Water Management and Conservation Research Unit
USDA-ARS-U.S. Arid-Land Agricultural Research Center
Soil Microbial Ecologist
Education:
PhD, Microbial Ecology, Duke University, 2002
MS, Forest Science, Yale University, 1997
BS, Forestry, University of Vermont (Magna cum Laude), 1982
Research Interests:
My research focuses on determining the environmental fate and persistence of human pathogens in reclaimed wastewater used for municipal irrigation. Research studies include work on pathogen survival, regrowth, and transport in municipal water distribution systems; pathogen persistence and movement in soils; and the development of irrigation and cultural practices to reduce the potential for pathogen resistance and to minimize the introduction of pathogens into the environment.
My postdoctoral research with Dr. Dean Martens of the USDA-ARS, Southwest Watershed Research Center in Tucson focused on determination of environmental mechanisms controlling microbially-mediated trace gas (CO2, CH4, and N2O) fluxes in semi-arid riparian and rangeland soils. Our work confirmed that semi-arid riparian soils act as a significant, year-round CH4 sink, and was the first work to suggest that heterotrophic fungal activity may account for significant N2O production in semi-arid rangeland soils.
Research Projects:
Water Management in Arid Irrigated Agriculture
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