Environmental Science Faculty

The success of the FAU’s Environmental Science Program depends on its diverse and talented faculty. They are the mentors, advisors, and research colleagues that give the program its academic reputation and desirability for prospective students. Collectively, faculty in the Environmental Science Program have appointments in all departments in the Charles E. Schmidt College of Sciences as well as departments in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College, and the College of Business.

	Dr. Rindy Anderson Biological Sciences andersonr@fau.edu (561) 297-5681	Research Interest Behavioral ecology, cognition, avian biology, bioacoustic
	Dr. John Baldwin Professor and Associate Dean for Faculty Development and Interim Director of the School of Environmental, Coastal, and Ocean Sustainability jbaldwin@fau.edu (954) 236-1151	Research Interest Conservation biology and population genetics
	Dr. Tiffany (Roberts) Briggs Director of the Environmental Sciences Program, Interim Chair of Geosciences, Biological Sciences briggst@fau.edu (561) 297-4669	Research Interest Coastal geomorphology/geology
	Dr. Randy Brooks Biological Sciences wbrooks@fau.edu (561) 297-3888	Research Interest Behavioral/physiological ecology of marine organisms
	Dr. Kate Detwiler Anthropology kdetwile@fau.edu (561) 297-1355	Research Interest Primate hybridization and speciation, molecular primatology, primate behavioral ecology, conservation of African monkeys and their rainforest habitats.
	Dr. Maria Fadiman Geosciences mfadiman@fau.edu (561) 297-3314	Research Interest Ethnobotany, Latin America, world cultures and environments, environmental issues, rain forest ecosystems
	Dr. Valery Forbes Biology veforbes@fau.edu (561) 297-3288	Research Interest Population modeling, aquatic ecology & toxicology, impacts of toxic chemicals and other human stressors on ecological systems, and ecological risk assessment & management.
	Dr. Jacob Francis Biological Sciences francisj@fau.edu (954) 236-1214	Research Interest Plant-Insect-Microbe Interactions, Pollination Ecology, Community Assembly, Behavioral Ecology, and Chemical Ecology.
	Dr. Evelyn Frazier Biological Sciences efrazier@fau.edu (561) 297-4472	Research Interest Terrestrial Ecology, Conservation Biology, Plant-Insect Interactions
	Dr. Kristen Hart The U.S. Geological Survey kristen_hart@usgs.gov (954) 236-1067	Research Interest Population-level studies of the ecology of herpetofauna and other wildlife
	Dr. Tobin Hindle Geosciences thindle@fau.edu (561) 297-2846	Research Interest Ecological Regeneration, Strategies to integrate Science, Society, and Nature, Geographical Information Science
	Dr. Colin Hughes Biological Sciences chughe@fau.edu (954) 236-1156	Research Interest Evolutionary Genetics and its relationship to conservation
	Dr. Erik Johanson Geosciences ejohanson@fau.edu (561) 297-4153	Research Interest Environmental Change, Historical Ecology, Microplastics in Sediments, and Paleoclimatology
	Dr. Stephen Kajiura Biological Sciences kajiura@fau.edu (561) 297-2677	Research Interest Functional morphology & sensory biology of fishes
	Dr. Marguerite Koch-Rose Biological Sciences mkoch@fau.edu (561) 297-3325	Research Interest Marine botany and nutrient cycling in tropical systems.
	Dr. Brian LaPointe Harbor Branch blapoin1@fau.edu (772) 465-2400	Research Interest Algal physiology and biochemistry, seagrass and coral reef ecology, eutrophication, marine bioinvasions, marine conservation.
	Dr. William Louda Chemistry and Biochemistry blouda@fau.du (561) 297-3309	Research Interest Algal blooms, water quality, microalgae pigments and their use in pigment-based chemotaxonomy; the toxins (microcystins, cyanopeptolins) of the cyanobaterium Microcystis aeruginosa and their effects on/in mammals; nutrient pollution from equestrian (horse) manure; seagrass epiphytes
	Dr. Natalia Malina Chemistry and Biochemistry nmalina@fau.edu (561) 297-1069	Research Interest Dr. Malina’s research focuses on understanding the fate of organic contaminants in aquatic environments. She examines how the transformation processes of priority organic contaminants affect ecosystems and human health. Dr. Malina characterizes the mechanisms of phototransformation and biodegradation in surface water. Her approach combines laboratory experiments, field studies, and toxicological assessments to develop strategies for adapting to climate change and preserving water reservoirs for drinking and agricultural use.
	Dr. Daniel Meeroff College of Engineering and Computer Science; Department of Civil, Environmental and Geomatics Engineering dmeeroff@fau.edu (561) 297-3099	Research Interest Solid Waste Management, Water Chemistry, Hazardous Waste Treatment, Pollution Prevention, Water/Wastewater Treatment Processes, Green Engineering
	Dr. Scott Markwith Geosciences smarkwit@fau.edu (561) 297-3250	Research Interest Biogeography, bio-geomorphology, population, and conservation genetics vegetation dynamics and disturbance, aquatic systems
	Dr. Sarah Milton Biological Sciences smilton@fau.edu (561) 297-3327	Research Interest Physiological responses to environmental stress, primarily the effects of hypoxia and anoxia on the brain, animal models of anoxia and hypoxia tolerance, neuroprotective pathways in brain anoxia, reactive oxygen species and aging
	Dr. Diana Mitsova Urban and Regional Planning dmitsova@fau.edu (561) 297-4279	Research Interest Environmental modeling, climate change, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), spatial statistics, land cover change modeling, network analysis, hazard assessment.
	Dr. Jon Moore Honors College jmoore@fau.edu (561) 799.8025	Research Interest Ecology, evolution, and distribution of fishes, the biology of deep-sea animals, conservation and biodiversity of scrub and flatwood habitats in Florida, and herpetology.
	Dr. Greg O’Corry-Crow Harbor Branch GOCrowe@fau.edu (772) 465-2400 x628	Research Interest Marine mammal population genetics, marine mammal movements, climate change.
	Dr. Anton Oleinik Geosciences aoleinik@fau.edu (954) 236-1303	Research Interest Paleontology, Stratigraphy, Cenozoic Mollusks
	Dr. Michelle Petersen Assistant Research Professor and Director of the Environmental Science Program, Biological Sciences mpeter45@fau.edu (561) 297-0873	Research Interest
	Dr. Colin Polsky Director, Center for Environmental Studies cpolsky@fau.edu (954) 236-1104	Research Interest Human dimensions of & global environmental & change.
	Dr. Michael Salmon Biological Sciences salmon@fau.edu (561) 297-2747	Research Interest Animal behavior, sea turtle biology
	Niel Santaniello School of Communication and Multimedia Studies nsantane@fau.edu (561) 297-1564	Research Interest Environmental journalism, news writing, web research for journalism
	Joshua P. Scholl Biological Sciences jscholl1@fau.edu (561) 297-0626	Research Interest I am a plant population ecologist and conservation biologist. My research focuses on understanding how environmental variability affects life histories and the impact of these responses on population and community dynamics. Using both fieldwork and modeling, I aim to: 1) identify the strategies organisms use to cope with environmental changes, 2) examine how these strategies influence population and community dynamics, and 3) predict population trends to guide conservation efforts. I primarily conduct research in the upland scrub habitats of South Florida, including our Boca Campus Conservation Area (next to the stadium), where I mostly use plants as model organisms. However, I also have a passion for herpetology and study our resident gopher tortoises and invasive green iguanas. For a list of current projects, please see my website: https://joshuapscholl.weebly.com/research.html
	Dr. Jim Sullivan Harbor Branch jsullivan@fau.edu (561) 297-1564	Research Interest Dynamics of phytoplankton/zooplankton populations and harmful algal blooms
	Dr. Paul Wills Harbor Branch pwills2@fau.edu@fau.edu (772) 242-2454	Research Interest Fish aquaculture for food and stock enhancement.
	Dr. David Warburton Geosciences warburto@fau.edu (561) 799-8648	Research Interest Environmental geochemistry, especially in interactions between the terrestrial biosphere and the environment, and possible regulation of the environment by the biosphere
	Dr. James Wetterer Honors College Wetterer@fau.edu (561) 799-8648	Research Interest Biogeography, ecology, and environmental impact of ants, biogeography and ecology of West Indian ants, distribution, impact, and control of exotic ants, the impact of exotic ants on hatchling sea turtles in Florida
	Dr. Jeanette Wyneken Biological Sciences jwyneken@fau.edu (561) 297-0146	Research Interest Integrative biology, comparative & functional morphology, sea turtle biology
	Dr. Zhixiao Xie Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, Geosciences xie@fau.edu (561) 297-2852	Research Interest Geographic image retrieval, high-resolution images spatial-temporal GIS analysis, environment health, invasive species.
	Dr. Xing-Hai Zhang Biological Sciences xhzhang@fau.edu (561) 297-1011	Research Interest Plant molecular biology and biotechnology
	Dr. Yijie Zhu Geosciences yijiezhu@fau.edu (561) 297-0028	Research Interest Climate impacts on tropical cyclones, particularly on inland intensity decay. Prior to joining FAU, Dr. Zhu worked as a postdoctoral fellow at Colorado State University’s Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere. He also served as a visiting scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, where he investigated key environmental factors influencing the slow inland movement of tropical cyclones.

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