Belinda S. Akpa
Resident Associate, Argonne National Laboratory
WISEST Postdoc
Chemical Engineering
Ph.D. Advanced Chemical Engineering Practice 2007
Cambridge University, U. K. with Lynn Gladden FRS FRE
Quantitative, chemically resolved study of chemical engineering systems using nuclear magnetic resonance.
home page
akpa@uic.edu
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Mentoring team:
Ludwig C. Nitsche (adv)
Lewis E. Wedgewood(adv)
Cynthia J. Jameson
facilitator:
Ludwig C. Nitsche
Teaching at UIC: Fall 2008 ChE 494
Magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy for physical scientists and engineers
course description | Research Profile
imaging of flow systems; spatially resolved chemical conversion and selectivity of a heterogeneous catalytic reaction occurring in a fixed bed reactor; hydrodynamic dispersion in porous media; diffusive mixing in microchannels; uncover the mechanism of Lipid Rescue technology for reversing anesthetic toxicity using NMR; fractional order NMR analysis of gel and tissue structures.
Methodology: NMR imaging and spectroscopy
at UIC: cellular membrane modeling and simulations of mechanisms for caveolae- mediated endocytosis (project joint with the Pharmacology department)
two representative publications:
B. S. Akpa, S. M. Matthews, A. J. Sederman, K. Yunus, A. C. Fisher, M. L. Johns, L. F. Gladden, 2007, Study of miscible and immiscible flows in a microchannel using magnetic resonance imaging, Anal. Chem. 79: 6128-6134
B. S. Akpa, D. J. Holland, A. J. Sederman, M. L. Johns, L. F. Gladden, 2007, Enhanced C-13 PFG NMR for the study of hydrodynamic dispersion in porous media, J. Magn. Reson. 186: 160-165
- CV
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Evilene Lopes Bowley
WISEST Postdoc
Earth and Environmental Sciences
Ph.D. Natural Resources and Environmental Studies 2005 University of New Hampshire with Ruth Varner?
Wood and soil atmosphere carbon dioxide fluxes from tropical forest ecosystems.
home page
ebowley@uic.edu
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Mentoring team:
Neil Sturchio (adv)
Kathryn L. Nagy
facilitator:
Roy Plotnick
Teaching at UIC: TBD
course description
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Research Profile
study of biogeochemistry cycles of carbon and nitrogen, how nutrients in water affect trace gas production in wetland soils
Methodology: gas chromatography
at UIC: Methane and nitrous oxide emissions from restored wetlands exposed to elevated nutrient loads; quantifying fluxes of methane from the Water Reclamation District of Chicago using static chambers and gas chromatography
two representative publications:
E. C. Lopes, W. Z. de Mello, M. A. P. Perez, C. A. Vilardo. 1997. Nitrous oxide emissions from soil of an tropical Atlantic forest, Itatitaia National Park, Brazilian Society of Geochem. 6: 154-157
E. Bowley, R. K. Varner, M. K. Keller, P. M. Crill, Spatial and temporal variability of soils surface CO 2 fluxes in an undisturbed forest site of the Tapajos National Forest, in preparation
- CV
- research statement
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Lauren Pintor
WISEST Postdoc
Biological Sciences
Ph.D. Ecology 2007
Univ. of California at Davis
with Andrew Sih
The influence of invader traits and community characteristics on the invasion success of an exotic crayfish.
home page
lmpintor@uic.edu
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Mentoring team:
Joel Brown (adv)
Mary Ashley
facilitator:
Mary Ashley
Teaching at UIC: Fall 2008 BioS 594 Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Biological Invasions
course description
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Research Profile
Seeks to understand the ecological and evolutionary processes of species interactions for making prescriptive predictions regarding how and when human-mediated species introductions contribute to changes in biodiversity.
Methodology: profiling the personality types of invaders and modeling exotic and native species as opponents in an evolutionary game.
at UIC: using game theory to simultaneously model the ecological and evolutionary consequences of invasions
two representative publications:
L. M. Pintor and D.A. Soluk. 2006. Persistence of an endangered species facilitated by the presence of a predator. Biological Conservation 130: 584-591.
L. M. Pintor and A. Sih. 2008. Growth & behavior differences between native and introduced populations of an invasive crayfish. in press, Biological Invasions.
Popular press:
Science News, “Crouching Scientist, Hidden Dragonfly.” August 2006, 170(7): 104-105.
- CV
- research statement
- Seminar |
Helena Puche
WISEST Postdoc
Biological Sciences
Ph.D. Entomology 1991 Univ. of Florida
with J. Funderburk
Dispersal and migratory behavior of thrips on the epidemiology of the tomato spotted wilt virus
home page hpuche@uic.edu
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Mentoring team:
Mary Ashley (adv)
Henry Howe (adv)
Joel Brown
facilitator:
Mary Ashley
Teaching at UIC: Spr 2009
BIOS 594
The Dispersal Paradigm: from invasion to conservation
course description
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Research Profile
Addresses questions about the mechanisms promoting long distance dispersal of populations, particularly how long distance dispersal affects key ecological and evolutionary processes, such as reproductive fitness, survival, and propagule establishment. Long term-objective is to determine how fast biological populations are able to move away from their place of origin, and how far they can move and survive.
Methodology: Mathematical modeling, field work
at UIC: learning genetic methods
EPA Grant # 8618934, 1996 -1998, $10,000. Columbia University, Cockroaches as markers of asthma allergens in inner-city buildings in New York City.
years of experience in independent and collaborative research related to dispersal
two representative publications:
H. Puche, and N.-Y. Su. 2001. Application of fractal
analysis for tunnel systems of subterranean termites
(Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) under laboratory conditions, Environ. Entomol. 30: 545-549.
H. Puche, , T. J. Weissling, R. Schnell, N. D. Epsky, and R. R. Heath. 2005. Estimating dispersal rate of the silky cane weevil (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). J. Appl. Entomol. 129: 293-299.
- CV
- research statement
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Yaniria Sanchez de Leon
WISEST Postdoc
Biological Sciences
Ph.D. Soil Science 2007
Univ. of Idaho
with Jodi Johnson-Maynard
Study on the effects of land use on earthworm community and soil carbon storage in native prairies and Conservation Reserve Program lands
home page
ysl@uic.edu
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Mentoring team:
Miquel González-Meler (adv)
David H. Wise (adv)
Mary Ashley
facilitator:
Mary Ashley
Teaching at UIC: Spr 2009 BioS TBD
course description
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Research Profile
Study how soil organisms respond to human-mediated environmental change and the implications for ecosystem functioning.
Investigate (1) the influence of earthworms and other members of the soil macrofauna on ecosystem primary productivity and plant-soil interactions; (2) how bottom-up and top-down controls in food webs affect basic ecosystem processes; and (3) the dynamics of soil organic matter.
Methodology: measure soil physical and chemical properties using geochemical techniques
at UIC: Determine the effect of elevated atmospheric CO2 on earthworm populations and the feedbacks from earthworms to the forest ecosystem.
two representative publications:
Y. Sánchez-de León and J. Johnson-Maynard. 2008 Dominance of an invasive earthworm in native and non-native grassland ecosystems, in press, Biological Invasion http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10530-008-9347-6.
Y. Sánchez-de León, E. de Melo, G. Soto, J. Johnson-Maynard, and J. Lugo-Perez. 2006. Earthworm populations, microbial biomass and production in different experimental coffee agroforestry management systems. Caribbean J. Sci. 42: 397- 409
Popular press:
ABC News, “Meter-Long Monsters That Smell Like Lilies” Feb 15, 2006
Crosscut.com, “Is a species endangered if you can’t find it?” Oct 12, 2007
- CV
- research statement
- Seminar
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