Research Focus It is estimated that by the end of 2023, approximately one in every 28 individuals worldwide will reside outside their native country, and over one in 69 people will have experienced forced displacement. These staggering numbers continue to surge annually due to the compounding factors of climate change, ongoing wars and conflicts, and […]
Research Focus There has been considerable development in understanding food globalization in the Bronze Age when dispersals of crops and domesticated animals linked people from far-flung locations in a series of connections that spanned the Eurasian landmass 7000-3000 years ago. Liu’s lab is one of the leading groups globally contributing to this recent momentum. We […]
Research Focus The field of computer vision has dramatically changed in the past ten years, making it possible to automatically extract detailed information from vast sets of images. While challenges remain, this presents an opportunity to improve our understanding of earth processes and their impact on plants and animals. The Multimodal Vision Research Laboratory (MVRL) […]
Research Focus How does Earth’s climate behave during ice ages? How do tropical monsoons react when the planet warms or cools? The peak of the last ice age, or the Last Glacial Maximum (abbreviated as the LGM), was a period of extensive Northern Hemisphere glaciation that took place about 21,000 years ago, when ice sheets […]
Research Focus Our research group examines how exposure to pollutants and pathogens in the environment influence the gut microbiome, subsequently impacting health. Our work is part of the REACH Study (reachresearch.org) in collaboration with Theresa Gildner in Anthropology and Claire Masteller in Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences. The REACH Study investigates the environmental and biological exposure pathways through which […]
Research Focus Our lab studies microbial metabolisms and their influence on biogeochemical cycling using an interdisciplinary approach. We apply the knowledge we gain to generate new ways of addressing issues such as the energy crisis, climate change, pollution, human health, sustainability and the circular economy. Each summer we create a vibrant international community of students ranging from high-school level […]
Research Focus The Aquatic Chemistry Laboratory is focused on chemical reactions that affect the fate and transport of heavy metals, radionuclides, and other inorganic constituents in natural and engineering aquatic systems. Major research themes in the group are (1) drinking water treatment and supply, (2) environmental geochemistry of soil and groundwater, and (3) the environmental […]
Research Focus Our research group is focused on (1) understanding the behavior of chemical and biological contaminants in environmental systems and (2) optimizing strategies to minimize the risk posed by these contaminants to human and ecosystem health. Some of our current projects include: Skills, Techniques, and Methods Students will primarily learn laboratory skills including preparing experimental materials, performing […]
Research Focus The aviation industry is known to be one of the major contributors to greenhouse gases accounting for 4.9% of the global greenhouse emissions. With the ever-increasing threat of climate change to the overall survival of the planet, the exploration of new technologies and alternative energy sources that minimize greenhouse gas emissions are of […]
Research Focus Wildfires pose severe threats to urban air quality. As a result of ongoing climate change and historical fire suppression practices, wildfires in North America became more intense, frequent, and widespread in the 2000s. These trends have significantly impacted urban air quality in the last two decades, offsetting some of the improvements from anthropogenic […]