Current Graduate Students
Deanna Bobak

Chenxi Wu

Hometown: Qingshan, Wuhan, China

BS Geochemistry: China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)

MS in Environmental Science: China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)

Currently Enrolled PhD in Ecology

Research Interest: Environmental behaviors of organic compounds and heavy metals and their impact to the environment and organisms

 

Min Fang

Hometown: Huangpi, Wuhan, China

BS Environmental Engineering: China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)

MS Environmental Engineering:University of Geosciences (Wuhan)

Currently Enrolled MS in Geology

Research Interest: methodology for the detection of steroid hormones and their environmental existence, degradation and fate

Kathie Swan

Hometown: Toledo, OH, USA

BS Geology: University of Toledo, Toledo, OH

Currently Enrolled MS in Geology

Research Interest:

Deanna Bobak
Grant Coordinator, Dr. Dwyer

Hometown: Toledo, OH, USA

BS Geology-Environmental Track, University of Toledo; cum laude

Working towards MS in Geology

Research Interest: Environmental Forensics, Contaminant Fate and Transport in Sediments
Current Projects
Recently Finished
Oluyinka Oyewumi (2008)

BS Geology & Mineral Science, University of Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

MS in Geology (Hydrogeolgy & Engineering Geology), University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria

Finished MS in Geology (Soil Science, Geochemistry, and Phytoremidiation) 2008

Currently enrolled at Virginia Tech working on PhD.

Research Interest: General Hydrogeology, Contaminant Fate and Transport in Water and Sediments, Phytoremidiation

 

 Abby Norton (2008)

BS Geology with Honors, University of Toledo

Honors Thesis title "Saline and Hypersaline Groundwater Under Assateague Island, Maryland" under the direction of Dr. David E. Krantz

Finished MS in Geology and GIS Certificate Program 2008

Currently at Michigan State University in PhD program

Research Interest: Sedimentary Geology, Coastal Geology, and GIS

 

 Don Nelson (2009)

BS in Environmental Science-Geology Track, University of Toledo

Recipient of 2005/2006 academic year Ohio Environmental Education Fund/ Ohio EPA Environmental Education Scholarship

Finished MS in Geology 2009

Research Interest: Contaminant transport in soils, surface and ground waters. Hydrogeology in general. Remediation projects.

Past Graduate Students and Projects
The following is a list of the students that have passed through the G.E.S.S. Research Lab since it began in 1994.  These are the products of successfully completed projects.  I’ve also had a few students who haven’t finished their degrees and have since left the university.  Their projects, although equally as interesting, are not included in this list.

My one and only Ph.D. Dissertation Directed (since we do not have a Ph.D. in Geology at UT): 

Homsher, M. 1999. A Novel Sampling Technique for PCB analysis, Semipermeable Membrane Devices  (co-advised with J. Gottgens)

Master of Science Theses Directed (in order of completion):

Completed:

Lesniak, Greg V. (1995)  The Hydrogeology and Geochemistry of the Toledo Tie Site, Toledo , Ohio .  Co-advised with Dr. W. Kneller.

Davis , Penny (1997)  Distribution and Geochemistry of Contaminants in a Pristine and a Contaminated Gulf , Costa Rica. 

Becks, Paul (1997)  Soil and Water Contamination Associated with Graveyards.

Catalano, Chris (1997)  Hydrology and Geochemistry of Leachate from an Active Landfill, Pelee Island , Ontario , Canada. 

Yeager, Kevin (1997)  Transport of Pesticide Through the Blue Creek Agricultural Soils.

Lefticariu, Mihai (1997)  Geochemical Characterization of the Dunkirk Aquifer.

Epstein, Paul (1997)  Bioremediation of Creosote Contaminated Soils.

El-Gharbawy, Abeer (1998)  Degradation of two Pesticides, Alachlor and Atrazine, in Wetland Soils.

Ganliang, Lou (1998)  Determination and Comparison of Koc Values Experimentally and Mathematically for the Different Blue Creek Soil Types.

Kusina, Nicholas (1999) Metal Content and Core Dating of the Winous Point Marshes, Sandusky Bay.

Taylor , Greg (2001) Organic Contamination Delineation at the Defiance Cemetery.

Oros, Daniel (2002) Analysis of Fractures in Tills of Northwestern Ohio.

Vagen, Jennifer (2003) The Influence of Groundwater on Bluff Erosion at Bill   Stanton Community   Park , Lake  County, OH.

Spera, Shelley (2004)  Pesticide and Metal Contaminant Variations Through the Past 100 Years in the Winous Point Marsh Sediments.

Hartley, Lindy (2004) Characterization of a Heavy Metal Contaminated Soil in Ohio for a Phytoremediation Project.

Witter, Jason (2008) A Two Part Thesis: “Diurnal Soil Temperature Effects Within the GLOBE® Program Dataset” and “Pharmaceutical Compounds in the Wastewater Process Stream in Northwest Ohio”

Norton, Abby (2008)

Oluyinka Oyewumi (2008) Sorption characteristics of soils for heavy metals uptake.

Donald Nelson Jr. (2009) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediment of marinas, Western Basin Lake Erie, U.S.A.

In progress:

  • Bobak, Deanna (Begun 8/04) Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon characterization in the Otter Creek Watershed.
  • Buchanan, Catherine (begun 5/04)  Feasability study of Toledo, Ohio dredge material for remediation of heavy metal contaminated water.
  • Bensman, Kelly (begun 5/99) Column Flow Studies in Three Soils from Blue Creek Wetlands.
  • Lynn, Christopher (begun 12/98) Phytoremediation of Metal Contaminants in the Rouge River, Michigan
  • Marlow, Brian (begun 9/98) The Use of Lignin as an Environmental Indicator.
  • Gensler, David (begun 5/98)  The Search of Contaminants in Leachate from a Cemetery Built in Sandy Soil.

**With the exception of  some co-advised theses all thesis topics were developed by me and  represent my personal research interests**
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