Taiwo Alawode (SPH)
Advisor: Dr. Amy Sapkota

Taiwo is a doctoral student at the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health (MIAEH), University of Maryland School of Public Health. She obtained her Master of Public Health in Environmental Health at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria, where she also earned a Bachelor in Wildlife management. She is interested in microbial contamination of unregulated water systems in low-income/marginalized communities and the impact of climate change on water security in these communities, alongside mitigation strategies to reduce this impact.

 

Eric Tjon Burnstein (ARCH)
Advisor: Dr. Gerrit Knaap

Eric is a first-year PhD Student in Urban and Regional Planning.  He holds a masters in urban planning and a masters in public policy from the University of Michigan and previously worked as a research associate at the Urban Institute with a focus on climate and communities.  His research interests include climate change and environmental justice, local and regional adaptation planning and policy and vulnerable communities, and infrastructure and resilience. Eric has also worked extensively in planning and urban issues in Romania and the Republic of Moldova.

 

Catherine (Cate) Corey (SPH)
Advisor: Dr. Paul Turner and Dr. Devon Payne-Sturges

Cate is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Environmental Health Sciences program at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health. She received a master’s degree from University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Prior to entering the doctoral program, Cate worked as an epidemiologist for the federal government and the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Cate’s research interests include studying the health effects of exposure to mixtures of chemical toxicants in food supplies and drinking water, to inform policies to protect maternal and child well-being.

 

Maeghen Goode (ARCH)
Advisor: Dr. Dawn Jourdan

Maeghen Goode, from Detroit, Michigan, is a 1st-year Doctoral student in the URPD program. Her research focuses on community vulnerability, disaster management, and recovery. She recently graduated from the University of Michigan where she received dual master’s degrees, one in environment and sustainability focusing on environmental justice and the other in urban and regional planning. Before enrolling in graduate school, she completed a service term with AmeriCorps where she worked on community capacity building around metro Detroit. In her free time, she enjoys watching comic book movies and reading science fiction books.

 

Christina Teresa Ippoliti (CMNS)
Advisor: Dr. Zhongchi Liu

Christina is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Molecular and Cellular Biology program at the University of Maryland – College Park. Her current research includes understanding the genetics of fruit development and optimizing DNA delivery into plants for more efficient genetic engineering. Through her research, she aims to help create a new generation of crops that work in greater harmony with nature and their microbiomes, do not require harmful chemical applications, and are more well-protected against climate change effects. Her research interests lie at the intersection of molecular biology and regenerative agriculture to restore and renew our relationships with the earth and each other.

 

Tavis Mansfield (BSOS)
Advisor: Dr. Julie Silva

Tavis is a First Year Ph.D. Student in Geographical Sciences at the University of Maryland. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography and Environmental Systems from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. He also has a Master of Science in Environmental Health from the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health at the University of Maryland. His research interests include uneven development, energy justice, climate colonialism and climate adaptation.

 

 

Maureen Norah Nabulime (AGNR)
Advisor: Dr. Stephanie Lansing

Maureen is a doctoral student in the department of Environmental Science and Technology at the University of Maryland. She holds a Master’s degree and Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Engineering from Makerere University, Uganda, her home country. She is interested in learning and researching various ways to incorporate sustainable systems approaches. Her doctoral research focuses on the conversion of solid waste into bioenergy and biosolids as well as conducting a Technical Economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA) of the energy conversion pathway to achieve sustainability. This proposed research is to develop innovative pathways of utilizing municipal solid waste as a resource for bioenergy production in order to achieve a sustainable and circular economy.

 

Rebecca Patterson (SPH)
Advisor: Dr. Robin Puett and Dr. Devon Payne-Sturges

Becky is a PhD student in the Maryland Institute for Applied Environmental Health. She holds a Master of Public Health in environmental health sciences from the University of Maryland and a Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee. Becky’s research interests include chemical  contamination of drinking and agricultural water, community-based participatory research, and spatial analysis.

 

 

Camila Alejandra Proano (ENG)
Advisor: Dr. Guangbin Li

Camila is a first-year Ph.D. student and a Clark Doctoral Fellow in the department of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Maryland. She holds a BS in mechanical engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and an MS in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Maryland. Her research interests include the anaerobic digestion of organic waste like food waste and the fate and transport of pollutants in bioproducts produced during anaerobic digestion.

 

Amir Riyahi (ENG)
Advisor: Dr. Birthe Kjellerup

Amir is a second-year Ph.D. candidate in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He received his master’s degree from the University of Stuttgart where he evaluated the introduction of persistent organic pollutants into the Rhine River. Amir has worked in both the private sector as a project engineer and the public sector as an associate researcher for the German Ministry of Environment. His current research aims to elucidate the dynamics of adsorption and biodegradation for enhanced biostimulation of contaminated groundwater. He hopes to incorporate restorative climate actions through the interdisciplinary aspects of the Global STEWARDS program.

 

Qianyao Si (AGNR)
Advisor: Dr. Mitchell Pavao-Zuckerman

Qianyao is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Environmental Science and Technology. She received her MS in Soil, Water, and Ecosystem Science at the University of Florida in 2020. With research interest centers on improving urban stormwater resilience, she works on exploring multiple approaches to enhance adaptive management in socio-techno-ecological aspects. Currently, she is investigating the eco-dynamics of urban green infrastructure, and the spatial association between its distribution and social stormwater perceptions.