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Environmental Science FacultyÌý

The success of the FAU’s Environmental Science Program depends on its diverse and talented faculty. They are the mentors, advisors, and research colleagues that give the program its academic reputation and desirability for prospective students. Collectively, faculty in the Environmental Science Program have appointments in all departments in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Sciences as well as departments in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, and the College of Business.

Rindy Anderson

Biological Sciences
andersonr@fau.edu
(561) 297-5681



Research Interest
Behavioral ecology, cognition, avian biology, bioacoustic

John (Jay) Baldwin


Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Interim Director of the School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability
jbaldwin@fau.edu
(954) 236-1151

Research Interest
Conservation biology and population genetics

Tiffany (Roberts) Briggs

Director of the Environmental Sciences Program, Interim Chair of Geosciences,
Biological Sciences
briggst@fau.edu
(561) 297-4669

Research Interest
Coastal geomorphology/geology

Randy Brooks

Biological Sciences
wbrooks@fau.edu
(561) 297-3888

Research Interest
Behavioral/physiological ecology of marine organisms

Kate Detwiler

Dr. Kate Detwiler
Anthropology
kdetwile@fau.edu
(561) 297-1355

Research Interest
Primate hybridization and speciation, molecular primatology, primate behavioral ecology, conservation of African monkeys and their rainforest habitats.

Maria Fadiman

Geosciences
mfadiman@fau.edu
(561) 297-3314

Research Interest
Ethnobotany, Latin America, world cultures and environments,Ìýenvironmental issues,Ìýrain forest ecosystems

Valery Forbes


Biology
veforbes@fau.edu
(561) 297-3288

Research Interest
Population modeling, aquatic ecology & toxicology, impacts of toxic chemicals and other human stressors on ecological systems, and ecological risk assessment & management.

Jacob Francis


Biological Sciences
francisj@fau.edu
(954) 236-1214

Research Interest
Plant-Insect-Microbe Interactions, Pollination Ecology, Community Assembly, Behavioral Ecology, and Chemical Ecology.

Evelyn Frazier

Biological Sciences
efrazier@fau.edu
(561) 297-4472

Research Interest
Terrestrial Ecology, Conservation Biology, Plant-Insect InteractionsÌý

Kristen HartÌý

Ìý
The U.S. Geological Survey
kristen_hart@usgs.gov
(954) 236-1067

Research Interest
Population-level studies of the ecology of herpetofauna and other wildlife

Tobin Hindle


Geosciences
thindle@fau.edu
(561) 297-2846

Research Interest
Ecological Regeneration, Strategies to integrate Science, Society, and Nature, Geographical Information Science

Colin Hughes


Biological Sciences
chughe@fau.edu
(954) 236-1156

Research Interest
Evolutionary Genetics and its relationship to conservation

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Erik Johanson


Geosciences
ejohanson@fau.edu
(561) 297-4153

Ìý

Research Interest
Environmental Change, Historical Ecology, Microplastics in Sediments, and Paleoclimatology

Stephen Kajiura

Dr. Stephen Kajiura
Biological Sciences
kajiura@fau.edu
(561) 297-2677

Research Interest
Functional morphology & sensory biology of fishes

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Marguerite Koch-Rose


Biological Sciences
mkoch@fau.edu
(561) 297-3325

Research Interest
Marine botany and nutrient cycling in tropical systems.



Brian LaPointe

Dr. Brian LaPointe
Harbor Branch
blapoin1@fau.edu
(772) 465-2400

Research Interest
Algal physiology and biochemistry, seagrass and coral reef ecology, eutrophication, marineÌýbioinvasions, marine conservation.

William Louda


Chemistry and Biochemistry
blouda@fau.du
(561) 297-3309

Ìý

Research Interest
Algal blooms, water quality, microalgae pigments and their use in pigment-based chemotaxonomy; the toxins (microcystins, cyanopeptolins) of the cyanobateriumÌý Microcystis aeruginosa Ìýand their effects on/in mammals; nutrient pollution from equestrian (horse) manure; seagrass epiphytes

Natalia Malina


Chemistry and Biochemistry
nmalina@fau.edu
(561) 297-1069

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Research Interest
Dr. Malina’s research focuses on understanding the fate of organic contaminants in aquatic environments. She examines how the transformation processes of priority organic contaminants affect ecosystems and human health. Dr. Malina characterizes the mechanisms of phototransformation and biodegradation in surface water. Her approach combines laboratory experiments, field studies, and toxicological assessments to develop strategies for adapting to climate change and preserving water reservoirs for drinking and agricultural use.

Daniel Meeroff

Dr. Daniel Meeroff
College of Engineering and Computer Science; Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering
dmeeroff@fau.edu
(561) 297-3099

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Research Interest
Solid Waste Management, Water Chemistry, Hazardous Waste Treatment, Pollution Prevention, Water/Wastewater Treatment Processes, Green Engineering

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Scott Markwith


Geosciences
smarkwit@fau.edu
(561) 297-3250

Research Interest
Biogeography, bio-geomorphology, population, and conservation geneticsÌývegetation dynamics and disturbance, aquatic systems

Sarah Milton

Biological Sciences
smilton@fau.edu
(561) 297-3327

Research Interest
Physiological responses to environmental stress, primarily the effects of hypoxia and anoxia on the brain, animal models of anoxia and hypoxia tolerance, neuroprotective pathways in brain anoxia, reactive oxygen species and aging

Diana Mitsova

Dr. Diana Mitsova
Urban and Regional Planning
dmitsova@fau.edu
(561) 297-4279

Ìý

Research Interest
Environmental modeling, climate change, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), spatial statistics, land cover change modeling, network analysis, hazard assessment.

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Jon Moore

Dr. Jon Moore
Honors College
jmoore@fau.edu
(561) 799.8025

Research Interest
Ecology, evolution, and distribution of fishes, the biology of deep-sea animals, conservation and biodiversity of scrub and flatwood habitats in ³Ô¹ÏÍø, and herpetology.

Greg O’Corry-Crow

Dr. Greg O’Corry-Crow
Harbor Branch
GOCrowe@fau.edu
(772) 465-2400 x628

Research Interest
Marine mammal population genetics, marine mammal movements, climate change.

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Anton Oleinik


Geosciences
aoleinik@fau.edu
(954)Ìý236-1303

Research Interest
Paleontology, Stratigraphy, Cenozoic Mollusks

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Michelle Petersen


Assistant Research Professor and Director of the Environmental Science Program, Biological Sciences
mpeter45@fau.edu
(561) 297-0873

Research Interest

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Colin Polsky


Director, Center for Environmental Studies
cpolsky@fau.edu
(954) 236-1104

Research Interest
Human dimensions of & global environmental & change.

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Michael Salmon


Biological Sciences
salmon@fau.edu
(561) 297-2747

Research Interest
Animal behavior, sea turtle biology

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Niel Santaniello

Niel Santaniello
School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
nsantane@fau.edu
(561) 297-1564

Research Interest
Environmental journalism, news writing, web research for journalism



Joshua P. Scholl


Biological Sciences
jscholl1@fau.edu
(561) 297-0626

Research Interest
I am a plant population ecologist and conservation biologist. My research focuses on understanding how environmental variability affects life histories and the impact of these responses on population and community dynamics. Using both fieldwork and modeling, I aim to: 1) identify the strategies organisms use to cope with environmental changes, 2) examine how these strategies influence population and community dynamics, and 3) predict population trends to guide conservation efforts. I primarily conduct research in the upland scrub habitats of South ³Ô¹ÏÍø, including our Boca Campus Conservation Area (next to the stadium), where I mostly use plants as model organisms. However, I also have a passion for herpetology and study our resident gopher tortoises and invasive green iguanas. For a list of current projects, please see my website:

Jim Sullivan

Dr. Jim Sullivan
Harbor Branch
jsullivan@fau.edu
(561) 297-1564

Research Interest
Dynamics of phytoplankton/zooplankton populations and harmful algal blooms

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Paul Wills

Harbor Branch
pwills2@fau.edu@fau.edu
(772) 242-2454

Research Interest
Fish aquaculture for food and stock enhancement.

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David Warburton


Geosciences
warburto@fau.edu
(561) 799-8648

Research Interest
Environmental geochemistry, especially in interactions between the terrestrial biosphere and the environment, and possible regulation of the environment by the biosphere

James Wetterer

Dr. James Wetterer
Honors College
Wetterer@fau.edu
(561) 799-8648

Research Interest
Biogeography, ecology, and environmental impact of ants,Ìýbiogeography and ecology of West Indian ants, distribution, impact, and control of exotic ants, the impact of exotic ants on hatchling sea turtles in ³Ô¹ÏÍø

Jeanette Wyneken


Biological Sciences
jwyneken@fau.edu
(561) 297-0146

Research Interest
Integrative biology, comparative & functional morphology, sea turtle biology

Zhixiao Xie


Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, Geosciences
xie@fau.edu
(561) 297-2852

Research InterestÌý
Geographic image retrieval, high-resolution imagesÌýspatial-temporal GIS analysis, environment health, invasive species.

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Xing-Hai ZhangÌý

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Biological Sciences
xhzhang@fau.edu
(561) 297-1011

Research Interest
Plant molecular biology and biotechnology

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Yijie ZhuÌý

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Geosciences
yijiezhu@fau.edu
(561) 297-0028

Research Interest
Climate impacts on tropical cyclones, particularly on inland intensity decay. Prior to joining FAU, Dr. Zhu worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Colorado State University’s Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere. He also served as a visiting scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, where he investigated key environmental factors influencing the slow inland movement of tropical cyclones.

Additional Information
The Charles E. Schmidt College of Science offers unparalleled experiential learning opportunities to prepare the next generation of scientists and problem solvers.
Address
Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
³Ô¹ÏÍø
777 Glades Rd, SE-43
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Fax: (561) 297-3292