, the science of biofilm formation and prevention, polymeric resins for extraction of antioxidants, natural pants incapsulated into biodegradable polymers as natural pesticides.

Yan Waguespack
yywaguespack@umes.edu
web site
Lethal and sublethal responses of early life-stages of winter flounder to habitat contamination in their natal estuaries; sublethal physiological effects of heavy metal on ecologically key marine and aquatic organisms by using 31P NMR, AAS and ICP-AES; characterization of high molecular weight mucin-like glycoconjugates from fish models; heavy metal and polyaromatic hydrocarbon investigations on sediment along Maryland coastal bay, and heavy metal contaminants' effect on SAV plant along Maryland coastal bay; phyto remediation of TNT, DNT and other contaminants

Ten-Tsao Wong
wong@umbc.edu
web site
Molecular, cellular and applied aspects of fish germ cell biology, reproductive physiology and vaccine development

Stephanie Yarwood (*currently not accepting students)
syarwood@umd.edu
website 
Microbial interactions and functioning in soils, with the overall goal of understanding environmental factors that affect microbial community composition and how microbial community structure in turn affects ecosystem function; examination of how subsurface microbial communities change during soil formation and how microbial communities vary due to anthropogenic disturbance.

Yonathan Zohar
zohar@umbc.edu
web site
Fish physiology, aquaculture and endocrinology; environmental and hormonal regulation of fish reproductive cycles, spawning induction technologies, drug delivery in aquaculture, molecular biotechnology