Environmental Science Faculty and Staff

The Environmental Science office is located on the Main Campus in Bernard Brommel Hall, room 217E. 

(773) 442-6050
Paulo Acioli
Paulo
H.
Acioli
Ph.D.
Professor of Physics
Physics
College of Arts and Sciences
(773) 442-4733
Expertise
Atomic and molecular, condensed matter and cluster physics.
Courses Taught
University Physics I
Research Interests
Dr. Acioli's research interests are in the areas of theoretical (computational) condensed matter, atomic and molecular, and cluster physics. In particular I am interested in the study of electronic correlation in many-electron systems, the study of vibrations and rotations of molecules and the understanding of the electronic and magnetic properties of small systems such as nano-clusters. These investigations are done using ab-initio density functional theory and quantum Monte Carlo methods.
Education

Ph.D. (physics), , 1995

M.Sc. (physics), University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, 1991.

Masters in Physics, Universidade de Brasilia, Brasilia, Brasil, 1988.

Selected Publications

1. Paulo H. Acioli, and Sudha Srinivas, "Silver and Gold Mediated Nucleobase Bonding", Journal of Molecular Modeling 20, 2391 (2014).

2. Paulo H. Acioli, and Sudha Srinivas, "Experiential Learning of Classical Mechanic Through Molecular Dynamics", in Proceedings of the World Conference in Physics Education 2012, Istanbul, Turkey, 2014, pp. 379-390.

3. Paulo H. Acioli, Steve Burkland, and Sudha Srinivas, "An Exploration of the Potential Energy Surface of the seven atom silver cluster and the carbon monoxide ligand", Eur. Phys. J. D 66, 215 (2012)

4. A. M. Maniero, Paulo H. Acioli, G. M. e Silva, and R. Gargano, "Theoretical Calculation of a new potential energy surface for the H + Li2 Reaction" Chem. Phys. Lett. 490(4-6), 123 (2010)

5. Paulo H. Acioli, N. Ratanavade, M. R. Cline, and Sudha Srinivas, "Density functional Theory study of Ag-Cluster/CO Interactions", in ICCS 2009, Part II, Lecture Notes in Computer Science 5545, G. Allen et al., Eds., Springer-Verlag, Berlin-Heildelberg, 2009, pp. 203-210.

BBH 217
91Porn
5500 North St. Louis Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625-4699
United States

(773) 442-4733
Office Hours
Dr. Acioli is out of the office this summer.
Main Campus
Greg Anderson looks into the camera.
Gregory
W.
Anderson
Ph.D.
Department Chair, Professor
Physics
Environmental Science
College of Arts and Sciences
(773) 442-5753
Expertise
Air Quality, Particle Physics & Cosmology, the physics of paddle sports.
Courses Taught
PHYS-103: Introduction to Astronomy
PHYS-340: Sustainable Energy
PHYS-335: Thermal Physics
ENVI-101: Introduction to Environmental Science
Research Interests
Air quality, the physics of paddle sports, the three-body problem, supersymmetry, grand unification.
Education

Ph.D. (physics),

M.A. (physics), University of California, Berkeley

B.S. (physics),

Selected Publications

Phase space reconstruction in the restricted three-body problem. Marian Gidea, Frederick Deppe and  Gregory Anderson.

New trends in Astrodynamics and Applications III. AIP Conference Proceedings, Volume 886, pp. 139-152 (2007).

E6 Unification Model Building III: Clebsch-Gordan Coefficients in E6 tensor products of the 27 with higher dimensional representations., with T. Blazek, J. Math. Phys. 46:013506 (2005)

E6 Unification Model Building II: Clebsch-Gordan Coefficients of 78x78bar, with T. Blazek, J. Math. Phys. 41:8170-9129 (2000).

91Porn
5500 North St. Louis Avenue
Chicago, IL, IL 60625-4699
United States

(773) 442-5753
Office Hours
TBA
Main Campus
Pam smiles for the camera wearing a blue t-shirt with her hair blowing in the wind.
Pamela
Geddes
Associate Chair, Professor, Audrey Reynolds Distinguished Teaching Professor
Biology
College of Arts and Sciences
(773) 442-5737
Expertise
Ecology and Environmental Science
Courses Taught
The Changing Natural Environment (BIO 104)
Alien Invasions of Chicago (First Year Experience, BIO 109A)
General Biology II (BIO 202)
Essential Skills for Biologists (BIO 250)
General Ecology (Writing Intensive Program, BIO 305)
Community Ecology (BIO 357)
Biology Senior Seminar (BIO 390)
Conservation Biology (BIO 453)
Restoration Ecology (BIO 455)
Research Interests
My research focuses on the effects of invasive plant species in wetlands. I’m interested in how plant invasive species’ traits (such as rapid growth, large biomass, large litter deposition, and even genotype) trigger a cascade of effects that span from their interaction with co-occurring native species all the way up to ecosystem-level processes. I also combine molecular tools (microsatellite markers) to answer ecological questions, mostly related to the identification of hybridizing invasive plant species. I’m also interested in how ecological communities respond to external disturbances (e.g., invaders, pollutants, urbanization) and habitat restoration.

Keywords: invasive plant species, community ecology, habitat restoration
Education

Ph.D., Ecology, University of Chicago                                           

Post-doc., Ecology, Loyola University Chicago     

M.S., Biology, Florida International University     

B.S., Biology, Florida International University                                      

A.A., Biology, Miami-Dade Community College

Selected Publications

Undergraduate students are underlined

Geddes, P., L. Murphy, Y. Astudillo-Scalia, D. Blasini, S. Nugent, M. J. Rios, A. Schirmer, and J. P. Olfelt. 2021. Microsatellite markers reveal unprecedented high frequencies of hybridization among Typha species in the Midwestern US. Wetlands 41(2021): 1-9.  

Pini, A.K. and P. Geddes. 2020. Fungi are capable of mycoremediation of river water contaminated with E. coli. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution 231:83. 

Geddes, P. 2019. The invasion of the cattails. Podcast. In Defense of Plants.

Volesky, L.A., S. Iqbal, J.J. Kelly, and P. Geddes. 2018. Relationships of native and exotic Phragmites australis to wetland ecosystem properties. Wetlands 38(3):577-589. 

Room BBH 340H
91Porn
5500 North St. Louis Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
United States

(773) 442-5737
Office Hours
Please email p-geddes@neiu.edu to arrange to meet or speak with Dr. Geddes.
Main Campus
Dr. John Kasmer smiles into the camera while standing in front of a book case.
John
M.
Kasmer
Associate Professor, Environmental Science Coordinator
Biology
College of Arts and Sciences
(773) 442-5717
Expertise
Ecology
Courses Taught
Essential Skills for Biologists (BIO 250)
WIP:General Ecology (BIO 305)
Foundations of Ecology (BIO 450)
Current Topics in Ecology and Evolution (BIO 457)
Introduction to Environmental Science (ENVI 101)
Methods in Environmental Science (ENVI 301)
Beyond the Textbook: Science in Popular Literature (ENVI 302)
Environmental Science Research & Practice (ENVI 390)
Research Interests
I'm interested in understanding the ecology of invasive plants and insects, and the impacts of land use and constructed wetlands on the water quality of surface waters in urban and suburban landscapes.

Keywords: Plant ecology, ecology of woody plants, invasion ecology, population ecology
Education

Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Michigan

M.S. in Botany (Field Naturalist Program) from the University of Vermont

B.S. in Biology from the College of William & Mary

Room BBH 340F
91Porn
5500 North St. Louis Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
United States

(773) 442-5717
Office Hours
Please email j-kasmer@neiu.edu to arrange to meet or speak with Dr. Kasmer.
Main Campus
Ken Nicholson
Ken
Nicholson
Ph.D.
Associate Professor; Department Chair
Chemistry
College of Arts and Sciences
(773) 442-5691
Courses Taught
CHEM 319
CHEM 331
Research Interests
Environmental Chemistry & Surface Analytical Chemistry; My research interests lie in using scanning probe microscopy to investigate the environmental response characteristics of a class of red-light photoreceptors, specifically bacteriophytochromes. The SPM will be used to determine if there is a connection between the molecular structure of the photoreceptor and the magnitude of its fluorescence emission quantum yield. Both wild-type and engineered fluorescent mutants will be examined. I am also interested in identifying and quantifying petroleum based pollutants and additives in natural water systems, the transport of these pollutants from their source(s), and potential methods of remediation. This project involves field work, on-site analysis, and laboratory experiments, particularly chromatography.
Education

University of Michigan| PhD-Chemistry

Selected Publications

Sorenson, BA; Westcott, DJ; Sakols AC; Thomas, JS; Anderson, P; Stojkovic EA; Tsonchev, S; Nicholson, KT, “Domain Structure of a Unique Bacterial Red Light Photoreceptor as Revealed by Atomic Force Microscopy”, MRS Proceedings, Vol. 1652, 2014, DOI: 10.1557/opl.2014.259.

Marie E. Kroeger, Blaire A. Sorenson, J. Santoro Thomas, Emina A. Stojkovic, Stefan Tsonchev, and Kenneth T. Nicholson, “Atomic Force Microscopy of Red-Light Photoreceptors Using Peak-Force Quantitative Nanomechanical Property Mapping,” J. Vis. Exp., in press.

Ken Nicholson is the corresponding author and was invited to submit this publication by the editor at the Materials Research Society Fall National Meeting.

F. G. Tobias, A. Gawedzka, M. S. Goldmeier, A. C. Sakols, E. A. Stojkovic, S. Tsonchev, and K.T. Nicholson, “Scanning Probe Microscopy of Bacterial Red-Light Photoreceptors”, Online Proceedings of the Materials Research Society, 2012, Vol. 1465, DOI: 10.1557/opl.2012.1006.

White, M. L., Reggie, S., Naguib, N., Nicholson, K., Gilliland, J., Walters, A., “The Preparation of World-Class Single Crystal Silicon Carbide Wafers Using High Rate Chemical Mechanical Planarization Slurries”, Materials Research Science Forum Vols., 2009, 600-603, 839-842.

Nicholson, K. T., Minton, T. K., Sibener, S. J., “Spatially Anisotropic Etching of Graphite by Hyperthermal Atomic Oxygen ” J. Phys. Chem. B., 2005, 109, 8476. ()

Selected Exhibitions

Recent Presentations:

Ken Nicholson, “Domain Structure of a Unique Red-Light Photoreceptor as Revealed by Atomic Force Microscopy” NEIU Faculty Research and Creative Activities Symposium (November 2013)

Ken Nicholson, “Domain Structure of a Unique Red-Light Photoreceptor as Revealed by Atomic Force Microscopy” Materials Research Society Fall National Meeting (Boston, MA, December 2013)

Ken Nicholson, “Domain Structure of a Unique Red-Light Photoreceptor as Revealed by Atomic Force Microscopy” NEIU Faculty Research and Creative Activities Symposium (November 2013)

“Blaire A. Sorenson, Daniel J. Westcott, Sarah A. Vorpahl, Alexandra C. Sakols, Emina A. Stojkovic, Stefan Tsonchev, and Ken T. Nicholson, “Structural Conformations of a Red-Light Photoreceptor Using Atomic Force Microscopy”, NEIU  3nd Annual Faculty Research & Creative Activities Symposium, November 2012

Ken Nicholson, “Domain Structure of a Unique Red-Light Photoreceptor as Revealed by Atomic Force Microscopy” Materials Research Society Fall National Meeting (Boston, MA, December 2013)

"Scanning Probe Microscopy of Bacterial Red-Light Photoreceptors" presented by K.T. Nicholson at the Materials Research Society Spring Meeting, 2012, San Francisco, CA.

"Structural Conformations of a Red-Light Photoreceptor Using Scanning Probe Microscopy", presented by K. T. Nicholson at the NEIU Faculty Research and Creative Activities Symposium, 2012, Chicago, IL.

BBH 218G
91Porn
5500 North St. Louis Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
United States

(773) 442-5691
Office Hours
By appointment
Main Campus
Dr. Voglesonger measures water quality parameters at Gompers Park.
Kenneth
M.
Voglesonger
Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Earth Science
College of Arts and Sciences
Other Academic Areas
(773) 442-6053
Expertise
Aqueous Geochemistry, Geochemistry of Life in Extreme Environments, Environmental Geology
Courses Taught
ESCI-123: Environmental Geology
ESCI-109W: Muddy Waters: Chicago's Environmental Geology
ESCI-307: Climate Change: Evidence, Causes, Effects
ESCI-306: Writing Intensive Program: Earth Materials
ESCI-311: Mineralogy & Petrology I
ESCI-327: Aqueous Environmental Geochemistry
ZHON-194: Honors Introduction to the Sciences
Research Interests
Aqueous Geochemistry, Geochemistry of Life in Extreme Environments, Environmental Geology
Education

Ph.D. Arizona State University

B.S. State University of New York at Stony Brook

Room BBH 225E
91Porn
5500 North St. Louis Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625
United States

(773) 442-6053
Office Hours
N/A
Main Campus
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary and quantitative approach to the study of the relationships between living things and their environment.

Environmental science strives to understand the many interactions between the environment and its components, including the impact of human activities on the environment on one hand and how the environment affects humans on the other. Environmental science goes to the heart of environmental issues in terms of understanding the science behind them as well as in developing scientifically sound solutions.

Gain Hands-On Experience

The Environmental Science program offers practical lab and field activities so that students get hands-on experience in the various settings. Many Environmental Science students discover their interests, strengthen their experience base, and build their resumes by doing internships at research laboratories or in faculty research projects.

Environmental Science advisors will help you find a research experience to fit your interests and goals. Here are some recent examples of internships:

  • NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama, Center for Applied Atmospheric Research and Education (CAARE) Program
  • National Soil Erosion Research Lab, West Lafayette, Indiana, USDA Agriculture and NEIU’s Undergraduate Achievement (AGUA) Project
  • University of California at San Diego: Scripps Institution of Oceanography; Summer Undergraduate Research Fellow (SURF)

Successful Graduates

Graduates from the program have been successful at joining graduate programs and entering careers that deal with pressing environmental issues, including:

  • Rashanda Elijio analyzes samples in the water quality laboratory of the water purification plant in Belize City, Belize.
  • Kayla Martinez-Soto is in a graduate program Master’s Program at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science at the College of William and Mary.
  • Lynnette Murphy is in a graduate program at the O'Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. 

What Can You Do with an Environmental Science Degree, You Ask?

Plenty! Environmental scientists work to protect water, air, soil, energy, food, and ecological resources. Students with a bachelor of science degree may move on to graduate school, or they may work at research labs, in consulting and engineering companies, or at government agencies at the local , state, regional, or federal level. Examples of agencies include:

  • Chicago Water Department
  • Metropolitan Water Reclamation District
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
  • U.S. Geological Survey
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture

Students can also find positions in companies that work with soil science, solid waste management, hazardous waste management, air quality management, water quality management, land and water conservation, fishery and wildlife management, and forestry, among others.

Learn more about the Environmental Science major

Greg Anderson looks into the camera.
Gregory
W.
Anderson
Ph.D.
Department Chair, Professor
Physics
Environmental Science
College of Arts and Sciences
(773) 442-5753
Expertise
Air Quality, Particle Physics & Cosmology, the physics of paddle sports.
Courses Taught
PHYS-103: Introduction to Astronomy
PHYS-340: Sustainable Energy
PHYS-335: Thermal Physics
ENVI-101: Introduction to Environmental Science
Research Interests
Air quality, the physics of paddle sports, the three-body problem, supersymmetry, grand unification.
Education

Ph.D. (physics),

M.A. (physics), University of California, Berkeley

B.S. (physics),

Selected Publications

Phase space reconstruction in the restricted three-body problem. Marian Gidea, Frederick Deppe and  Gregory Anderson.

New trends in Astrodynamics and Applications III. AIP Conference Proceedings, Volume 886, pp. 139-152 (2007).

E6 Unification Model Building III: Clebsch-Gordan Coefficients in E6 tensor products of the 27 with higher dimensional representations., with T. Blazek, J. Math. Phys. 46:013506 (2005)

E6 Unification Model Building II: Clebsch-Gordan Coefficients of 78x78bar, with T. Blazek, J. Math. Phys. 41:8170-9129 (2000).

91Porn
5500 North St. Louis Avenue
Chicago, IL, IL 60625-4699
United States

(773) 442-5753
Office Hours
TBA
Main Campus