Dr. Ben Sullivan
I'm a soil scientist and biogeochemist. I want to learn how this amazing world works at a molecular level.
Google Scholar profile HERE
I'm a soil scientist and biogeochemist. I want to learn how this amazing world works at a molecular level.
Google Scholar profile HERE
Postdocs
Ph.D. students
Ashley Cale
Ashley earned her BS in Forest Management and Ecology in 2018 from UNR. A strong background in agriculture led to her interest in soil and environmental science. Her research explores how different forest management treatments influence soil processes. When she’s not wandering around forests, Ashley enjoys spending time with her dogs, longboarding and exploring Northern Nevada.
Ashley earned her BS in Forest Management and Ecology in 2018 from UNR. A strong background in agriculture led to her interest in soil and environmental science. Her research explores how different forest management treatments influence soil processes. When she’s not wandering around forests, Ashley enjoys spending time with her dogs, longboarding and exploring Northern Nevada.
Graduates
Seren Bagcilar
Seren earned her PhD in NRES in 2023 and is now an ORISE postdoctoral fellow with the USGS.
Google Scholar
Seren earned her PhD in NRES in 2023 and is now an ORISE postdoctoral fellow with the USGS.
Google Scholar
Dr. Cody C. Reed (lab Ph.D. graduate, postdoc)
Cody earned her PhD in EECB 2020 and worked as a postdoc until 2023. Cody is now a senior meadow ecologist at Point Blue.
https://www.pointblue.org/employee_bios/cody-reed/
Google Scholar
Cody earned her PhD in EECB 2020 and worked as a postdoc until 2023. Cody is now a senior meadow ecologist at Point Blue.
https://www.pointblue.org/employee_bios/cody-reed/
Google Scholar
Brian Morra
Brian earned his PhD in NRES in 2022 and is now working with Dr. Beth Newingham at the USDA ARS in Reno.
Google Scholar
Brian earned his PhD in NRES in 2022 and is now working with Dr. Beth Newingham at the USDA ARS in Reno.
Google Scholar
Jacob Anderson
Jacob earned his MS in NRES in 2021.
Jacob earned his MS in NRES in 2021.
Cordi Craig, MS Student
Cordi earned her MS in NRES in 2019.
Cordi earned her MS in NRES in 2019.
Ryan Kasten, MS Student
Ryan earned his MS in 2019.
Ryan earned his MS in 2019.
Former Lab Employees
Darden Mueller, Postgraduate student research assistant
Darden received his BS in Environmental Science from UNR in 2016. Out of the lab he enjoys skiing, cycling, and exploring the mountain ranges around Nevada. I love working in the field and plan to pursue a MS degree in order to continue exploring the intricacies of soil science!
Darden received his BS in Environmental Science from UNR in 2016. Out of the lab he enjoys skiing, cycling, and exploring the mountain ranges around Nevada. I love working in the field and plan to pursue a MS degree in order to continue exploring the intricacies of soil science!
Stephanie Freund, Field and Lab Technician
Stephanie has two degrees in Geography: a Bachelor's from Virginia Tech, where she pursued a concentration in geospatial and environmental analysis, and a M.S. from UNR, where she studied biological soil crusts in Great Basin sagebrush and pinyon-juniper communities. Her interests outside of soil and ecosystem science include painting, printmaking, and hiking.
Stephanie has two degrees in Geography: a Bachelor's from Virginia Tech, where she pursued a concentration in geospatial and environmental analysis, and a M.S. from UNR, where she studied biological soil crusts in Great Basin sagebrush and pinyon-juniper communities. Her interests outside of soil and ecosystem science include painting, printmaking, and hiking.
Sarrah Dunham-Cheatham
Sarrah is a biogeochemist and science educator. She received her BS from Purdue University in Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences focusing on soils and hydrology, and her geochemistry Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame focusing on effects of bacteria on the mobility of mercury and precipitation of uranyl and lead phosphates. Sarrah has worked at the DOE IFRC Rifle, CO field site via Stanford University, and has taught full-time at Colorado Mesa University and Washington University in St. Louis, as well as as a K-12 science educator at the St. Louis Science Center. Prior to joining our lab, she worked as a postdoctoral scientist at UNR, investigating the coupled dynamics of Fe minerals and C and how different biogeochemical variables affect the stability of Fe-bound organic carbon in soils. Her current research is aimed at understanding the plant-soil feedbacks in abandoned agriculture fields and how these feedbacks affect vegetation restoration efforts.
Check out her personal website at sarrahdc.com
Sarrah is a biogeochemist and science educator. She received her BS from Purdue University in Natural Resources & Environmental Sciences focusing on soils and hydrology, and her geochemistry Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame focusing on effects of bacteria on the mobility of mercury and precipitation of uranyl and lead phosphates. Sarrah has worked at the DOE IFRC Rifle, CO field site via Stanford University, and has taught full-time at Colorado Mesa University and Washington University in St. Louis, as well as as a K-12 science educator at the St. Louis Science Center. Prior to joining our lab, she worked as a postdoctoral scientist at UNR, investigating the coupled dynamics of Fe minerals and C and how different biogeochemical variables affect the stability of Fe-bound organic carbon in soils. Her current research is aimed at understanding the plant-soil feedbacks in abandoned agriculture fields and how these feedbacks affect vegetation restoration efforts.
Check out her personal website at sarrahdc.com
Emily Carlson, Lab Manager
Emily has a BS in Biology from Humboldt State University and a MS in Soils and Biogeochemistry from UC Davis. Emily has worked in central America studying soil and acquatic ecosystems and worked with lab collaborators Drs. Eliska Rejmankova and Sudeep Chandra. Emily now works at the Nevada department of environmental protection keeping our water safe and lean.
Emily has a BS in Biology from Humboldt State University and a MS in Soils and Biogeochemistry from UC Davis. Emily has worked in central America studying soil and acquatic ecosystems and worked with lab collaborators Drs. Eliska Rejmankova and Sudeep Chandra. Emily now works at the Nevada department of environmental protection keeping our water safe and lean.
Kelsey Casey
Kelsey completed her B.S. in Environmental Science in May, 2016. Kelsey was an integral member of our lab during the summer and fall of 2015. Kelsey now works in Reno at the WETLAB environmental testing lab.
Kelsey completed her B.S. in Environmental Science in May, 2016. Kelsey was an integral member of our lab during the summer and fall of 2015. Kelsey now works in Reno at the WETLAB environmental testing lab.
Wayne Grosjean
Wayne (at right) is currently working on a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Nevada Reno and expects to graduate in 2017. Wayne assisted us in collecting greenhouse gas and soil samples. Wayne was also invaluable to the lab because he processed Exetainers by the hundreds to prepare us for field work and processed soil bulk density samples in his sleep. Wayne's interests outside of the lab are fishing, hiking, and camping.
Wayne (at right) is currently working on a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Nevada Reno and expects to graduate in 2017. Wayne assisted us in collecting greenhouse gas and soil samples. Wayne was also invaluable to the lab because he processed Exetainers by the hundreds to prepare us for field work and processed soil bulk density samples in his sleep. Wayne's interests outside of the lab are fishing, hiking, and camping.
Megan Ludwig
Ecohydrology (2012-2015)
Megan has been invaluable in helping build this lab. In fact, this very website owes its existence to her. Megan was supported by the National Science Foundation as a Research Experience for Undergraduates student at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Megan completed her BS in Ecohydrology in December, 2o15 and is now attending graduate school in Hydrologic Sciences at the University of British Colombia, Kelowna! Good luck, Megan, congrats, and come back to visit often for backcountry ski adventures.
Ecohydrology (2012-2015)
Megan has been invaluable in helping build this lab. In fact, this very website owes its existence to her. Megan was supported by the National Science Foundation as a Research Experience for Undergraduates student at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Megan completed her BS in Ecohydrology in December, 2o15 and is now attending graduate school in Hydrologic Sciences at the University of British Colombia, Kelowna! Good luck, Megan, congrats, and come back to visit often for backcountry ski adventures.
Elizabeth Huenupi, Lab Manager
Elizabeth has a PhD from Universidad de Chile in Santiago, specializing in biotechnology processes. She has a strong background in mining biotechnology: After getting a BSc in Chemical Engineering, she worked in the mining industry for several years. She worked as a postdoc in Dr. Evelyn Soo's lab at NRC in Halifax, Canada for several years before moving to Reno in 2009. Since 2010, Elizabeth worked at the Soils lab at Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences/DRI in Reno. She now joined our lab and the lab of Dr. Paul Verburg in the Fall of 2015. While she is not busy reading a good novel, listening or dancing to her favorite tunes, Elizabeth likes to travel and learn first hand about other cultures. Elizabeth now works in the lab of Rich Phillips at Indiana University-Bloomington.
Elizabeth has a PhD from Universidad de Chile in Santiago, specializing in biotechnology processes. She has a strong background in mining biotechnology: After getting a BSc in Chemical Engineering, she worked in the mining industry for several years. She worked as a postdoc in Dr. Evelyn Soo's lab at NRC in Halifax, Canada for several years before moving to Reno in 2009. Since 2010, Elizabeth worked at the Soils lab at Division of Earth and Ecosystem Sciences/DRI in Reno. She now joined our lab and the lab of Dr. Paul Verburg in the Fall of 2015. While she is not busy reading a good novel, listening or dancing to her favorite tunes, Elizabeth likes to travel and learn first hand about other cultures. Elizabeth now works in the lab of Rich Phillips at Indiana University-Bloomington.
Morgan McLeod, Lab Manager, Emeritus
Morgan set the tone for the lab by getting us ready for the work to come. Morgan works at the MPG Ranch in Montana and has a MS in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana. But don't let that fool ya; she's no lizard-squeezer. Morgan has worked in some of the best biogeochemistry labs in the west, including labs overeseen by Cory Cleveland (University of Montana), Steve Hart (then NAU, now UC Merced), Steve Perakis (USGS & OSU), and now here at UNR. We were lucky to have her help us get off the ground.
Morgan set the tone for the lab by getting us ready for the work to come. Morgan works at the MPG Ranch in Montana and has a MS in Wildlife Biology from the University of Montana. But don't let that fool ya; she's no lizard-squeezer. Morgan has worked in some of the best biogeochemistry labs in the west, including labs overeseen by Cory Cleveland (University of Montana), Steve Hart (then NAU, now UC Merced), Steve Perakis (USGS & OSU), and now here at UNR. We were lucky to have her help us get off the ground.
