Our Team
Brice Grunert
|
Audrey Ciochetto
|
To characterize optical variability in the ecosystems we focus on, Brice’s team collects a lot of data both in the field and the lab. As a Research Associate working remotely, it’s my job to enable the research projects in the lab by making sure data is organized and accessible by both our team and our collaborators. I am responsible for creating and maintaining our lab’s database that holds all our data. I also have extensive experience both in the lab and field and help out with methods and troubleshooting. My own research with Brice’s lab has focused on how to separate the total absorption signal into its parts – phytoplankton, colored dissolved organic matter and sediment/non-living particles. This will be important for interpreting satellite signals that can only give us total absorption.
In my personal time, I spend a lot of time with my young child: worm hunting in the rain, finding hermit crabs on the beach and looking for frogs and turtles on our hikes around the pond. Teaching him to appreciate nature and the importance of all our ecosystems is a joy. I love playing and designing board games, reading, playing the piano and hunting for sea shells on the beach. |
Sophia Volak
|
Graduate Students
Anshula Dhiman
|
I came to Cleveland State to begin my PhD journey in January 2023 from my hometown of New Delhi, India. I hold an MS and MPhil degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, India, where I researched nutrient distribution and cycling in the surface sediments in the Coringa Mangrove forest and assessed emerging contaminants of concern in the Ganga River Basin in India. My current research focuses on improving our understanding of phosphorus cycling and internal loading in Lake Erie, and leveraging satellite tools to advance our ability to estimate this cycling from remote sensing datasets. I've had the opportunity to broaden my knowledge through Lake Erie fieldworks and optics workshops and classes, including being part of the Ocean Optics Class of 2023 at Bowdoin College.
Outside of my academic pursuits, I love to do trekking and have explored several peaks in the Himalayan range. I also like experimenting with new cuisines when time permits and indulge in painting during my spare time. |
Jackson Parmentier
|
Stephanie Ratliff
|
I received my BS in environmental science from CSU after working as a interventional radiologic technologist for several years prior to moving to Cleveland. During that time, I worked as an undergraduate research assistant with Brice, and am now focused on completing an MS at CSU. I support fieldwork on Lake Erie in the lab and am the lab's de facto YSI EXO2 sonde expert. My research focuses on characterizing urban watershed biogeochemistry and microbial variability in relation to tree canopy cover and quality, under the perspective of urban tree and water equity in the greater Cleveland area.
In my spare time, I like to read, hike, and spend time with my friends, family, and dogs. Since moving to Cleveland, I've made it a goal to explore every mile of trail in the Cleveland Metroparks and am well on my way to achieving that goal! |
Trevor Holm
|
I am a research assistant pursuing my Master's degree in Environmental Science, with a particular interest in how algal blooms in Lake Erie can better be predicted, tracked, and prevented.
In 2018, I graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor's degree in Biology and followed with five years of professional chemical formulation. Through the years of chemistry, I remained connected to my passion for Earth's natural systems by hiking, camping, kayaking, volunteering at estuarine research reserves, and cataloguing critters on iNaturalist. This led to my re-immersion in academia at Cleveland State University in the spring of 2023. |
Undergraduate
Emily Hyland
|
I am a Senior pursuing my BS in Environmental Science with minors in Biology and Environmental Studies, and a Mandel Honors College student at Cleveland State. My Honors research thesis is focused on understanding the sensitivity of remote sensing reflectance – the signal observed from satellite sensors – to changes in dissolved organic matter composition in aquatic systems. I am applying a Python-based bio-optical model in coastal environments from Hawai’i to Lake Erie to learn more about this research topic. When I am not studying or in the lab I enjoy hanging out with my family, solving puzzles, and reading books.
|