Dr. Alex Zhang
Alex (Li) Zhang is an Assistant Research Professor at the Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science at Penn State University. Dr. Zhang studies tropospheric air pollutants (including ozone, particulates, and greenhouse gases) and the interactions between air pollutants and meteorology. He uses a combination of measurements and state-of-the-art regional and global models to investigate how trace gases and aerosols are emitted, transformed, and transported within our atmosphere. He received his B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences from Nanjing University and Ph.D. in Atmospheric Environment from Hong Kong Polytechnic University and got postdoc training at Princeton University. He joined Prof. Kenneth Davis’s research group at Penn State in 2020.
Email: lxz5116@psu.edu
Check the details of Dr. Aex’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Brianne Hargrove
Brianne Hargrove is a third-year Ph.D. candidate and Alfred P. Sloan Scholar at Penn State University. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in mechanical engineering and a minor in Spanish in the Fall 2019. She began graduate school in the Spring of 2020, where she was a teaching assistant involved in developing new undergraduate lab courses for the mechanical engineering program. The lab topics included machine learning, CAD modeling, FEA, acoustics and vibrations, and energy generation through the study of wind turbines and wind tunnels. Her current research is focused on the analysis and synthesis of compliant mechanisms with nonlinear-elastic materials, such as shape memory alloys. Brianne enjoys learning different things and spends her free time drawing, playing the keyboard, writing, kickboxing, playing video games, and 3D printing. She also hopes to learn how she can help be a mentor to underrepresented youth and bring more awareness of STEM fields to her community.
Email: bbh5128@psu.edu
Check the details of Brianne’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Bryn Stewart
My name is Bryn Stewart, and I am a PhD student at Penn State in the Environmental Engineering program. I am originally from the Philadelphia area in Pennsylvania, but have lived in State College since 2014 when I started as an undergraduate student at Penn State. As an undergraduate, I studied Chemical Engineering with a minor in Environmental Engineering. In pursuing this minor in Environmental Engineering, I was introduced to research and started studying streamwater chemistry and the impacts of human influence on water quality. Since then, I decided to go to graduate school where I have been studying streamwater chemistry across a variety of watersheds and continuously learning about the chemical, biological, and geological processes that control the interactions between humans, water, and the environment. My research is grounded in environmental issues that affect the entire world, as climate change and human-driven disturbances endanger the quality and availability of our freshwater resources.
Email: bjs5781@psu.edu
Check the details of Bryn’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Carson Letot
Carson Letot is a PhD candidate at The Pennsylvania State University completing a dual title program in Agricultural and Extension Education and International Development. He completed two Bachelor of Science degrees at Michigan State University and a Master of Professional Studies at Cornell University before serving as a high school agricultural educator and FFA advisor at Montague High School in Montague, MI for three years. His current research resides in the space of global issues integration in classrooms and curriculum along the agricultural education continuum. Outside of academia, Carson enjoys golfing, studying golf course architecture, volunteering as a youth golf coach, and traveling to play golf courses around the world.
Email: ctl84@psu.edu
Check the details of Carson’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Dr. Eugene Clothiaux
Eugene E. Clothiaux received the B.S. degree in physics with honors from Auburn University in 1983 and the Sc.M. and Ph.D. degrees in physics from Brown University in 1986 and 1990, respectively. He received a Department of Energy Global Change Distinguished Post-doctoral Fellowship in 1991 to study radar returns from clear-air turbulence and clouds using a number of different radars developed at The Pennsylvania State University. He is currently a professor at The Pennsylvania State University, where his interests are atmospheric radiative transfer, assimilation of satellite data in support of improving tropical cyclone and severe weather forecasting, and ground- and satellite-based remote sensing of clouds with an emphasis on understanding the impact of clouds on the radiation budget of the Earth. He participated in the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) and Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program science teams for many years. He served terms as the science co-chair of the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) Atmospheric Science Data Center (ASDC) Users Working Group (UWG) and the ARM Cloud Properties Working Group. He was also a member of the ARM Science Team Executive Committee and the ARM Science Board. He was a co-chair of the Gordon Research Conference on Radiation and Climate at Bates College in 2015. He co-authored Fundamentals of Atmospheric Radiation with Craig F. Bohren, and he is currently assisting Craig F. Bohren and Donald R. Huffman in updating their book titled Absorption and Scattering of Light by Small Particles. He currently lives in State College, Pennsylvania.
Email: eec3@psu.edu
Check the details of Dr. Eugene’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Dr. Fang Zhu
Dr. Fang (Rose) Zhu is an insect toxicologist answering central questions regarding xenobiotic adaptation in numerous arthropod species, including economically and medically important arthropod pests and beneficial species. Her research uses integrative approaches from molecular and evolutionary biology, functional genomics, X-ray crystallography, and behavior to understand the mechanisms and evolution of insects’ adaptation to natural or human-made toxins, such as pesticides, host plant allelochemicals, GMO toxins. Dr. Zhu has a well-equipped research lab and extensive experience in mentoring students and postdoctoral scholars through guiding their research programs and providing introductions and advice on professional skills and career development. Her research is supported by grants from National Science Foundation and United State Department of Agriculture.
Email: fuz59@psu.edu
Check the details of Dr. Fang’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Dr. Jeremy Gernand
Jeremy Gernand is an Associate Professor of Environmental Health and Safety Engineering and the Associate Department Head for Graduate Studies in the Penn State Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering. He began his engineering career as a Safety Engineer at Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas after earning a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Texas A&M University. However, just before that, Jeremy served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea in West Africa as a Math and Physics teacher. While working in Houston, Dr. Gernand earned his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering at Rice University, before taking a job as a Reliability Engineer at Northrop Grumman, a defense and aerospace contractor, in Baltimore, Maryland. After losing a few too many arguments as to the potential benefits of reducing risk, Jeremy re-entered graduate school, where he earned a Ph.D. in Engineering and Public Policy at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He has lived in Pennsylvania since 2009, and in State College working for Penn State, since 2013. His current work focuses on the risks of air pollutants, appropriate policy responses, and decision making by engineers on questions of risk mitigation.
Email: jmg64@psu.edu
Check the details of Dr. Jeremy’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Jutamas Bussarakum
I am Jutamas (Judy) Bussarakum and 2nd year Ph.D. student in the Environmental Engineering program. I graduated bachelor’s degree in Biology from Mahidol University, Thailand and a master’s degree in Environmental Toxicology from Chulabhorn Graduate Institute, Thailand. I worked as a research assistant for almost 2 years at Chulabhorn Research Institute in Thailand before accepting the Thai Government scholarship in 2021 to pursue my Ph.D. degree.
When I was an undergrad student, I had experience working on bioremediation for cadmium contamination in rice and then working on the effect of pollution on human health and cell culture in my master’s degree. For my job, I have a responsibility to analyze the pesticides in environmental samples including water, fish, and local foods. Recently, I have been working on microplastic contamination in a freshwater system with my advisor, Dr.Nathaniel Warner. I studied how the number of microplastics changes with the depth of sediment and over time.Email: jkb6426@psu.edu
Check the details of Jutamas’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Dr. Kenneth Davis
Kenneth Davis is a Professor of Atmospheric and Climate Science at The Pennsylvania State University who studies the earth’s carbon and water cycles, and the interactions between the earth’s surface and the atmospheric boundary layer. He teaches courses about the global carbon cycle, greenhouse gas management, and earth-atmosphere interactions. He has an A.B. in Physics with a certificate in Theater and Dance from Princeton University, and a Ph.D. in Astrophysical, Planetary and Atmospheric Science from the University of Colorado. He joined the faculty of the Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science at Penn State in 2000.
Email: kjd10@psu.edu
Check the details of Dr. Kenneth’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Dr. Larry Cheng
Prof. Huanyu “Larry” Cheng is the James L. Henderson, Jr. Memorial Associate Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Penn State University. His research group focuses on the design, fabrication, and application of the standalone stretchable device platform. Larry has co-authored more than 120 publications with total citations >15,000 according to Google Scholar. His work has been recognized through the reception of numerous awards, including the Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers, 2022 Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS) Functional Materials Division (FMD) Young Leaders Professional Development Award, 2021 NIH Trailblazer Award, MIT Technology Review Innovators Under 35 (TR35 China) in 2021, 2021 Scialog Fellow in Advancing BioImaging, 2021 Frontiers of Materials Award from TMS, Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2017, among others. He also serves as the associate editor for 7 journals and reviewer for > 200 journals.
Email: huc24@psu.edu
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Mark Hovingh
I am currently in my sixth year at Penn State, and I am in a program called the Integrated Undergraduate/Graduate (IUG) program where I obtain my bachelor’s and master’s degree concurrently. In spring 2023 I will receive a bachelor’s degree in Mining Engineering and a master’s degree in Energy and Mineral Engineering. When not working on exams or labwork or research papers, I enjoy spending my time outdoors hiking, biking or kayaking, or I’m inside reading books or watching movies with friends.
Email: mah6364@psu.edu
Check the details of Mark’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Dr. Martín de Jesús Nieto Pérez
Martín Nieto Pérez got his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in 1997. He obtained a Fulbright Scholarship for postgraduate studies for the 1998-2000 period, which enabled him to get his Master’s (2001) and Docotral (2004) degrees in Nuclear Engineering, both from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. He was a postdoctoral associate at the Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory from 2004 to 2006. From 2008 to 2021 he was full professor at the Instituto Politécnico Nacional, within the Applied Science and Advanced Technology Research Center (CICATA) in Queretaro, Mexico. He was part of Mexico’s National Researchers System in the period 2007-2021 at Level I. He was awarded the Prize for Best Research at IPN 2010 in the category of young researcher. He has more than 35 technical publications in academic journals, and has participated in academic and technological forums related to nuclear energy and applies physics, both in Mexico and abroad. Since August 2021 he is associate teaching professor at the Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering at the Pennsylvania State University.
Email: mzp5837@psu.edu
Check the details of Dr. Martín’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Dr. Mary Ann Smith
Mary Ann V. Smith, MA, MA, MBA is a Chemistry/Biology faculty at Penn State Schuylkill. Her work, like her education, spans multiple disciplines and tracks. She works on Environmental connections to medicine and alternatives in many aspects through her work in Sourdough microbiomes and especially antibiotic discovery within soils. She also works to track Climate Change and monitoring with the GLOBE program. Her work has provided opportunities to examine Sustainable Agriculture and Gardening, which aids in her work with in the Community Garden at the Penn State Schuylkill campus and the Penn State Schuylkill Seed Bank Library.
Email: mvs14@psu.edu
Check the details of Dr. Mary’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Dr. Natasha Miles
The focus of Natasha Miles’ research is understanding the temporal and spatial distribution of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and relating these distributions to sources and sinks of these gases. She graduated with B.A. in physics from DePauw University in 1994, an M.S. in physics from Syracuse University in 1996, and a Ph.D. in Meteorology and Atmospheric Science from Penn State University in 2002.
Email: nlm136@psu.edu
Check the details of Dr. Natasha’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Dr. Brandon Forsythe
I am an assistant research professorr in the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute at Penn State University. I have broad experience in environmental sciences that primarily focused on water resources and surface water. My experience began with the U.S. Geological Survey preparing water quality equipment for field and laboratory use. Over time more knowledge was gained on several types of water quality sondes and sampling methods.
Email: brf11@psu.edu
Dr. Brandon Forsythe will Co-Mentor with Dr. Natasha Miles
Dr. Nathaniel Warner
Nathaniel Warner is an Associate Professor at The Pennsylvania State University in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. His research focuses on using isotope geochemistry to better understand the processes controlling sources of salts in produced waters, shallow groundwater, and surface water. His work has recently examined the accumulation of metals associated with oil and gas development in sediment and freshwater biota. He received his BA in Geoscience from Hamilton College in NY, MS from Miami University in OH, and PhD from Duke University in NC.
Email: nrw6@psu.edu
Check the details of Dr. Nathaniel’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Dr. Xingchao Chen
I am an assistant professor in the Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science at Penn State University. My primary research interests involve tropical meteorology and data assimilation. In particular, how tropical convection and tropical cyclones interact with the large-scale flow and underlying ocean/land. I approach these questions with high-resolution numerical models, remote sensing observations, and theoretical analysis tools. A significant component of my research effort is also aimed at developing novel data assimilation techniques to improve the analysis and prediction of tropical convection and tropical cyclones.
Email: xzc55@psu.edu
Dr. Xingchao Chen will Co-Mentor with Dr. Yunji Zhang
Dr. Yunji Zhang
Yunji Zhang is an Assistant Research Professor at The Pennsylvania State University in the Department of Meteorology and Atmospheric Science. His research focuses on Tropical cyclones, mesoscale convective systems and severe thunderstorms, Ensemble-based data assimilation and numerical weather prediction and Predictability of severe weather events.
Email: yuz31@psu.edu
Check the details of Dr. Yunji’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Madison Gitzen
Madison Gitzen is a recent graduate from the Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Nuclear Engineering. She is currently pursuing her master’s in engineering, law, and policy. During her career at Penn State, she worked at the Breazeale Nuclear Reactor, a research test reactor, where she did radiation detection energy calibrations. Along with working at the reactor, research was conducted during a Westinghouse Fellows Program on the implementation of a virtual shift register with an alternative material neutron multiplicity counter which is nondestructive assay technique of nuclear materials. Her experience as an undergraduate and involvement with club activities, formed a passion for assessing the societal, environmental, and governance impacts of the nuclear industry. With the current technological advances within the nuclear industry and her involvement in a working group, Societal Engagement, within the Post-Industrial and Mid-West Appalachia Nuclear Alliance (PIMA NA), a focus on industry polluters and how nuclear energy applications can be integrated to improve upon those pollutant standards and improving community involvement has started.
Email: msg5447@psu.edu
Check the details of Madison’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Latisha Franklin
Latisha Franklin is a 7th year PhD candidate in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department. Born and raised in Mobile, Alabama, Latisha received her BS in Biology, minoring in Chemistry, from Dillard University which is a Historically Black College or University. She experienced stereotype threat and imposter syndrome often during her first year of graduate school. After conversations with mentors, I decided to bridge my knowledge gap by becoming a sponge and building my confidence. My confidence grew through presenting my research, taking leadership roles in the Eberly Outreach Council and Graduate Women in Science, and mentoring. I find and utilize all the resources I can to share them with my undergraduate and graduate mentees. Service is a part of my being. I received the Dillard University College of Arts and Science Service Award (2016) for my work with the Biology Club, the Black Graduate Student Association Stephanie Danette Preston Service Award (2018) for my leadership and dedication to the organization, the Eberly College of Science Climate and Diversity Award (2019) for my work in faculty/staff-student community building, and the Paul Robeson Center Cultural Center Pioneer Award (2020) for my work with the Penn State undergraduate communities of color. In August 2021, she became a certified and registered yoga instructor. Latisha enjoys relaxing in her tent, reading, or recording videos for her YouTube channel called Gratified Grad where it’s her “goal to help you graduate with gratification.”
Email: lpf113@psu.edu
Check the details of Latisha’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Dr. Peter Buck
At Penn State’s Sustainability Institute, Peter Buck connects and catalyzes faculty, staff, students, and the public for a bright and sustainable future. Whether he’s guest-teaching in an architecture course on green building, mentoring fellows in partnership with the Project Drawdown, or revising degree programs, Peter instigates and manages change at every academic level. Currently, he co-directs the Local Climate Action Program with Brandi Robinson, a two-semester course that partners Penn State undergraduate and graduate students with Pennsylvania municipal and coxunty governments to conduct greenhouse gas inventories and initiate climate action planning. Peter’s commits himself to leadership and service. He has served on the Ferguson Township Board of Supervisors, two intergovernmental working groups focused on solar power and climate planning, and as a Director on the State College Area School District’s Board. He has communicated widely on sustainability, education, democracy, including in The Washington Post, on the blog of the Yale Cultural Cognition Project, Democracy Works, Citizen’s Climate Radio, TEDxPSU, The Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, The International Journal of Ethics Education, Clinics of North America, in Routledge’s Teaching Climate Change in the United States, and Utah State University’s Rhetoric and Guns. Peter holds a Ph.D. in Educational Theory and Policy and an M.A. and a B.A. in Music with a minor in Creative Writing. He lives in State College with his son Sacha and his fiancé Hilary.
Email: pdb118@psu.edu
Check the details of Dr. Peter’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Dr. Richard Tutwiler
I am currently a Professor Emeritus and a part time employee of the Applied Research Laboratory. I worked for Penn State University from 1981 – 1983, and 1986 – 2016 at the Applied Research Laboratory. I have also worked for Motorola (Advanced Development Laboratory), Northrup Grumman, and Raytheon. I have collaborated with many departments at different levels at the University (Acoustics, Bioengineering, Electrical Engineering, Engineering Science and Mechanics, Kinesiology, and the Materials Research Institute). I have mentored younger members of the technical staff at ARL and have been involved in many other aspects of academic life. My background is in Electrical Engineering, specifically focused in all aspects of imaging technologies (Systems Analysis, Hardware, Software, Modelling and Simulation, and Algorithm Design and Development). I was an academic advisor for undergraduate Honor students, Masters, and PhD students in the Electrical Engineering, Acoustics, Kinesiology, and Engineering Science and Mechanics Departments. The specific interest that I have now is the fusion of Geographical Information Systems and Remote Sensing Technologies from a data analytics and machine learning aspect. This would involve systems engineering, modelling and simulation, and algorithm development.
Email: rlt1@psu.edu
Check the details of Dr. Richard’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
Dr. Mark Ortiz
Mark Ortiz is a Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Geography at Penn State University. Dr. Ortiz is a social scientist who studies the global politics of climate change, youth climate justice movements, and environmental ethics. He uses qualitative methods including interviews, ethnograhic fieldwork and participant observation, and social media analysis to understand how young people perceive and influence climate politics. He is currently working on a book project about global youth climate activism drawing on his past several years of research which have included attending U.N. climate events around the world. He is also launching new work studying youth engagement in Pennsylvania, the U.S., and the Middle East and North Africa region. He received his B.A. in Environmental and Religious Studies at the University of Alabama and his PhD in Geography from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Email: mark.ortiz@psu.edu
Check the details of Dr. Mark’s EnvironMentors 2022-23 research project in the link below:
