Summer Scholars Program

Environmental Science Program
2010 Volunteer Faculty Mentors
The mentors listed here are also listed under their home departments. The projects they have cross various disciplines and relate in one or more ways to Environmental Science.

Dr. Usha Rao
My research deals with environmental pollutants, especially halogen radioisotopes, in bodies of water such as rivers and lakes. Recently, my undergraduate research students and I have been studying radioisotope releases from a nuclear fuel reprocessing plant into the sediments of Lake Ontario, and the movement of groundwater beneath a spring water system in upstate NY. I am also interested in investigating the presence of pollutants that have been tentatively linked to the spread of autoimmune diseases. In addition, I will be working on a new project collating and synthesizing information on the geological and environmental problems facing Asia. I encourage students interested in any of these topics, as well as those interested in pursuing research related to other topics in environmental ethics or environmental/geological education, to contact me.

Dr. Jean Smolen
The students working with Dr. Smolen will examine the reactivity of iron oxides, which are abundant components of soil. Ongoing studies are investigating the role of nano-sized particles in the reactivity of goethite and other iron-containing minerals. Subsequent studies will investigate the fate and mobility of organic pollutants in iron oxide suspensions. Students working on this project will learn how to use high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC), UV/Vis Spectroscopy, and will conduct experiments in oxygen-free environments.

Dr. Karen Snetselaar
There are several possible student projects available in the Ustilago maydis lab. Students interested in host-pathogen relationships can use the tools of microscopy, including a new confocal microscope, to study how a pathogenic fungus causes disease in its plant host. Projects with more emphasis on cell biology are also possible; the fungus can be grown and studied without using the plant host. Another ongoing study involves trying to determine how fungal spores overwinter and infect the plant host in nature; experiments to look at spore survival in soil under different conditions can be carried out.

Dr. Clint Springer
Several opportunities exist for interesting projects in the area of plant physiological ecology in my lab. One project aims to understand the physiological mechanisms associated with altered flowering time of the model plant species Arabidopsis thaliana in response to the important global climate change factor, elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide. A second project aims to understand the evolutionary changes that have occurred in Pitch Pines of the south New Jersey Pinelands. A third seeks to examine plasticity in the response of the important biofuel species, Panicum virgatum, to changes in water and nutrient availability. Students will be involved in all areas of these research projects. [CO2].