Current Lab Members
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Dr. Joanna R. Blaszczak
Assistant Professor Department of Natural Resources & Environmental Science University of Nevada, Reno CV Google Scholar profile |
Postdocs:
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Dr. Heili Lowman - Postdoc researcher with the Modelscapes Consortium (Spring 2021 - present)
Heili is an aquatic biogeochemist and ecosystem ecologist. She received her Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she conducted her dissertation research on nutrient and organic matter cycling in the nearshore Santa Barbara Channel as part of the Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research Project. She is broadly interested in biogeochemical processes taking place at ecological margins - terrestrial/aquatic, wildland/urban – and developing methods to model these processes through space and time. In her free time, she enjoys running, cooking, and traveling. |
Graduate students:
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Meredith Brehob - MS Student (Spring 2020 - present)
Meredith is a master’s student in the Natural Resources and Environmental Science Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. She graduated from Michigan Technological University with a degree in Environmental Engineering. While there she developed an interest in ecosystem ecology and human impacts on ecosystems. She is working on a research project to look at the efficacy of using UV-C radiation to reduce the abundance of invasive aquatic macrophytes in streams and the effects this may have on ecosystem processes. Meredith enjoys karaoke, movies, and hiking. Meredith is co-advised by Sudeep Chandra. |
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Kelly Loria - Ph.D. Student (Fall 2020 - present)
Kelly is a PhD student in the Natural Resources and Environmental Science Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. She graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and post-graduation lead the Niwot Ridge Long Term Ecological Research Program’s monitoring of alpine lakes. She is broadly interested in aquatic ecology, especially in headwater catchments. Kelly is excited to be investigating patterns of stream metabolism in the Lake Tahoe Basin for land use gradients and event based signals. |
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Keenan Seto - M.S. Student (Fall 2020 - present)
Keenan is a MSc student in the Natural Resources and Environmental Science program studying the impacts of freshwater salinization on chemical regimes in Great Basin waterways. While completing a BSc in Natural Resource Management from Colorado State University, he became hooked on freshwater science by researching how acid mine drainage affected aquatic insects and water quality in Colorado’s High Country. His professional experience includes conducting aquatic habitat and water quality surveys for the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Geological Survey and the University of Colorado. Outside of the lab, you can find him snowboarding, mountaineering or figuring out how to add stamps to his passport. |
Wundergrads:
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Laura Arbutina (Fall 2021 - present)
Laura is a senior undergraduate in the Natural Resources and Environmental Science program and well as the Biology program at the University of Nevada Reno. She is currently pursing a bachelor of science degree in Environmental Science and Biology with an interest in genetics. In her free time, she enjoys playing Animal Crossing New Horizons. |
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Alyda Dickens (Fall 2021 - present)
Alyda is an undergrad student in the Natural Resources and Environmental Science program at the University of Nevada, Reno. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in environmental science. She is also an artist, practicing with digital and mixed media (check out her art at www.environartist.com). |
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Rob Miller (Fall 2021 - present)
Rob is an undergraduate student in the Natural Resources and Environmental Science program at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Ecohydrology. When not studying in the classroom or streams around Lake Tahoe, Rob can be found mountain biking or trail running to an alpine lake in the summer or studying the snow hydrology in the winter via his splitboard. |
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Anna Zoeters (Spring 2021 - present)
Anna joined the lab as a senior after taking an Environmental Toxicology course taught by Joanna. During spring 2021, Anna worked with Madison Glenwinkel to investigate stream responses to drying in streams monitored by the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). Anna graduated in spring 2021 and was awarded Outstanding Senior in the NRES department. Starting in the fall of 2021, Anna rejoined the lab as a remote research technician. |
Lab alumni:
Chloe Dodge (Spring 2020 - Summer 2021): Chloe graduated from the Environmental Science and Ecohydrology programs at UNR in spring 2021 and continued on as a research technician until the beginning of Fall 2021. Chloe was awarded Outstanding Senior from the NRES department. Chloe is now a masters student at Erasmus University in Rotterdam in their Urban Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change program.
Molly Farro & Helena Garrett-Paullada (Summer 2021): Molly & Helena joined the lab for the summer of 2021 and learned a variety of field and laboratory skills helping Meredith, Keenan, and Kelly with their projects.
Madison Glenwinkel (Spring 2021): Madison joined the lab as a freshman interested in environmental microbiology. Madison worked with Anna Zoeters to investigate stream responses to drying in streams monitored by the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). She was awarded a NV EPSCoR Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program summer fellowship (declined).
Albert Lopez-Martinez (Spring 2020 - Spring 2021): Albert joined the lab as a junior undergraduate student pursuing a Chemical Engineering degree and a McNair Scholar. Albert successfully applied for both the UNR Nevada Undergraduate Research Award (NURA - declined) and the NV EPSCoR Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP - accepted). Albert's research was investigating greenhouse gas emissions from canals in northeastern NV, and will be joining Frank (Yu) Yang's lab at UNR in the fall of 2021.
Lauren Bolotin (Fall 2019 - Spring 2021): Lauren was the first member to join the lab as a technician. In her time as a lab member, she adeptly picked up a broad range of coding, data analysis, lab, and field skills. Lauren eventually took on a project of her own classifying river salinity regimes in the western U.S. and has a publication forthcoming. Lauren will be joining Dr. Hillary McMillan's lab in the fall of 2021 at San Diego State University to do a M.S. in Geography and was awarded an Honorable Mention from the 2021 NSF GRFP.
Molly Farro & Helena Garrett-Paullada (Summer 2021): Molly & Helena joined the lab for the summer of 2021 and learned a variety of field and laboratory skills helping Meredith, Keenan, and Kelly with their projects.
Madison Glenwinkel (Spring 2021): Madison joined the lab as a freshman interested in environmental microbiology. Madison worked with Anna Zoeters to investigate stream responses to drying in streams monitored by the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). She was awarded a NV EPSCoR Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program summer fellowship (declined).
Albert Lopez-Martinez (Spring 2020 - Spring 2021): Albert joined the lab as a junior undergraduate student pursuing a Chemical Engineering degree and a McNair Scholar. Albert successfully applied for both the UNR Nevada Undergraduate Research Award (NURA - declined) and the NV EPSCoR Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP - accepted). Albert's research was investigating greenhouse gas emissions from canals in northeastern NV, and will be joining Frank (Yu) Yang's lab at UNR in the fall of 2021.
Lauren Bolotin (Fall 2019 - Spring 2021): Lauren was the first member to join the lab as a technician. In her time as a lab member, she adeptly picked up a broad range of coding, data analysis, lab, and field skills. Lauren eventually took on a project of her own classifying river salinity regimes in the western U.S. and has a publication forthcoming. Lauren will be joining Dr. Hillary McMillan's lab in the fall of 2021 at San Diego State University to do a M.S. in Geography and was awarded an Honorable Mention from the 2021 NSF GRFP.
Lab group photos by semester:
Fall 2021 (Chloe's goodbye party) - L to R: Joanna, Meredith, Chloe, Kelly, Heili, and Keenan
Spring 2021 (Note: everyone in this photo is more than 2 weeks after their second vaccination! We have been following CDC guidelines as a lab). The lab gathered for the first time in a long time for Lauren Bolotin's good bye party! L to R: Joanna (holding Margo), Kelly, Meredith, Chloe, Lauren, Anna, Keenan, Heili (Albe the black dog is in front)
Fall 2020 Lab Group on Zoom
Spring 2020 Lab Group (photo from before start of quarantine); L to R: Joanna Blaszczak, Albert Lopez, Chloe Dodge, Meredith Brehob, Lauren Bolotin
