https://cenv.wwu.edu/toxicology-and-societies-speaker-series

My expertise is in aquatic toxicology and chemistry. My personal research interests are focused on understanding how the physico-chemical characteristics of water alter the toxicity of metals with current emphasis on microplastics and chemicals of emerging concern. I've guided student research that includes the effects of tire wear particles and other microplastics on marine toxicity and chemistry, prioritization of contaminants of emerging concern in Puget Sound, contamination and associated health risks from consuming seaweed from the Salish Sea, UV light on PAH toxicity, black liquor toxicity from pulp mills, confirmation of the Biotic Ligand Model with spiked field samples, and field based mussel cage experiments. In addition to teaching environmental toxicology and fate and transport courses, I've also developed and currently teach Science and Management of Contaminated Sites (SMoCS) courses. These focus on the science, policy, and management of contaminated sites in Washington and use the framework of the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) as a guide.

I served on the Board of Directors for the Pacific Northwest chapter as the Academia At-Large representative (2011-2016) and VP/President/Past President (2019-2021). I was also one of the tri-chairs of the Program Committee for the 2021 National North America meeting.

My research as a graduate students was on the genetic basis of tolerance in Palaemonetes pugio to endosulfan, chromium, and fluoranthene exposures. The work used a combination of lab and field based exposures and was conducted under the mentorship of Phil Ross (at CSM). Ed Wirth at NOAA's Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research in South Carolina was also a primary mentor. I worked on other projects as a graduate student. These included investigations of phytoremediation of salt brine from processed waters (greenhouse studies) and the development of the Hydrogeomorphic (HGM) classification of Colorado wetlands. The HGM works was primarily field based and included groundwater well installation and monitoring. Analysis of the data and of the hydrogeomorphic characteristics of the wetlands resulted in the HGM classification. This work was completed under the mentorship of Ken Kolm in collaboration with the Colorado Geological Survey.The post-doc at Colorado School of Mines was conducted under the mentorship of Bruce Honeyman in collaboration with Brookhaven National lab. The focus of the work was on the complexation of bacterial exopolysaccharides with plutonium and uranium.