Education: 1988 | Ph.D. | The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor: Civil and Environmental Engineering
1984 | M.S. | The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor: Civil and Environmental Engineering
1981 | A.B. | Columbia College, Columbia University: Earth and Environmental Sciences
Work Experience: 1988-1991: MIT: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1991-2017 The Ohio State University: School of Earth Sciences,
2017-Present University of Delaware: Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Research: The biogeochemistry of dissolved organic matter, redox processes in sediments, environmental fate of synthetic organic compounds
Outside of Research: Fly fishing, cycling, indie music, cooking, furniture making, hiking, wine, running, pontificating

Background: Danhui is a Korean who grew up in China. She obtained both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Environmental Engineering at Tongji University in Shanghai. During her master’s program, she studied at the University of Tokyo and collaborated with researchers from other institutes in Japan. She then moved to Delaware for her Ph.D. and graduated in the Summer of 2021 under Dr. Pei Chiu. She will be joining Yo’s group as a postdoc researcher, starting in September 2022. 

Research: Her research interests are focused on understanding electron transfer, i.e., redox reactions, in the subsurface. Her master’s research focused on the transport and emission of landfill greenhouse gases, which was conducted based on field measurement and numerical modeling. Her Ph.D. work was centered on understanding the electron storage capacity of black carbon and its environmental roles. She developed methods for characterizing the electron storage capacity of black carbon. She also studied the application of biochar for contaminant transformation and the role of black carbon in greenhouse gas reduction. In Yo’s group, she is expecting to expand her passion for environmental redox chemistry into the field environment. She is especially interested in the redox chemistry of environments that are susceptible to climate change. 

Outside of Research: Danhui enjoys reading and doing yoga. She also loves spending time outdoors—jogging, hiking, camping, or simply outside.

Background: Lauren is from Plattsburgh, NY and she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Chemistry from Union College in 2018.

Research: Lauren studies the consequences of the pesticide, chlorpyrifos, on base-level stream ecosystem dynamics. 

Honors: Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN) Fellowship and National Science Foundation INTERN Recipient

Outside of Research: Outside of research, she is active in outreach: she leads monthly coffee hours for the CEE department, she was Vice President of the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) in 2021-2022, and she was elected Lead Mentor for EmPOWER in 2022-2023. Lauren enjoys spending time with her dog, collecting new plants, and hanging out with friends and family.

Background: Patricia is from New Jersey and obtained her bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Rowan University in 2018. She is a first-generation college graduate.

Research: Patricia is studying the sorption of antibiotics in the environment.

Honors: Laird Fellow Recipient, National Science Foundation Graduate Student Fellow

Outside of Research: Patricia is president of the student chapter of the Delaware Section of the American Water Resources Association and the lead EmPOWER mentor in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering. In her spare time, she enjoys running, spending time outside, and visiting amusement parks. of agricultural antibiotics onto iron oxides.

Background: Anthony is from Southern California and received his bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Swarthmore College in 2017.

Research: Anthony is researching the physicochemical properties of novel brominated flame retardants and their fate freshwater ecosystems

Outside of Research: Anthony is one of the founders and current co-chairs of the University of Delaware’s Queer & Trans Graduate Student Union (QTGSU). In his free time, Anthony enjoys spending time with his two cats, Sasha and Baby Babe.

Background: Lizz is from upstate New York and obtained her Bachelors of Science in Environmental Chemistry from Union College in 2020.

Research: Lizz studies the role of dissolved organic matter in alkalinity of developed and pristine estuarine waters. She is also studying the effect of sea level rise on the coastal critical zone of the Delmarva Peninsula as a part of the National Science Foundation’s Critical-Zone Collaborative Network.

Honors: NOAA Margaret A. Davidson Fellow

Outside of Research: Outside of research, Lizz is a member of the Delaware Section of the American Water Resources Association. In her free time, Lizz loves to be outside, bake treats for her friends, and explore new places. She takes pride in her collection of 4-leaf clovers from around the world.

Background: Robyn is from Havertown, Pennsylvania and obtained her Bachelors of Environmental Engineering from the University of Delaware in 2021. She joined this group after completing her sophomore year and has worked on various projects before starting her own project for her Masters. 

Research: Robyn started working with Patricia completing experiments on the attenuation of tylosin on goethite. Then, she learned from former post-doc, Jill Kerrigan, about photolysis and how to investigate the effects of dissolved organic matter based on the photoreactivity of tetrabromobisphenol, A.  Robyn worked with Lauren on the solubility of chlorpyrifos in our environment and spent her senior year studying the characterization of Arctic DOM over time. Her current research analyzes the carbon characterization of stemflow from common trees in maryland to optimize the time to harvest trees for the usage of green plastics.

Outside of Research: Robyn plays Ultimate frisbee for the University, a few leagues in the area and a club team in Philadelphia.

Background: Joshua received his B.S in Environmental Science and Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh in December of 2020. He worked for the U.S. FDA (Forensic Chemistry Center) as an ORISE Research Fellow for a year before beginning his graduate studies at the University of Delaware in the fall of 2022.

Research: TBD

Honors: CEE Distinguished Scholars Award

Outside of Research: Outside of research, Joshua enjoys playing sports, running, traveling, and pretending to know how to play the guitar.

Winnie received her Ph.D. in Begging Sciences from a correspondence program geared for Springer Spaniels.  Besides practicing her vocation at research gatherings she prefers to spend most of her days being fawned on by group members.  

Now: Jeff is a Postdoctoral Researcher at Oregon Health & Science University

UD Research: Jeff defended his dissertation in March 2022: “APPLICATION OF ELECTROANALYTICAL METHODS TO INVESTIGATE BIOGEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES FROM GLOBAL TO MOLECULAR SCALES.” 

Honors: Recipient DOE Science Graduate Student Research Fellow, American Chemical Society Graduate Student Award

Background: Jeff is a proud Michigander hailing from the small town of Marysville, located at the bottom of the “thumb” region. He received his bachelor’s degree in Geology from Michigan State University in 2014 (Go Green!), and his master’s degree in Geology from Western Michigan University in 2016.