Team - The Fulweiler Laboratory at Boston University

Research Technician

Postdoctoral Associates

John Angell, Postdoctoral Associate

Dr. John Angell graduated cum laude with a B.S. in Biology from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst in 2006 and received his Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts – Boston in 2016. Prior to his graduate work, he worked as a field/lab technician in the Sala Lab at Brown University. As a microbial ecologist, John’s research focuses on using molecular tools to understand the factors that control the community structure and function of microbes in the environment with a particular emphasis on microbes involved in the nitrogen cycle. John’s dissertation research, under the direction of Dr. Jennifer Bowen, investigated the role abiotic conditions play in structuring microbial communities in salt marsh sediments at very fine spatial scales. While at UMass Boston, he received a Sanofi-Genzyme Research Fellowship in 2014 and several graduate teaching awards. John is currently a Postdoctoral Faculty Fellow at Boston University where he will both teach and work in the lab. In the Fulweiler Lab, John will apply molecular techniques to explore the biological underpinnings of the geochemical transformations measured in coastal systems.

Graduate Students

Alia Al-Haj

Alia Al-Haj received a B.S. (2010) in Biology and M.S. (2014) in Environmental Sciences from the University of Virginia. Her Master’s thesis investigated the effects of changes in light and temperature on eelgrass depth limits in the Virginia Coastal Bays in order to identify areas for future eelgrass restoration. Her Ph.D. research is focused on quantifying blue carbon capabilities of seagrasses. She is particularly interested in fluxes of carbon dioxide and methane from eelgrass beds and how these fluxes change under excess nutrients.

Emily Chua, Ph.D. Student

Emily Chua received a B.Sc. Combined Honours in Physics and Oceanography and a minor in Math from Dalhousie University (Nova Scotia) in 2015. Her honours thesis investigated wave-current interactions in tidal channels, with applications to tidal energy. During various research internships during her undergraduate degree, she investigated charge transport in hybrid solar cells (2013; University of Konstanz, Germany), and developed a deep sea membrane inlet system for use with an underwater mass spectrometer (2014; Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, MA). In 2015, Emily moved to Boston to begin her Ph.D. at Boston University (BU) with a Fulbright Canada Student Award. In her first year at BU, she received a National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Scholarship. For her dissertation she is working on an NSF funded project to develop a novel underwater mass spectrometer for measuring biogenic gases in permeable sediments. This project is in collaboration with SRI International (St. Petersburg, FL) and Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (Savannah, GA).

Hollie Emery, Ph.D. Student

Hollie Emery graduated with a B.S. in Biology from the University of Massachusetts, Boston in 2009. While there, she completed a senior thesis examining the interactive effects of altered precipitation and warming on soil moisture at the Boston-Area Climate Experiment. After graduating, she continued working at the BACE as a research assistant, and extended her soil moisture research by relating it to changes to plant communities. Hollie is now a Ph.D. student at BU, where she has been investigating how human impacts (e.g. tidal restriction and restoration, invasive species, and precipitation change) alter greenhouse gas fluxes in salt marshes. She has also ventured to Puerto Rico to work with Brita Jessen (a Ph.D. student at GSO/URI) on her mangrove nitrogen fertilization experiment. While at BU, Hollie has received the National Park Service George M. Wright Climate Change Fellowship, the Joshua A. Nickerson Conservation Fellowship, and the NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant to study the effects of precipitation intensification on salt marsh carbon sequestration and nitrogen removal processes

Sarah Foster, Ph.D. Student

Sarah Foster earned a B.A. (2006) in Ecosystems Ecology and Environmental Science at Hampshire College and a M.A. (2012) in Earth Sciences at Boston University. In between her undergraduate and graduate work Sarah spent four years working on a long-term water quality project in San Francisco Bay as an estuarine research assistant for the US Geological Survey. In her Masters research at BU, Sarah investigated the spatial and historic variability of sediment nutrient cycling and denitrification in Waquoit Bay, MA. Sarah’s fundamental scientific interest is the exploration of coastal ecosystem response to anthropogenic changes (such as nutrient pollution and climate change) across a variety of geographic and temporal scales. Sarah is currently pursuing a Ph.D. and her research is focused on the impacts of low oxygen on the microbial flux of nitrous oxide and methane. She was recently awarded the National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate fellowship in support of this research. During the summer of 2013 Sarah had the opportunity to study microbial oceanography at C-MORE at the University of Hawai’i Manoa. Check out her blog of the course. When she’s not doing her own research Sarah also enjoys teaching and participating in outreach programs. For the past three years she has led a workshop called “Microbes and Mud” for middle school girls as part of the Women in Science summer program at the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Tim Maguire, Ph.D. Student

Timothy Maguire received his B.S. in Marine Safety and Environmental Protection from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in 2003 and a Master of Liberal Arts in Environmental Management from the Harvard Extension School in 2012. After graduating valedictorian of the Maritime Academy Tim was employed as the on-board environmental compliance officer for two major cruise lines. In 2008 he moved back to Boston and worked as an environmental consultant focusing on remediation of polluted industrial and commercial properties while studying part-time at the Extension School. His master's thesis topic was salt marsh restoration in urban harbors. At the Fulweiler Lab Tim investigates anthropogenic impacts to the biogeochemistry of coastal systems with an emphasis on Si cycle. Interested in learning more? Check out Tim's page: www.beantownscience.com.

Claudia Mazur, Ph.D. Student

Claudia Mazur graduated from Mount Holyoke College in 2016 with a B.A. in Geology and a Five College Certificate in Coastal and Marine Sciences. During her undergraduate career, she conducted research at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History as a Natural History Experiences (NHRE) Intern, at Pennsylvania State University as a Sustainability Climate and Risk Management (SCRIM) Summer Scholar and in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean as a Sea Education Association (SEA) Semester student. Her interest in coastal biogeochemistry started during her time as a 2015 Summer Student Fellow at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution where she studied the microbial processes in sediments under oyster aquaculture and measured the processes associated with nitrogen removal. As a PhD student in the Fulweiler Lab, Claudia is working on the Long Island Sound Project, which focuses on the anthropogenic activities of nutrient loading and climate change and their effect on the relationship of between the water column and the sediment. In addition to research, Claudia enjoys sharing her knowledge through science outreach. After college, Claudia worked as a geology teacher at a high school semester program called Swiss Semester in Zermatt, Switzerland and as a Residential Assistant/Marine Science Teaching Assistant at Coastal Studies for Girls in Freeport, Maine. You can learn more about Claudia’s adventures by checking out her website: www.claudiaimazur.weebly.com

Nick Ray, Ph.D. Student

Nick is a third year Ph.D. student in the Fulweiler Lab. His research focuses on oyster mediation of sediment biogeochemical processes, and the impacts these changes will have on coastal ecosystems. Nick earned both his B.S (2011) and M.S. (2014) in Environmental Science and Technology from the University of Maryland. After his undergraduate work and during his M.S., Nick worked for Maryland Sea Grant on water quality and bioremediation related research in both rural and urban areas of the Chesapeake Bay. His MS thesis work focused on the nutrient remediation potential of integrating algal culture with an already existing oyster aquaculture facility.

Undergraduate Interns

Amy Green

Amy Green is a sophomore at Boston University studying Marine Science and Biological Anthropology. Originally from Minneapolis, she grew up sailing throughout the Great Lakes which sparked her initial interest in marine ecosystems. She loves to sail and spend time above the surface, but is also interested in learning to study the deep ocean. She is fascinated by the impact that humans have on their environment, and hopes to pursue research in the conservation of coral reef ecosystems in the future.

Anniina Haka

Anniina Haka is a sophomore at Boston University planning on majoring in Nutrition/Dietetics. She spent her early years in Finland, but moved to the United States when she was seven years old. In high school she took environmental science, which got her interested in the relationship between humans and the environment. In the Fulweiler Lab, she hopes to further her knowledge of coastal environments. She is working with John Angell to apply environmental molecular techniques to couple biogeochemical rate measurements to the microbial community driving these rates.

Carly Langan

Carly Langan is a sophomore at Boston University studying Marine Science with a minor in Environmental Analysis and Policy. Originally from Vermont, she has traveled with her family to many different coastal areas of the world, and has developed a deep passion for the ocean and all that it holds. She wishes to pursue a career researching the impact humans have on marine ecosystems and coral reefs, specifically the impact and reduction of plastic in the ocean. This year she is working with Ph.D. student Claudia Mazur on benthic nutrient cycling.

Shuhui Liu

Shuhui Liu is a freshman at Boston University majoring in earth and environmental science. She grew up in Zhuhai, a coastal city in China, then moved to San Francisco for high school. The ocean has always been part of her life: she went for walks with her family at the seaside, diving at small islands around Zhuhai, and driving along coastal highway one to get to school in California. Working in the Fulweiler lab, she hopes to further understand the relationship between humans and the ocean.

Julia Masterman

Julia Masterman is a sophomore at Boston University majoring in Earth and Environment. As a part of the BURECS program, she was exposed to paleoclimate research and scientific outreach regarding climate science her freshman year. Originally from Chicago, her time spent on Lake Michigan inspired her interest in the environment and it's ever changing nature. She began working in Fulweiler lab during the summer of 2015. Currently, Julia is working on a UROP funded project investigating how Canadian Geese impact urban Silica cycling.

Gretchen McCarthy

Gretchen McCarthy is a sophomore at Boston University majoring in marine science. She's broadly interested in coastal ecosystems - especially in oysters - what they eat, how their metabolism alters ecosystems, and how invasive oysters might alter coastal biogeochemistry. She helped Nick Ray with his work in the summer of 2017 and in the fall she conducted an independent research project on oyster metabolism. She hopes to continue this research in the spring of 2018.

Victoria Momyer

Victoria Momyer is a sophomore from New Jersey studying Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in the College of Arts and Sciences. She is a member of the Boston University Research, Education, Communication and Science Program (BURECS), and as a result dedicates much of her time to understanding climate change, studying fossil and ash samples from Antarctica, and creating outreach products to help others understand the impacts of climate change. Victoria recently recieved a UROP award to study methane in Boston's groundwater wells.

Jenn Soukup

Jenn Soukup is a senior at Boston University majoring in marine science with minor in biology. She is interested in nutrient cycling in marine ecosystems and her goal is to understand how nutrients, especially silica, can be useful for organisms. She is especially interested in how changing these cycles via climate change, pollution, invasive species, etc, will impact the organisms that live in the area and vice versa. Her current research is focused on silica cycling in invasive Phragmites australis and how this strain of marsh grass has changed the silica cycling in the marshes of New England.

Highschool Interns

Mihir Edulbehram

Mihir Edulbehram is a Senior at Cambridge Rindge & Latin hoping to major in Environmental or Marine Science. He grew up across the river in Cambridge, MA, and attended middle school at Shady Hill School. He spent the fall of his junior year at the Island School which is a semester program in Cape Eleuthera, in the Bahamas. After completing a research project on Cuban Dogfish in the Exuma Sound, he’s motivated to continue learning about marine life and one day work on conserving delicate ocean ecosystems.

Visiting Scientists

Suzy Ayvazian, EPA

Suzanne Ayvazian received her B.A. in Zoology from the University of New Hampshire, a M.S. in Biology from the University of Massachusetts- Lowell and her Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Rhode Island. She has been fortunate enough to hold Postdoctoral Fellowships at the University of Massachusetts- Amherst and the University of Western Australia where she examined the relationship between nekton communities and habitat in different geographic settings. She was employed by the Department of Fisheries Research in Western Australia as a Senior Scientist for estuarine fisheries examining commercial and recreational catches of targeted finfish species. Currently, Suzanne is employed by the U.S. EPA in Narragansett RI and is conducting collaborative research to understand the ecosystem services conveyed by shellfish in estuarine waters and salt marshes. Working with our lab she is measuring ecosystem changes associated with oyster habitats.

Austin Humphries, EPA

Austin Humphries is an Assistant Professor at the University of Rhode Island. Austin recently finished a postdoc at the Atlantic Ecology Division with the US Environmental Protection Agency in Narragansett, Rhode Island. He received his PhD at Rhodes University, where he did research in Kenya with the Wildlife Conservation Society. Before his time in Africa, Austin earned a MS degree at Louisiana State University and did undergraduate studies at the University of Vermont. Increasingly, Dr. Humphries’ research is interdisciplinary, conducting field and lab experiments as well as engaging in socioeconomic interviews, performing synthetic statistical analyses, and designing models to understand the interactions and outcomes that arise from coastal management interventions. His work is both local and international, often studying oysters in estuaries and tropical coral reef fishes, as well as the human dimension aspect, which involves the people that depend on these resources. Find out more about his work at ahumphrieslab.com. Working with our lab he is measuring nutrient cycling in oyster habitats.

Teri O'Meara, University of Auckland

Teri O’Meara earned a BS (Chemistry) and a BA (Biology) from Hope College and Ph.D. (Environmental Science) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At Hope, she conducted research on the fate and transport of pharmaceuticals in ground water. As a graduate student, she studied human impacts on nitrogen processing and primary productivity in salt marshes. To complete her work at UNC, she received a UNC Dissertation Fellowship and NC Coastal Reserve – NC Sea Grant Fellowship. After graduation, she was an undergraduate research coordinator for the NSF REU program at Samford University. Currently, she is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Auckland. Her projects include multi-stressor effects on ecosystem service quantity and quality in coastal habitats; using planar optodes to understand interactions between biodiversity, ecosystem function and habitat heterogeneity; and using the biogeochemistry of mussel beds to monitor restoration progress/success. Working with our lab she will measure nutrient processing in shallow subtidal habitats with a focus on the role of fungus in driving marine nitrogen cycling.

Emily Zakem, MIT