Melanie D. Harrison
PhD, Marine Estuarine and Environmental Science Program (MEES)
IGERT Mentor: Peter Groffman

Bachelor of Science, Biology, May 2005
Johnson C. Smith University, Charlotte, NC
Mentor: Joseph Fail

Research Interests
Runoff dynamics of urban watersheds

Broadly put, my research interests lie in the runoff dynamics of small urbanizing watersheds. More specifically, I specialize in the installation and maintenance of hydrologic equipment and the modeling of storm runoff processes. Observed hydrologic data is used in tandem with hydrologic models to model storm runoff and to validate and calibrate hydrologic models. I also work with landcover data in a GIS to link runoff processes to landcover uses and land change practices. Future development of my research interests includes the geomorphologic changes to stream form and structure and the hydrometeorology of storm events.

Research Interests
Studying the application of market based incentives to the problem of urban water pollution

My fields of interest include environmental and natural resource economics.   I am specifically interested in researching applications of market-based incentives (pollution credit trading, TDR, etc) that can be utilized to remedy urban water pollution.   My research goals for the IGERT Program include studying the way that different land uses impact water quality and developing trading ratios based on these differing effects to develop an efficient and effective trading program.   I am also interested in looking at the effect that different development patterns and zoning regulations have on water quality.   The data sets and GIS database available through the Baltimore Ecosystem Study will be invaluable as I work to develop computer models to determine the impact of land use on water quality.  

Research Interests
Carbon and nutrient cycling in urban streams

I am broadly interested in understanding how human alteration of the environment impacts the interconnected processes that sustain ecosystems, particularly the biotic and abiotic factors that control carbon and nutrient cycling in streams and riparian zones. Through my research I hope to develop a holistic view of the processes involved in maintaining water quality and steam biogeochemical transformations, by researching the role of symbiotic communities in streams and wetlands. I plan to study how communities of autotrophic and heterotrophic organisms involved in carbon and nitrogen cycles differ between natural, urban, and restored streams. I also intend to study the relationship between sediment quality, hydrology and important biogeochemical pathways, like denitrification, which removes nitrogen from streams.

Research Interests
Soil and water quality in urban agriculture

My primary interest is in urban agriculture, but more specifically, I’m interested in how different land management practices affect soil and water quality and overall ecosystem health. My research will focus on soil quality in urban agriculture / community gardens. Soil quality is integral to the development of a sustainable land management system. Changing land use and land cover greatly influence soil properties. These changes influence the accumulation and storage of organic matter, which affects soil microbial populations and distribution, nutrient cycling, and water quality. Soil organic matter affects surface water infiltration and runoff as well as water holding capacity. I will investigate the soil, vegetation, and water management practices on a management continuum from the least to most managed sites and how the land use legacy of each site impacts soil quality and water quality.

Gwen Stanko
PhD, Marine Estuarine and Environmental Sciences (MEES)
IGERT Mentor: Sujay Kaushal

Bachelor of Science, Biological Sciences, with a minor in Geography, UMBC, 2007

Olyssa Starry
PhD, Geography and Environmental Systems
IGERT Mentor: Richard Pouyat

Master of Science, Biology (Stream Ecology), Virginia Polytechic Institute and State University, 2004

Master of Science, Environmental Science, American University, 2000

Bachlelor of Arts, Environmental Studies, American University, 1998

                                                       

Research Interests
Advancing the mechanistic understanding of biological stormwater treatment processes

My research will address the biological mechanisms via which stormwater management practices such as greenroofs influence urban water quality both temporally and spatially. I wonder, for example, if our knowledge of fundamental ecological processes such as succession can be applied to these management practices in order to enhance our understanding of valuable urban ecosystem functions such as stormwater retention and nutrient uptake. I hope to situate information like this in the context of a Baltimore watershed and construct a model that considers how stormwater management decisions might influence both water quantity and quality over short and longterm timescales. I aspire to educate and advocate around this project, its findings, and sustainable, ecologically-informed urban transformation possibilities.

Research Interests
Studying the effects of urbanization on herpetofaunal populations

Freshwater ecosystems have been impacted for decades by anthropogenic chemicals and recently road salt deicers have been identified as a serious threat. I plan to assess the impacts of salt stress in freshwater systems with a particular emphasis on amphibian communities and the food web interactions at work in these systems. It is well documented that amphibian populations world-wide are dwindling and their preservation is key to maintaining the health and biodiversity of many ecosystems. The sustainability of these ecosystems is also critical to human health as a source of freshwater. While the US Environmental Protection Agency has strict limits on the maximum chloride levels acceptable for human consumption, many natural freshwater habitats are increasingly exceeding this limit. To gain a better understanding of freshwater salinization, I will employ an experimental approach by manipulating salt in experimental ponds.

Bachelor of Science, Environmental Science, Virginia Tech, 1998.

Bachelor of Science, Biology
University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, 1995