Environmental Science Faculty and Staff | University of Alaska Southeast

Environmental Sciences

Phone

Information: 796-6485

Email

Environmental Sciences: envs@uas.alaska.edu

Fax

Fax: 796-6406

Address

11066 Auke Lake Way (SOB1)
Juneau, AK 99801

Konrad Meister Assistant Professor of Chemistry Phone: 907-796-6091 Email: kkmeister@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences Juneau Campus Research Cold-Adaptation, Antifreeze Proteins, Biological Ice Nucleation
Eran Hood Professor of Environmental Science Phone: 796-6244, Fax: 796-6406 Email: ewhood@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences - Natural Sciences Whitehead Bldg, Rm. 224, Juneau Campus Juneau Campus Education Ph.D. Geography 2002, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO M.A. Geography 1998, University of Colorado, Boulder,CO A.B. Biology 1991, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA Curriculum vitae Research Watershed-scale biogeochemistry Nutrient cycling in aquatic systems Alpine hydrology Snow hydrology and snow chemistry Publications Selected Publications Courses Taught Lower Division: ENVS 101 – Introduction to Environmental Science & Lab ENVS 111 – Introduction to Differential GPS Upper Division: GEOL 302 – Hydrology ENVS 397 – IS: Nature of Soils ENVS 404 – Snow Hydrology ENVS 408 – Biogeochemistry ENVS 491 – Environmental Science Internship ENVS 492 – Undergraduate Research Seminar ENVS 493 – Glacier Surveying ENVS 493 – Snow and Glaciers ENVS 494 – Practicum: Snow Hydrology ENVS 497 – IS: Field/Snow Hydrology ENVS 497 – IS: Rsrch.: Snow Infl. on Forage
Lisa Hoferkamp Associate Professor of Chemistry Phone: 796-6538, Fax: 796-6447 Email: lahoferkamp@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences - Natural Sciences Anderson Bldg, Rm. 313, Juneau Campus Juneau Campus Education National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow, National Exposure Research Laboratory - USEPA, Athens, GA Kinetic studies of the anaerobic attenuation of munitions compounds Ph.D., Inorganic Chemistry, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland Synthesis and X-ray structural characterization of catalytically active transition metal clusters M.S., Inorganic Chemistry, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL Development of polymer modified electrode surfaces derived from Ni(II) and Cu(II) complexes B.S., Chemistry, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID Research Study of the natural environment from a chemical viewpoint offers fascinating research topics ranging from basic research on poorly understood natural processes to applied research investigating the effects of human activities on various ecosystems and remediation efforts. The pristine system of forests and waterways proximate to the University of Alaska Southeast are ideal natural laboratories for these types of studies. My research centers on the transport, deposition and attenuation of heavy metal and organic pollutants in high latitude environments. Heavy metal studies in my lab include characterization of the iron, lead and copper species associated with high organic carbon soils under anaerobic conditions. An increasing presence of ocean-going vessels at Alaskan ports has also raised concern about environmental levels of tin. The chemical interactions of tin with environmental matrices (e.g. microbial communities) profoundly influence its mobility and toxicity. These metals have become common features of the southeastern Alaska topography and identifying the specific form of these metals under various environmental conditions provides valuable insight into their transport properties. Organic pollutants, on the other hand, are typically associated with industrialized areas and as such have limited local sources at higher latitudes. Atmospheric transport and to some extent urbanization however, have provided for detectable levels of numerous synthetic organic chemicals in the arctic hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere. Studies aimed at quantifying levels of organic pollutants and their attenuation products in high latitude regions are also pursued in my laboratory. Of particular interest to me are halogenated organic contaminants and their redox chemistry in the environment. Once these pollutants reach higher latitudes, I study their transformations as they interact with the abiotic and biotic environment of southeastern Alaska and how the contaminant’s environmental impact is controlled by those interactions. Both heavy metal and organic pollutant studies involve the use of state of the art analytical instrumentation including atomic absorption spectrometry and mass spectrometry. Collaborations with the University of Alaska Anchorage, the University of Alaska Fairbanks and University of Alaska Southeast biologists continue to support and strengthen my contaminant studies. In addition to contaminant studies, I conduct ongoing research into the habitat remediation and restoration potential of created wetlands. Collaborative efforts with the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife have led to the development and continued study of two created wetlands in the Mendenhall valley. Results from this project have shown these landscape features serve as moderators of groundwater intrusion and stormwater runoff, provide for carbon sequestration and contaminant retention and allow for significantly improved habitat. All of my research projects at the University of Alaska Southeast have benefited from the contributions of my undergraduate research assistants. Publications Selected Publications Courses Taught The chemistry courses that I teach at the University of Alaska Southeast include general, organic and environmental chemistry. The laboratory portion of Environmental Chemistry focuses on analytical methods used in environmental analyses. The UAS Natural Science department is well equipped for gas and liquid chromatography, mass spectrometry, atomic absorption spectrometry and ultraviolet, visible and infrared spectroscopy. I have taught Special Topics courses on contaminant attenuation in the natural environment and wetland chemistry. All of these courses provide valuable insight into natural processes and provide a foundation for understanding natural systems and the impacts of contemporary societies on those systems. Lower Division: CHEM 103 - Introduction to Chemistry I CHEM 105 - General Chemistry I CHEM 106 - General Chemistry II CHEM 193 - ST: Chemistry Recitation CHEM 297 - IS: Chem Lab CHEM 397 - IS: Chemical Research Upper Division: CHEM 341 - Organic and Biological Chemistry I CHEM 450 - Environmental Chemistry CHEM 497 - IS: Environmental Chemistry ENVS 491 - Environmental Science Internship ENVS 492 - Seminar: Contaminant Attenuation in Natural Systems ENVS 498 - Research in Environmental Science ENVS 498 - Research: Mobility of Metals
Sanjay Pyare Associate Professor of Environmental Science, Geography BS Program Coordinator Phone: 796-6007, Fax: 796-6406 Email: spyare@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences - Natural Sciences Whitehead Bldg, Rm 223, Juneau Campus Juneau Campus Education Ph.D. Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology 1999, University of Nevada, Reno, NV Doctoral Dissertation: Interrelationships among northern flying squirrels, ectomycorrhizal fungi, and conifers in old-growth forest habitat of the Sierra Nevada B.A. Biology (Studio Art Minor), Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY Senior Thesis: Habitat Use by Eastern Chipmunks Curriculum vitae Research GIS-supported landscape assessments Ground-truthing GIS and remotely sensed resources Landscape connectivity, habitat modeling, animal dispersal/movement Aquatic-terrestrial-marine interactions Hands-on/experiential education Supporting information needs of resource managers Publications Selected Publications Courses Taught Lower Division: ENVS 110 – Intro to ArcGIS ENVS 111 – Intro to Differential GPS ENVS 293 – ST: Mobile GIS Technology Applications ENVS 2xx – Biogeography of Southeast Alaska Upper Division: ENVS 310 –Intro to GIS ENVS 393 – Advanced GIS ENVS 4xx –Landscape Ecology ENVS 403 –Remote Sensing ENVS 493 –ST:Special Projects in GIS and Remote Sensing
Jason M. Amundson Associate Professor of Geophysics Phone: 796-6247 Email: jmamundson@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences - Natural Sciences Whitehead Bldg, Rm 225, Juneau Campus Juneau Campus Education Ph.D. Geophysics, 2010, University of Alaska Fairbanks Iceberg Calving Dynamics of Jakobshavn Isbrae, Greenland M.S. Geophysics, 2006, University of Alaska Fairbanks Evidence for Stress Redistribution Beneath Black Rapids Glacier, Alaska B.S. Geology, 2003, University of Minnesota B.S. Geological Engineering, 2003, University of Minnesota Curriculum Vitae (see Jason's personal site) Research Controls on iceberg calving Oceanic response to calving events Glacier seismicity Subglacial processes, including basal motion and glacial erosion Publications Selected Publications (see Jason's personal site) Courses Taught Lower Division: PHYS 103: College Physics I PHYS 104: College Physics II PHYS 211: General Physics I PHYS 212: General Physics II Upper Division: ENVS 302: Glaciology ENVS 422: Earth's Climate System GEOG 350: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Climate Change
Jason B. Fellman Interim Co-director - Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center & Research Assistant Professor of Environmental Science Phone: 796-6370 Email: jbfellman@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences - Natural Sciences Whitehead Bldg, Rm 220, Juneau Campus Juneau Campus http://www.uas.alaska.edu/acrc/ Education B.S. Biology, University of Scranton (1995) M.S. Environmental Science, Washington State University (2000) Ph.D. Biogeochemistry, University of Alaska Fairbanks (2008) Research Stream biogeochemistry Publications Arimitsu M, Hobson KA, Webber DA, Piatt JF, Hood E, Fellman JB. Tracing biogeochemical subsidies from glacier runoff into Alaska’s coastal marine food webs. 2018. Global Change Biology 24(1):387-398. Fellman JB, Hood E, Raymond P, Hudson J, Bozeman M, Arimitsu M. 2015. Evidence for the assimilation of glacier organic carbon in a proglacial stream food web. Limnology and Oceanography 60:118-128. Fellman, J.B., E. Hood, R.G.M. Spencer, A. Stubbins, and P.A. Raymond. 2014. Watershed glacier coverage influences dissolved organic matter biogeochemistry in coastal watersheds of southeast Alaska. Ecosystems 17:1014-1025. Fellman JB, Spencer RGM, Hernes PJ, Edwards RT, D’Amore DV, Hood E. 2010. The impact of glacier runoff on the biodegradability and biochemical composition of terrigenous dissolved organic matter in near-shore marine ecosystems. Marine Chemistry 121:112-122. Hood, E., J.B. Fellman, R.G.M. Spencer, R.T. Edwards, D.V. D’Amore, P.J. Hernes and D. Scott. 2009. Glacial runoff as a source of ancient, labile organic matter to the Gulf of Alaska. Nature 462:1044-1048. Biography Jason Fellman is the interim co-director of the Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center. He joined the Alaska Coastal Rainforest Center in October 2013 as a Research Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences. Prior to that, he served as a postdoctoral fellow in Environmental Science at the University of Alaska Southeast as well as the University of Western Australia in Perth. Jason has a background in the biogeochemistry of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems with the focus of understanding how carbon and nutrients link these distinct ecosystems. He has extensive experience in the coastal temperature rainforest of southeast Alaska exploring how wetlands and salmon influence stream biogeochemistry. Jason’s current research is focused on understanding how stream biogeochemistry and ecology may change as receding glaciers are replaced by forests and glaciers contribute less meltwater to streamflow. Jason has a strong commitment to environmental stewardship and believes research can be used as a tool to balance human and ecological needs in a changing climate. He received a PhD in Biogeochemistry from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and an MS in Environmental Science from Washington State University. He enjoys climbing, skiing, trail running as well as camping and traveling with his wife and two children.
Sonia A. Nagorski Assistant Professor of Geology Phone: 796-6580, Fax: 796-6406 Email: sanagorski@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences - Natural Sciences Whitehead Bldg, Rm 227, Juneau Campus Juneau Campus Education Ph.D. Geology, 2001, University of Montana, Missoula, MT M.S. Geology, 1997, University of Montana, Missoula, MT B.A. Geology and History, 1994, Amherst College, Amherst, MA Curriculum Vitae Research Environmental geochemistry, including: Trace metal occurrence and dynamics in hydrological systems, including water, sediment, and biota Atmospheric mercury deposition and cycling Water quality assessment and monitoring Publications Selected Publications Courses Taught Geology 104: Physical Geology Geology 105: Geological History of Life Geology 301: Geomorphology Geology 320: Geological Resources and the Environment Geology 393: Field Geology - Death Valley Environmental Science/Geography 213: Natural Hazards Environmental Science 375: Current Topics: The Anthropocene Environmental Science 375: Current Topics: Plastics in the Environment Environmental Science/Geography 102: Earth and Environment Humanities 120: Alaska: A Sense of Place Humanities 193: Environment, Ethics, and the UAS Experience
Roman Motyka Research Professor Emeritus, Geophysical Institute, UAF Phone: 796-6307 Email: rjmotyka@alaska.edu Arts and Sciences - Natural Sciences Juneau Campus http://www.uas.alaska.edu/arts_sciences/naturalsciences/envs Education Ph.D. Geology and Geophysics, 1983, Geophysical Institute, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK Doctoral Dissertation: Increases and fluctuations in thermal activity at Mount Wrangell, Alaska, determined from glacier melt and mass balance. M.S. Physics, 1966, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI B.A. Physics, 1964, St. Mary's University, Winona, MN Honors thesis title: Construction of a mass spectrometer. Curriculum vitae (PDF\|48Kb)Complete list of publications (PDF\|114Kb) Research Tidewater glacier dynamics (LeConte, Taku, and Hubbard Glaciers, SE Alaska; Jakobshavn Isbrae, Greenland) Thinning of Mendenhall Glacier and disintegration of its calving terminus in Mendenhall Lake, SE Alaska Uplift, isostatic rebound, and plate tectonics in Southeast Alaska (NSF) Contribution of Alaska glaciers to global sea level raise (NASA) Developing ice-load models for Glacier Bay and for the Yakutat Icefield, SE Alaska (NASA) Publications Selected Publications

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