Joann Rodriguez Suarez
Current Position: Environmental Engineer- Environmental Protection Specialist, FEMA
Ph.D, Environmental Engineering, UMass Amherst, 2022
M.S. Environmental Engineering, University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, 2015
B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, 2012
2015 – Northeast Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate Fellowship
2016 – Honorable Mention, Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship
2017 – Received Berger Award from Environmental and Water Resource Engineering Group at UMass
2018 – 2nd Place – Presentation Competition NEGSWS
Project: Nanoparticle and biofilm interactions
Patrick Acer
Current Position: Research Associate, Biobot Analytics, Inc
Masters of Public Health, Epidemiology, 2022
B.S. of Public Health, 2020
Project: Wastewater-based Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2
Isaac Reyes
Current Position: Pilot Engineer, BlueLeafWater
M.S. Environmental Engineering, 2022
B.S. of Civil Engineering, 2021
Project: Sampling strategies Wastewater-based Epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2
Camilla Dahab-Kuo
Current Position: Postdoctoral Associate, McGill University
PhD: Extracellular Polymeric Substances in oxygenic photogranules
B.S. University of Minnesota
Bryan Ovelheiro
co-advised Simos Gerasimidis
Current Position: Quality Control Inspector at Holts Precision Inc
M.S. Civil Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2020
B.S. Civil Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2019
2019 – 2nd Place – Poster Competition NEGSWS
Project: 3D Printed Biofilm Supports for Wastewater Treatment
Sam Downes
Current Position: Civil Engineer, Town of Brookline
M.S. Environmental Engineering, UMass Amherst, 2019
B.S. Math and Chemistry, St Lawrence University 2017
2018 – Division 1, Track and Field
2018 – Best Poster Award, NEGSWS
2019 – Berger Award
Project: Oxygen Diffusion in Oxygenic Photogranules
Megan Patton
Current Position: Staff Engineer, TKleinfelder
M.S. Environmental Engineering, UMass Amherst, 2017
B.S. Chemical Engineering SUNY Buffalo, 2014
Project: Oxygen Diffusion in Oxygenic Photogranules
Cynthia Castro
Current Position: Postdoctoral Scholar, University of South Florida
Postdoc, Butler Research Group, UMass Amherst, 2017-2018
Ph.D, Environmental Engineering, UMass Amherst, 2017
M.S. Environmental Engineering, UMass Amherst, 2014
B.S. Civil Engineering, University of Texas, Austin, 2011
2012 – Awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
2012 – Awarded Texas AWWA Scholarship
2014 – Awarded National Science Foundation GROW Fellowship
2017 – Perrell Fellowship
Project: Developing a Microbial Fuel Cell Latrine for Organics and Nitrogen Removal
Varun Srinivasan
Current: Process Engineer, Brown and Caldwell
Ph.D. Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, May 2017
M.S. Environmental Engineering, UMass Amherst, 2012
B.Tech., Industrial Biotechnology, Anna University, 2010
2013 – Awarded Edward Sission Fellowship for Engineering
2014 – Received Biofilm Summer School Fellowship
2015 – Received Berger Award from Environmental and Water Resource Engineering Group at UMass
Project: Microbial Competition with Microbial Fuel Cell Biofilms (Funding Air Force SBIR Phase I)
Kristie Stauch-White
Current: Vice President of FTL Labs, Inc
M.S. Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, January 2017
B.S. in Physical Science, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
Began September 2013
2014 – Awarded Boscov Fellowship
2015 – Awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
2016 – Received the Noga Award from the Environmental and Water Resource Engineering Group at UMass
Project: Nitrogen cycling of Oxygenic Photogranules
Joshua Jack
Current: Assistant Professor, University of Michigan
Ph.D. Princeton, 2023M.S., Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2016
B.S. Civil Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2014
Project: Improving Energy Production and Removal Efficiency of the Microbial Fuel Cell Latrine for Organics and Nitrogen Removal (Funding: Gates Grand Challenges Exploration – Round 11)
Michelle Ly
Current Employer:
M.S. Environmental Engineering, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2015
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, 2013
Project: Improving the Microbial Fuel Cell Latrine Reactor Design
2014 – NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Honorable Mention
Jacob Weinrich
Current Employer: Tighe and Bond
M.S. Environmental Engineering, UMass, Amherst, 2013
B.S., Environmental Engineering, Wilkes University, 2011
Master’s Thesis: Determining Kinetic Parameters of a Nitrite-Accumulating, Denitrifying Microbial Fuel Cell Biocathode.
Cloelle Danforth
Current Employer: Environmental Defense Fund, NY
Postdoctoral Scholar, UMass Amherst, 2012-2013
Lecturer, Smith College, 2010-2012
Ph.D. Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, 2012
M.S. Civil and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, 2008
B.S. Engineering Science, Smith College, 2004
Project: Reactor Development and Design for Microbial Electrosynthesis (Funding: ARPA-E)