Meet the Team

Dr. Dianna Kitt

Postdoctoral Researcher

Education

• Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan

• MS in Environmental Engineering, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, Champaign Illinois

• B.S. in Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware.

Research Interests

Fun Fact

Outside of the lab I enjoy reading, baking, spending time outdoors, and traveling.

• Utilizing metabolic and microbiome engineering techniques to improve bioproduct recovery from organic waste streams.

• Developing anaerobic bioreactor systems for carboxylic acid production and recovery from organic waste streams.

Nuhu Mujaheed

PhD Student

• MS in Environmental Engineering & Technology, Ghent University, Belgium

• BEng in Water Resources, and Environmental Engineering, Ahmadu Bello University, Nigeria

• Medium chain carboxylic production via chain elongation technology

• Bioreactor optimization

• Computational modeling

I can speak Hausa, Jarawa, and English! I've visited the Netherlands, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Slovakia, Germany, Austria, Egypt, Spain, Greece, Poland, Italy, UAE, Turkey, and Hungary!

Education

Research Interests

Fun Fact

• MSc in Applied Environmental Geoscience, University of Tuebingen, Germany

• BEng in Environmental Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, China

• Resource recovery from waste streams via microbial chain elongation

• Biochemical methane potential and anaerobic toxicity assay by co-substrate digestion

• Degradation of DEET in wastewater

I have a terrible sense of direction!

Xuejiao Lyu

PhD Student

Education

Research Interests

Fun Fact

Niki Zouzoulas

Undergraduate Student

Niki is a junior undergraduate student studying Molecular & Cellular Biology and Environmental Science.

• Application of synthetic microbial consortia towards environmental remediation and resource recovery

I love snorkeling!

Research Interests

Fun Fact

Juny Lee

Juny is a senior undergraduate student studying Environmental Engineering and minoring in Psychology.

• Bioenergy

• Wastewater treatment

I am an avid movie fan!

Undergraduate Student

Research Interests

Fun Fact

Christopher J.H. Evans

Chris is a sophomore undergraduate studying Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Computer Science.

• Bioreactor optimization

• Transcriptomics of synthetic microbiomes

• Persistence dynamics of HIV in people living with HIV in remission

I love photography and I have my wall covered with my color-coded photos.

Undergraduate Student

Research Interests

Fun Fact

Koraly Roca-Avilés

Undergraduate Student

Koraly Roca-Avilés is a senior undergraduate majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and minoring in Environmental Engineering.

• Repurposing waste into renewable energy sources

• Applications of tissue engineering and 3D bioprinting

I love art, music and composing original songs!

Fun Fact

Research Interests

Omara Rosenfeld

Undergraduate Student

Omara Rosenfeld is a junior undergraduate majoring in Environmental Health and Engineering.

• Economically efficient wastewater treatment methods

• Computational Research Methods to solve common environmental problems

I love to camp and hike!

Research Interests

Fun Fact

Sumanth Mahalingam

Undergraduate Student

Sumanth Mahalingam is a sophomore undergraduate majoring in Biophysics and Applied Mathematics/Statistics. 

Fun Fact

Research Interests

• Computational Analysis of Biofilm Dynamics in Mixed Microbial Consortia

In my free time, I like to read nonfiction, bake, go on runs, or listen to music.

Diana Phan

Undergraduate Student

Diana Phan is a sophomore undergraduate majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and minoring in Energy.

Research Interests

• Sustainable development

• Renewable energy production and technology

Fun Fact

I love having picnics, eating, and spending time with my friends & family!

Jayden Choi

Undergraduate Student

Junyeol Choi is a junior undergraduate majoring in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

• Computational chemical dynamics

• Waste degrading material production

• Computational methods for renewable energy process

Research Interests

Fun Fact

I like listening to Nujabes.

Lab Alumni

Marisa Tomas

Former Master's Student

Former Undergraduate Student

Adalee Lynch

Former Undergraduate Student

Sunny Li

Former Undergraduate Student

Yurui Zhang

Yitao Zong

Former Master's Student

Akhil Mulpuru

Former Master's Student

Charles Zhao

Former Undergraduate Student