Current Research Projects

Title: Verification of atmospheric mercury redox reaction rates
Duration: 2023 – 2027
PIs: Colleen Jones, Seth Lyman, Sarrah M. Dunham-Cheatham, Mae Gustin
Funding: National Science Foundation

Title: Hydrology and erosion dynamics following compost applications on annual grasslands
Duration: 2021 – 2025
PIs: Beth Newingham, Sarrah M. Dunham-Cheatham
Funding: Natural Resources Conservation Service

Other Supported Projects

“Investigating tree rings as archives for atmospheric Hg concentrations using Hg, carbon isotopes, and comparison to other proxies” (NSF)
Collaborators: Adam Csank, P. Weisberg, Mae Gustin, Monica Arienzo, Heather Haines

Past Research

2021 – 2025: “Refining and testing methods for identifying and quantifying gaseous oxidized mercury in air” (NSF)
Collaborators: Mae Gustin, Seth Lyman

2023 – 2024: “Exploring the behavior of mercury-sorbed microplastics in simulated gastric fluid” (NSF EPSCoR UROP)
Collaborators: Morgan Yeager

2021 – 2022: “Investigating sorption and desorption behavior of mercury to microplastics in aquatic ecosystems” (Nevada Undergraduate Research Award)
Collaborators: Nicole Choma, Monica Arienzo

2020 – 2023: “Examining the impact of methylmercury on waterfowl population dynamics” (Hatch)
Collaborators: Perry Williams, Mae Gustin, Chris Nicolai

2019 – 2022: “Algae from waste waters as a sustainable protein source: Fate of heavy metals” (USDA)
Collaborators: Sage Hiibel, Mae Gustin

2021 – 2022: “Testing the low-cost technologies for monitoring atmospheric mercury at Amsterdam Island” (Ozmen Institute for Global Studies)
Collaborators: Olivier Magand, Aurelien Dommergue, Mae Gustin

2019 – 2022: “Study of the biochemical mechanisms by which mercury is sequestered in plants” (Hatch)
Collaborators: Won-Gyu Choi, Mae Gustin, Jeff Harper

2017 – 2020: “Refining and testing methods for identifying and quantifying gaseous oxidized mercury in air” (NSF)
Collaborators: Mae Gustin, Seth Lyman

2016 – 2018: Postdoctoral Scholar, University of Nevada, Reno
Mentors: Ben Sullivan, Elizabeth Leger, Yu Yang
Affiliations: Global Water Center

Fall 2011: Research Assistant & Site Manager, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
Supervisor: John Bargar

2007 – 2012: Graduate Research Assistant, University of Notre Dame
Advisor: Jeremy Fein