People

Current Team

Maryam Rishehri is a PhD student in Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering. She holds a BS and MS in Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Kehinde Bosikun is a PhD student in Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering. He holds BS and MS degrees in Geology.

Nick Simone is a MS student in Geography and Environmental Systems. He is carrying out GIS mapping and animation of our thermal stream data. He holds a BS degree in Environmental Science from UMBC.

PJ Terhune is a junior in Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering in the Environmental Engineering track.  He is conducting independent research on the dissolution of sulfate from urban soils.

Amalie Rebstock is a senior in the Dept of Geography and Environmental Systems.  Amalie has been assisting with biweekly stream sampling, filtering water quality samples, and miscellaneous field tasks since fall 2022.

Mary McWilliams is a full-time CUERE staff research assistant responsible for managing field equipment, water quality sampling and processing, and data analysis. Mary holds a BS and MS in Environmental Science from Towson University.  She has been employed by UMBC since November 2020.

Claire Welty is Professor of Chemical, Biochemical, and Environmental Engineering and Director of the Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education.  She has been at UMBC since 2003; prior to that she was employed at Drexel University from 1989 – 2003.  She holds a PhD from MIT in Civil and Environmental Engineering.  Dr. Welty’s research projects address quantifying groundwater-surface water interactions in urban systems using highly resolved  mathematical models and high-density sensor networks. She teaches ENEN 621 Groundwater Hydrology ever fall semester and ENCH 210 Introduction to Environmental Engineering every spring semester.

Andy Miller is a Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Systems at UMBC and a principal collaborator in all matters related to urban hydrology.

John Lagrosa is the CUERE data manager and GIS expert. He holds a PhD in Urban Ecology.  He works with team members in data-management and GIS tasks.

Alumni

Jasmine Ives is a UMBC major in the Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering, in the Environmental Engineering Track.  She assisted with field and lab work in summer of 2024.

MItchell Richards obtained his BS in Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering, in the Environmental Engineering Track in 2023.  Mitchell conducted permeability and porosity characterization of soi/saprolite cores from Dead Run and assisted with rain gage calibration and water quality sample processing. He is currently employed by EA Engineers.

Joshua Piekarz obtained his BS in Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering, in the Environmental Engineering Track in 2024. Joshua conducted independent research on evaluating the dissolution of sulfate in construction materials.

Hanna Donovan is an undergraduate student in Chemical, Biochemical and Environmental Engineering, in the Environmental Engineering Track. Hanna initiated our work on GIS mapping of thermal stream data; she assisted with biweekly stream sampling for the Urban CZ project in summer 2022.

Mahdad Talebpour, PhD in Environmental Engineering (2022). Currently post-doctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University working with Ben Zaitchik’s group.

Benjamin Glass-Siegel, CUERE staff member, 2018-2021.

John Kemper, MS Environmental Engineering (2018) and CUERE staff member 2013-2018.  PhD, Colorado State University (2022); currently post-doctoral associate, Colorado State University.

Michael Barnes, CUERE staff member, 2011-2019.

Elvis Andino Nolasco, MS Environmental Engineering (2018). Currently Civil Designer at Carroll Engineering, Inc.

Erin Stapleton, MS Environmental Engineering (2016) and CUERE staff member 2014-2017.  Currently Environmental Engineer at AKRF.

Alimatou Seck, PhD Environmental Engineering (2015). Currently Senior Water Resources Scientist at Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin.

Zhengtao Cui, PhD Environmental Engineering (2015).  Currently Software Engineer and Hydrologist, NOAA.

Aditi Bhaskar, PhD Environmental Engineering (2013). Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering,  University of Colorado, Boulder.

Julia Miller, CUERE staff member, 2010-2012.

Christiane Runyan, CUERE staff member, 2008-2009.  PhD, University of Virginia, 2013. Currently Lecturer, Johns Hopkins University. Advanced Academic Programs.

Phillip Larson, CUERE staff member, 2007- 2010.