Mentors, Theme 1 (water use & quality)

Mentors in this theme work on diverse projects related to water quality, including land use impact on stream quality; modeling climate change and water; freshwater springs; and the impact of extreme weather events on natural systems. For more detail, visit our Theme 1 page.

Year 2 (2025-6)

Year 3 (2026-7)

Year 3 (2026-7)

  • Rosalynn Quiñones is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry at Marshall University. In this project, mentees will will apply Mg‑ and Ti‑based metal‑oxide nanoparticles with tailored surface modifications to treat wastewater while monitoring contaminant detection and removal. You’ll build a strong foundation in material and surface chemistry and perform both qualitative and quantitative analyses focused on heavy‑metal targets.

  • For the water analysis specifically, you’ll practice good sampling/preservation, construct calibration curves for target ions (including standard‑addition or spike‑recovery checks to handle matrix effects), track pre‑/post‑treatment concentrations to compute removal efficiencies, and document limits of detection/quantification as you optimize conditions (e.g., pH, contact time, dosage). You’ll verify surface functionalization by IR, quantify analytes by UV–Vis, assess stability/size via zeta potential and dynamic light scattering, and visualize morphology with SEM to connect structure to performance.

  • Collaboration with researchers at MU and WVU provides access to additional instrumentation and mentorship, and you can learn more on the lab site: https://science.marshall.edu/quinonesr

MU

  • Dr. Hass is Associate Research Professor at West Virginia State University. His project is aimed at understanding and improving restoration of highly disturbed lands to regain their natural ecosystem role and services. Special emphasis is directed at restoring soil and water quality in previously mined lands.

  • You will learn about the soil-plant-water nexus and the underlying biogeochemical processes governing the system, gain proficiency in field soil and water sampling processing and handling; installation and operation of field monitoring instrumentation; operating, method development, and trouble shooing of analytical instrumentation such as ICP-OES, ICP-MS, TOC analyzer, Ion Chromatography, etc.; and conducting lab assays and analysis.

  • You will work in conjunction with local environmental consulting firms, environmental federal or state regulatory agencies, land owners, and surface coal mining operators.

WVSU

  • Dr. Arantes is an Assistant Professor at West Virginia University. Her project is related to vulnerable communities in central Appalachia facing the greatest risk of extreme river flooding based on historic river flow data and spatiotemporal distribution of extreme events. In these locations, we will monitor river conditions as well as water quality and microbial organisms, including pathogens and fecal indicator bacteria (e.g., Escherichia coli) that are linked to adverse public health effects. The data will be contrasted with perceptions of vulnerable communities on flow effects and adaptations responses to the risks of extreme flooding events and its effects on health outcomes.

  • You will gain skills in fieldwork data collection and laboratory analyses of water quality as well on how to develop and conduct interviews to understand the perceptions and adaptation strategies of vulnerable communities on flow effects. You will gain experience handling flow data to examine the spatiotemporal distribution of extreme events.

  • You will collaborate with students in the Garner lab and colleagues at West Virginia University.

WVU

  • Dr. Vesper is a Professor at West Virginia University. Her project is related to Freshwater springs and their long history of supporting early human civilizations and uniquely evolved ecological systems. Even in modern times springs provide significant water resources; however, they are often vulnerable to climate change, extreme storm events, land use change, and contamination.  Project participants will complete Spring Ecosystem Assessments throughout the region evaluating spring health and suitability to provide ecosystem services into the future.

    You will work in close collaboration with Brent Murry, so the project is similar to his.

  • Everything we work on will be cached within the scientific method and critical thinking and will focus on the co-production of science to support management outcomes by partnering with local and regional groups with interest in spring management.  Mentors will help mentees develop reasonable hypotheses and objectives and guide mentees in applying appropriate field and laboratory methodologies; which will include for example (non-exhaustive list): water chemistry analysis, including E. coli and fecal coliforms, sediment measurements, plant identification, macroinvertebrate, fish, and salamander capture, identification, and quantification, geologic evaluations, assessment of surrounding land use, watershed identification, threat identification, and quantification of vulnerability.  We will identify regional conferences to attend and present our finding at.  Ultimately we will report back to appropriate stakeholder groups.

  • You will work with the West Virginia Department of Tourism, community leaders, e.g. Berkley Springs and other communities that maintain springs as tourist attractions. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection who oversee state-wide water quality, Monroe County Historic Society (resort springs), staff at Lost River State Park, among others.

WVU

Year 2 (2025-6)

Year 2 (2025-6)

  • Dr. Garner is an Assistant Professor at West Virginia University. Her project is on topics related to resilience of water resources and water infrastructure in communities vulnerable to flooding in Central Appalachia. Data will be collected to characterize water infrastructure vulnerability to flooding, as well as water quality and microbial organisms, including pathogens and fecal indicator bacteria (e.g., Escherichia coli) that are linked to adverse public health effects. Additionally, microbial source tracking markers will be quantified to assess the impact of specific sources of fecal contamination (e.g., humans, cattle, etc.).

  • You will learn about environmental sample collection and a variety of techniques used to analyze water quality, particularly those related to environmental microbiology and the use of molecular methods. This will include characterizing physiochemical water quality parameters, culturing of fecal indicator bacteria, and the application of quantitative polymerase chain reaction to characterize markers of fecal pollution from a variety of sources. In addition, the mentee will learn about best practices for data management and statistical analysis.

  • You will work with graduate and undergraduate students working in the Garner Lab on a variety of research projects related to water treatment, infrastructure, and health. In addition, you will collaborate with experts working on water quality and resilience to extreme weather events from a variety of fields, such as environmental studies, geochemistry, and law.

WVU

  • Dr. Murry is an Assistant Professor at West Virginia University. His project is related to Freshwater springs and their long history of supporting early human civilizations and uniquely evolved ecological systems. Even in modern times springs provide significant water resources; however, they are often vulnerable to climate change, extreme storm events, land use change, and contamination.  Project participants will complete Spring Ecosystem Assessments throughout the region evaluating spring health and suitability to provide ecosystem services into the future.

    You will work in close collaboration with Dorothy Vesper, so the project is similar to hers.

  • Everything we work on will be cached within the scientific method and critical thinking and will focus on the co-production of science to support management outcomes by partnering with local and regional groups with interest in spring management.  Mentors will help mentees develop reasonable hypotheses and objectives and guide mentees in applying appropriate field and laboratory methodologies; which will include for example (non-exhaustive list): water chemistry analysis, including E. coli and fecal coliforms, sediment measurements, plant identification, macroinvertebrate, fish, and salamander capture, identification, and quantification, geologic evaluations, assessment of surrounding land use, watershed identification, threat identification, and quantification of vulnerability.  We will identify regional conferences to attend and present our finding at.  Ultimately we will report back to appropriate stakeholder groups.

  • You will work with the West Virginia Department of Tourism, community leaders, e.g. Berkley Springs and other communities that maintain springs as tourist attractions. The West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection who oversee state-wide water quality, Monroe County Historic Society (resort springs), staff at Lost River State Park, among others.

WVU

  • Dr. Rojano is an Assistant Research Professor at the West Virginia State University. His research efforts are focused on investigating physics of the environment on biological systems. In particular, his interest is addressing drivers in the environment governing bio-phenomena. His studies integrate multi-scale and multi-processes into a single system relying on experiments and computational models. Currently his research topics are focused on physics-based and data-driven modeling in environmental engineering of air and water quality applied to the Central Appalachian Region within the frame of ecological processes.

  • Under his supervision you will be encouraged to apply fundamentals of physics, chemistry and biology to current environmental issues centered on biological systems. His training will consist of experiential learning in a lab by conducting experiments to get data that will be used in computational modelling. Modelling choices are cutting edge engineering tools covering statistics and fluid dynamics or the application of artificial intelligence algorithms.

  • You will be integrated into an interdisciplinary research working group focused on environmental studies at the West Virginia State University. Also you will interact with students, staff and faculty at the WVSU, international research collaboration and visiting scholars hosted in my lab.

WVSU

Year 2 (2025-6)

Year 2 (2025-6)

Year 2 (2025-6)

Year 3 (2026-7)

Mentors, Theme 2 (environmental contamination)

Mentors in this area work on research topics that address the impact of contaminants on environmental and wildlife health, the potential for mitigation or removal, and how those effects intersect with human health issues. For more detail, visit our Theme 2 page.

Year 2 (2025-6)

Year 3 (2026-7)

  • Dr. Spitzer is an Associate Professor at Marshall University. Her project investigates the interactions of bioaccumulated silver nanoparticles with physiological mechanisms in brain cells. Silver nanoparticles are an environmental contaminant of emerging concern, they are increasingly incorporated in consumer products and are widely found in environmental water systems. Silver nanoparticles cross biological barriers and bioaccumulate in the brain.

  • You will investigate neurodegeneration and changes in synaptic structure and function in response to silver nanoparticle exposure using mammalian neural cell culture and transgenic fluorescent C. elegans. You will gain experience in mammalian cell culture, immunocytochemistry, immunohistochemistry, fluorescence microscopy, confocal microscopy, immunoblot, C. elegans culture and experimentation, data analysis, and scientific writing.

  • You will work in conjunction with other project faculty and their lab members.

MU

  • Dr. Vendemiatti is an Assistant Professor of Biology at West Virginia State University. Her research focuses on the genetic and molecular mechanisms underlying plant epidermal development and stress resilience, with an emphasis on glandular trichomes and specialized metabolites that contribute to natural plant defense.

  • Using tomato as a model system, my work integrates genetics, functional genomics, and phenotypic analyses to understand how plant health traits influence agricultural sustainability and ecosystem interactions. Within the One Health framework, I mentor students in hypothesis-driven research that connects plant biology with environmental and biological stress responses. Trainees gain hands-on experience in experimental design, molecular and genomic tools, data analysis, and scientific communication, preparing them for interdisciplinary careers in environmental, agricultural, and life sciences.

  • My research program is supported by an interdisciplinary network of collaborators across land-grant universities and research institutes, with expertise in plant molecular biology, genetics, chemical ecology, and sustainable agriculture. These collaborations provide access to complementary resources in genomics, metabolomics, and advanced phenotyping, and create opportunities for trainees to engage in multi-institutional research environments and professional networking within the broader One Health community.

WVSU

Year 3 (2026-7)

Year 2 (2025-6)

Year 3 (2026-7)

  • Charlene Kelly is an Associate Professor in the School of Natural Resources and Environment, with a research focus on soil response to land use change, disturbance, and contamination. In this project, we will assess PFAS (“forever chemicals”; per- and poly-flourylalkyl substances) in soils receiving biosolids from wastewater treatment facilities as an amendment.

  • The mentee will gain field sampling experience, a variety of laboratory skills including FTIR, DNA and metagenomic analyses, ion chromatography, soil chemical, biological, and physical properties and more. These skills will be useful in applications of soil and water remediation and decontamination.

  • You will work with professionals and graduate students at WVU and the USDA - NRCS and present findings at the Soil Science Society of America annual conference.

WVU

  • Gregory Dahle teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in arboriculture and urban forest management. Dr. Dahle’s research utilizes tree biomechanics to understand how urban trees grow and survive environmental loads such as those from snow and ice storms. In this project, Mentor Dahle (WVU) and colleagues will engage mentees to measure urban canopy coverage in select regions of WVusing iTree software coupled with site visits.

  • The mentee will gain skills in modeling ecosystem benefits from urban trees and acquiring pollution and public health data. They will also learn how to use freeware tools to conduct cover type mapping as well as the assess canopy coverage in urban are rural area.

  • Project participants will partner with WV Division of Forestry's Urban & Community Forestry program and provide information to help design tree planting efforts that can help mitigate the impact of air pollution on human health.

WVU

  • Dr. Kolling is currently a professor and chairperson of the Department of Chemistry at Marshall University. His laboratory group’s current research focus is on tardigrade cryptobiosis and the role that reactive-oxygen species play in tardigrade responses to extreme conditions. The lab has experience with tardigrade husbandry, protein gel electrophoresis, conducting various physiological and biochemical assays, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy, and fluorescence confocal microscopy. In addition, we have a strong collaboration (currently funded by a collaborative NSF award) with the research group of Dr. Leslie Hicks at UNC Chapel Hill.

    Dr. Kolling obtained a BSc in biochemistry and molecular biology from Pennsylvania State University, where he conducted undergraduate research on photosystem I in the laboratory of Dr. John Golbeck. In 2005, he received his PhD in biophysics and computational biology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign during which time he performed research on the mechanism of the coenzyme Q–cytochrome c oxidoreductase in the research group of Dr. Antony Crofts. He completed his postdoctoral studies in the Dismukes group at Princeton University where he investigated the photoassembly of the oxygen-evolving complex of photosystem II. He joined the Chemistry faculty at Marshall University in 2009. During his academic career, he has been a co-author on 36 peer-reviewed publications, mentored over 60 students, and while at Marshall has received external funding from various agencies including two National Science Foundation grants.

  • You will learn about and utilize, enzyme assays, confocal microscopy, EPR spectroscopy, HPLC-MS, GC-MS, and algal and tardigrade culturing. In addition, you’ll gain experience in report preparation, experimental design, scientific writing, and mentorship of undergraduate scientists.

  • You will work in conjunction with other project faculty and their lab members.

MU

Year 3 (2026-7)

Year 2 (2025-6)

Mentors, Theme 3 (biological correlates of disease)

Mentors in this area work on research topics that address biological indicators of disease in the environment, including the impact of antibiotics, the role of wildlife as reservoirs of pathogen evolution, and environmental testing for infectious disease. For more detail, visit our Theme 3 page.

Year 3 (2026-7)

Year 3 (2026-7)

Year 2 (2025-6)

  • David Neff is a lab director for MU Infectious Disease Surveillance Lab (MUIDSL) and a lab manager and technician in the Chemistry Department for MU Molecular and Biological Imaging Center at Marshall University. His project involves the study of biofilm community structure and genetic composition in surface waters and community wastewater.

  • You will use imaging (gram stain light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and fluorescence microscopy) to define structure of biofilm communities in wastewater.  PCR methods, and genome sequencing will be used to better define the microbial composition of the biofilm and allow analysis of the interaction between vertebrate pathogens (e.g. respiratory and enteric virus) with biofilm organisms.  You will learn techniques to collect, process, and analyze the microbiological component of surface and community wastewater. You will also be introduced to the broader field of infectious disease epidemiology; in particular, WBE (wastewater based epidemiology). You will gain skills in water sampling methods, analyte concentration and isolation, microscopy (EM and light microscopy), and PCR.

  • Aside from full and part time lab members of MUIDSL (MU Infectious Disease Surveillance Lab), you will collaborate with personnel from the CDC National Wastewater Surveillance System, the American Public Health Labs Surveillance Community of Practice, the WVU WaTCH-WV team (Wastewater Testing for Community Health in WV)  and the WV Bureau of Public Health.  You will also collaborate with our wastewater treatment facility collaborators at Huntington Sanitary Board and Putnam Public Service District.

Year 2 (2025-6)

Year 3 (2026-7)

  • Timothy Driscoll is an Associate Professor at West Virginia University in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. Mentor Driscoll (WVU) and colleagues will engage project mentees in assessing the prevalence and genomic makeup of SARS in WV deer, and how SARS genomes from deer compare with those from nearby human communities.

  • By comparing mutation profiles of SARS from geospatially linked species, we will assemble a clearer picture of how SARS has evolved over time to infect deer and what that tells us about the potential for spillover into other local species – or back into the human population. Through this work, mentees will gain experience in experimental design, field sampling, DNA/RNA extraction, PCR, high-throughput genome sequencing, and phylogenomics. This project will build upon Dr. Driscoll's CDC-funded project in wastewater testing (WaTCH program), and related NIH-funded work with Dr. Sally Hodder at WVU on SARS in deer.

  • Mentees will collaborate within well-established partnerships with WVDNR (field collections), WV DHHR, and wastewater treatment facility managers (wastewater collections). This project will leverage the new Mobile Environmental Testing Lab (METL) funded through a US Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant to Dr. Driscoll.

WVU

  • Matt Kasson is an Associate Professor of Plant Pathology and Mycology in the School of Forest Resources and the Environment at West Virginia University. His project involves the study of fungicide resistance in fungal communities associated with managed landscapes including intensive agriculture and the downstream impacts on the emergence of antifungal resistance in hospital and clinical settings. 

  • You will use culturing, PCR methods, and genome sequencing to better define fungicide resistant fungal species and populations. You will learn techniques to sample, process, isolate, and analyze fungal populations of soil from both managed and unmanaged landscapes. You will also learn some genomics tools to help characterize the genetic underpinnings of fungicide resistance.

  • You will work in conjunction with personnel from USDA, Virginia Tech and Penn State. You will collaborate with mycology researchers from WVU, UC Riverside, UC Merced and well as WVU School of Medicine Faculty. 

WVU

MU

MU

  • Dr. Shakirov is Assistant Professor at Marshall University. His research investigates telomeres, the essential protein-DNA complexes that cap linear eukaryotic chromosomes and regulate cellular aging and lifespan. In this project, you will analyze the effects of environmental factors, including bacterial infections, and lifestyle choices, such as Western high fat diet, on telomere length, aging, and disease outcomes in obese/diabetic and healthy mice.

  • You will learn how to measure telomeres, investigate how pathogenic bacteria can infect susceptible but not resistant host, evaluate the interconnected effects of obesity, lifestyle factors and environmental pathogen infections on telomere length and aging. You will receive training in the research fields of cell biology, bacterial pathogenesis, and telomere biology. You will also receive hands on experience in molecular and bacteriological methods such as real-time quantitative PCR, genomic DNA extraction and analysis, bacterial infections, experimental design, statistical data analysis, and scientific writing. The project will help you develop critical thinking and strong communication skills.

  • You will work in collaboration with the research faculty at the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, as well as with members of the Shakirov lab, and will have the opportunity to attend the General meeting of American Society for Microbiology and present posters/talks on your work.