Our Soil Scientists

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Samantha (Sam) Ying
Assistant Professor

Sam joined UC Riverside's Environmental Sciences department January of 2015. She received her Ph.D. at Stanford University in soil geochemistry, a B.S. in medical microbiology, and a B.S. in physical geography from University of California, Santa Barbara. Sam was born and raised in Ohio and enjoys blasting music, quoting OfficeSpace, is a huge fan of Usher, being in the ocean, and hanging out with her awesome family.

Miranda Aiken
Ph.D. student​

Miranda received her B.S. in Environmental Toxicology from Western Washington University and joined our group in Fall 2017. She is investigating Fe(II)-mediated transformation of manganese oxides and how these transformations affect chromium fate and transport in soil matrices. She is also beginning a project looking into the mobilization of toxic metals in manual aquifer recharge basins. In her time outside of lab she enjoys cooking for friends, reading, and being outside.  Here she is seen enjoying a nice cold glass of apple juice!

Benjamin Maki
​Ph.D student

Ben started at UC Riverside and joined the Soil Biogeochemistry group in fall 2019. He received his BS in Environmental Science with an emphasis in Environmental Toxicology at Western Washington University in 2015, where he conducted and published an undergraduate thesis focusing on assessing the influences of hydrous ferric oxide and biological amendments on arsenic and iron bioavailability, fate, and transport in soils. He will be working on projects related to manganese release in soils and the subsequent contamination of groundwater. He loves the outdoors and spends his free time camping, surfing, biking, and exploring with his partner Al, and pup Rupert.

Phoebe Ly
Undergraduate Researcher

Phoebe Ly is a third-year honors student majoring in statistics and minoring in computer science. She will be working on a whole bunch of projects including her own independent project because the group is excited to take advantage of her mad stats skillz. Outside of student life, she loves hiking, going to concerts, petting stray cats, trying new dessert shops, and spending time with her sisters! Also, that photo was taken in South Africa where she was working as a data analyst at a tech startup in Cape Town--look at those cute penguins! 

Leia
Cutest Soil Scientist, Ph.Dawg

Leia is a poodle-terrier mix who joined the lab with Claudia in 2015. She provides much needed love and moral support to the students in the lab. When not in the office, she enjoys long walks to campus, skating with her parents, and puppuccinos from Starbucks. HAHA good one Claudia. 

Claudia C. Avila
Ph.D. Candidate

Claudia attended Riverside City College before transferring to UC Riverside and received a Bachelors degree in Environmental Sciences in 2015. Her current graduate research is on carbon cycling in agricultural soil using different irrigation methods and the impact of various agricultural practices on soil structure and carbon chemistry in soil aggregates. She is part of the UC Consortium for Carbon and Drought Management. Besides her research interests, she's plays roller derby, park skates, and is fur momma to our lab dog, Leia. 

Abdi Garniwan
Laboratory Assistant

Abdi holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from UCR and joined our lab in Spring of 2017 for an independent study project examining the sorption of vanadium on Fe oxides. He is a member of the UC Consortium for Drought and Carbon Management as a research associate, the lead UCR liaison for Pb in urban soils project with Orange County Environmental Justice.

Thomas Haensel
​Junior Specialist

Tommy is ENSC Junior Specialist researcher from the Cupertino (BAY AREA) and started at UCR in Fall of 2015. He received his Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science with a focus in Natural Sciences. In the lab, he is characterizing the interaction between metals and nitrogen along an elevation transect from  Palm Desert to 8000 ft up Santa Rosa Mountain in a collaboration with the Jenerette Lab (Botany and Plant Sciences). When Tommy isn't weighing out teeny tiny samples for the elemental analyzer, he can be found skating for the UCR Highlander Hockey Club.

Dr. Wen Zhuang
Visiting Scholar - China

Wen is a postdoctoral scholar at the Institute of Oceanography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and he is also a faculty member in Zaozhuang University, China. Wen joined our research group in April of 2019 for one year. His expertise includes environmental behavior, source apportionment and ecological risk assessment of trace metals in sediments. His current interest includes investigating the fate and transport of thallium in soils and sediments (including its redox transformations!). Outside of work, he enjoys reading, sports, and traveling with his family. He is also a fan of Yanzi Sun (Stefanie).

Hermano Queiroz
Visiting Scholar - Brasil

​Hermano is a São Paulo Research Foundation Fellowship awardee from the University of Sao Paulo – Brasil who joined Sam’s research group in 2019. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy and M.S. in Soil Science. Currently he is a PhD. candidate investigating the biogeochemical processes controlling Fe and trace metal dynamics within the Rio Doce estuary after the Fundão Dam failure (Mariana's Disaster) in 2015. In his free time, he likes to go hiking, hang out on the beach, travel and enjoy deelish BBQ with some brews with friends and his awesome partner Juliana. 

Macon Abernathy
Ph.D. Candidate

​Macon received his bachelors of science in environmental toxicology from Western Washington University. His undergraduate research focused on developing remediation techniques for orchard soils in Washington state previously amended with lead arsenate pesticide and investigating the effects of climate change to coral skeletal composition. His current projects are focused on understanding the processes that control how vanadium behaves in soil environments. He loves Costco, so make sure you get him bulk things from Costco on his birthday.

Danielle Stevenson
​Ph.D. student

​Danielle came to UCR in the fall of 2018 from the west coast of Canada, where she did her B.A. in Environmental Studies at the University of Victoria, British Columbia, and is an FFAR Fellow! She brings years of experience in agricultural, food system, and soil bioremediation-related work, including founding the Healing City Soils project to offer soil heavy metal testing for farmers and gardeners, owning and operating a mushroom business (D.I.Y. Fungi), and developing methods for applying fungi in remediation. She is passionate about doing research that addresses interconnected environmental problems of waste and soil and water pollution, especially where they interact with food systems, ecological systems and community well-being. She also loves playing and listening to music, time in nature, dancing, and spending time in or on the water.  

Alyssa Duro
Undergraduate researcher

​Alyssa is a fourth year undergrad Environmental Science major who is motivated by her desire to improve agricultural sustainability in California. Before entering UCR, she attended Mount San Jacinto Community College and presented research on optimizing plant tissue culture conditions. She is currently working with Claudia examining soil carbon cycling in Riverside orchards. She will graduate in 2020 and intends to continue studying soils in graduate school. Alyssa enjoys camping and exploring new places with her family. 

Roxana Ramirez
Undergraduate Researcher

Roxy joined the lab in the summer of 2019 as a Summer Bridge to Research participant. She is a transfer student from Norco College starting at UCR in the Fall of 2019 as an Environmental Science student with a concentration in toxicology. She is currently working with Macon on redox properties of Vanadium. Outside of her student life, she loves to travel, listen to music, and enjoy nature. 

Shuhan Tian
Visiting Scholar- China

​Shuhan is a visiting student from Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and joined our research group October of 2019. She received his B.S. in Environmental Science and M.S. in Water and Environment. She is currently a Ph.D candidate investigating environmental behavior and health risk of mineral dust released during mining operations. Outside of lab, she loves cooking and baking, reading, and playing badminton. 

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Past members we still hold dear to our hearts:

Michael Vernon Schaefer 
Postdoctoral Scholar

Michael received his PhD in Soil and Environmental Biogeochemistry (Fendorf Lab) from Stanford University in 2017 in the department of Earth System Science. Prior to Stanford, he did undergraduate and masters work with Prof. Michelle Scherer at University of Iowa in Civil and Environmental Engineering. His expertise includes iron and manganese geochemistry, arsenic and carbon cycling in wetlands. He is currently a member of the UC Consortium for Drought and Carbon Management and is examining the effects of flood versus drip irrigation on soil carbon chemistry. He is also the very proud father of two silly girls.

Dr. Alexander Frie Vliet
Ph.D. student 2015-2019 (Primary: Bahreini Lab)

Alex received his B.A. in chemistry from Saint John's University/College of Saint Benedict.  His undergraduate research investigated the dynamics of dissolved organic matter in the Milwaukee River.  As a PhD Student, he investigated the influence of playa exposures on air quality at the Salton Sea and the optical property dynamics of secondary organic aerosols.  His scientific interests center on bridging the knowledge between land surface and atmospheric chemistry. He is also a avid fan of Aldi (snipbit added by Sam).. Dr. Alex now resides in Duluth, MN working at the Lake Superior Research Institute. 

Shima Sahebjami
HSI-STEM undergraduate researcher

Shima joined us in 2015 and graduated as an undergraduate biology major in 2016. She was accepted to pharmacy school at Chapman University in 2016! Lastly, an interesting fact about her is that she (still) absolutely loves to eat! 

Rebecca Mock
M.S. Environmental Toxicology

Rebecca graduated from our lab in Summer of 2017 with her M.S. in Environmental Toxicology as our lab's first ETOX graduate! The title of her thesis is "Inhibition of As(III) oxidation by manganese oxides in the presence of Fe(II)." After a year or so of family time and settling in in Texas, she will apply to enter programs for PhD in ETox. In her down time she enjoys bike rides, swimming, and playing with her son (and future daughter).

Andrew Tran
HSI-STEM undergraduate researcher

Andrew  joined us in 2015 as a 2nd year transfer student from Fullerton Community College. Andrew graduated in 2016 as a double major in Anthropology B.A and Biology B.S. He was accepted in to pharmacy school in 2018! In his free time, he has many hobbies including competitive powerlifting, volunteering at community hospitals, playing the guitar, dancing, skateboarding, and singing.

Weiwei Cong
Visiting scholar 
Shenyang Agricultural University, China

Dr. Cong is a faculty member from Shenyang Agricultural University, China and joined our research group in April of 2016 for one year, though our groups continue to collaborate on projects ranging from impact of biochar on methane emissions in agricultural soils to spatial and temporal analysis of manganese contamination of groundwater. In her free time, she likes to go hiking, jogging and skiing and hanging out with her son.

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Kevin Martinez
HSI-STEM undergraduate researcher

​Kevin joined us in 2015 as a Geology major doing research on trace metal cycling in small farms of Inland Empire. His research interests include contaminant input and transport through soils. He is a transfer student from Mount San Antonio College.  He loves having indoor plants in his room and riding his bike when it's nice outside. Kevin graduated from UCR at the end of Fall quarter 2017! Congratulations Kevin!!

Loryssa Lake
Undergraduate Researcher

Loryssa joined our group as a third year undergraduate  in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Environmental Science. Loryssa graduated in Spring of 2018 and is now pursuing his Masters at The Ohio State University in Dr. Nick Basta's group. She is interested in pollution control and remediation as it pertains to soils. She is particularly interested in remediating soils contaminated from mining sites, landfills, brownfields, and underground storage tanks. In her spare time, she loves to read and watch basketball.

Thida Cornell
Undergraduate researcher

​Thida began attending UCR in Fall 2015 was on the Dean's List while earning her degree in Environmental Sciences. She is interested in using sustainable agricultural practices in impoverished communities to address the issue of food insecurity. In her free time, she enjoys reading, being with her family, and going to Knott's Berry Farm. Thida graduated Fall of 2018 and is now an associate in the Proposals and Environmental Services departments at FirstCarbon Solutions! Congrats on the position Thida, you ROCK!

Amy K. Salvador
M.S., Environmental Science

Amy received her Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science from UC Riverside and graduated with her M.S. in Environmental Science summer of 2017 as our lab's first ES masters graduate! Amy's thesis is titled "Vanadium oxidation and retention by manganese and iron oxides." Amy is now an Environmental Geologist at Environmental Resource Management.

Lucas Sartor
Visiting Scholar - Brasil

​Lucas is a visiting scholar from University of Sao Paulo – Brazil, and joined Sam’s research group in 2017. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy and M.S. in Soil Science. Currently he is a PhD. student investigating soil pedogenesis and clay geochemistry on coastal wetlands. In his down time, he likes to go hiking, play soccer and have a delicious barbecue and drink a good beer with his friends and family.   

Mariejo Plaganas
Honors undergraduate researcher

Mariejo joined us in 2015 as Environmental Sciences major (Honors program) and graduated with her B.S. in Environmental Science in Spring of 2017. Her research examines the effect of carbonate on mobility of arsenic and manganese in aquifer sediments. Mariejo was awarded the Academic Excellence Award in 2016 and was nominated for the Rosemary S.J. Schaer award in 2017 (Congrats MJ!!). .Outside of the lab, she takes delight in cooking and baking, marathoning the X-Men films, and finding new ways to integrate puns into daily life! 

Dominique Nguyen
​Undergraduate researcher

Dominique joined UCR in 2015 and graduated in March 2019 with a B.S. in Environmental Science. Dominique's project examined the mineralogical changes in clay materials used to produce ceramic water filters in Mekong Delta of Cambodia through performing various chemical extractions and X-ray based solid phase analyses. In her free time she loves visiting specialty ice cream shops and stargazing in Joshua Tree. She is currently the senior programs coordinator at the LA Food Bank.