Zitomer Lab Group-people

Principal Investigator
	Daniel H. Zitomer, Ph.D., P.E. Professor Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Marquette University Engineering Hall, 435B Tel: +1 (414)-288-5733 Fax: +1 (414)-288-6149 E-mail: daniel.zitomer@marquette.edu
Faculty Partners
	Michael S. Switzenbaum, Ph.D. Professor Emeritus Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Marquette University Tel: +1 (414)-288-6629 Fax: +1 (414)-288-6149 E-mail: michael.switzenbaum@marquette.edu
	James Maki, Ph.D. Professor Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Wehr Life Sciences, 407 Marquette University Tel: +1 (414)-288-7311 Fax: +1 (414)-288-7357 E-mail: james.maki@marquette.edu
	Krassimira R. Hristova, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Biological Sciences Wehr Life Sciences, 208 Marquette University Tel: +1 (414)-288-5120 Fax: +1 (414)-288-7357 E-mail: krassimira.hristova@marquette.edu
	Brooke Mayer, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering Marquette University Engineering Hall, 411 E-mail: brooke.mayer@marquette.edu Dr. Brooke Mayer is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering at Marquette University. She graduated from the Environmental Engineering program at Arizona State University (B.S. – 2004, M.S. – 2006, Ph.D. – 2008), where she taught from 2008 – 2012. Her research and teaching interests primarily relate to sustainable drinking water treatment and environmental microbiology. Recent research projects have included: Assessment of the removal and inactivation of emerging viruses using enhanced coagulation and ultraviolet disinfection Development and validation of new techniques for detecting and quantifying infectious waterborne viruses Use of titanium dioxide photocatalysis for the reduction of disinfection byproduct formation Identification and evaluation of novel techniques for the removal and recovery of phosphorus from water and wastewater Dr. Mayer has also taught a variety of engineering courses, including: Technology, Society, and Sustainability; Global Engineering; Statics; Engineering Business Practices; Numerical Methods; Unit Operations; and Environmental Microbiology. Current Project Title: Sustainable treatment systems for municipal anaerobic wastewater treatment Co-PI: Dr. Daniel Zitomer Focus: removal and recovery of nutrients
Post Doc
	Patrick McNamara, Ph.D Post Doctoral Researcher Marquette University Engineering Hall, 413 E-Mail: patrickmcnamara@gmail.com Patrick is a postdoctoral research associate in the environmental engineering group at Marquette University, where he is currently investigating wastewater biosolids gasification for energy generation and biosolids use. His global research interest is centered on the sustainability of wastewater treatment, which includes developing systems that conserve energy and are robust. Patrick's planned research program focuses on understanding the role of micropollutants in the built and natural environment. His goal is to secure a tenure track position combining research with teaching. His M.S. and Ph.D. studies were in Civil/Environmental Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin (2008, Dr. D. Lawler, advisor) and the University of Minnesota (2012, Dr. P. Novak). His dissertation research quantified the fate of micropollutants during advanced anaerobic digestion. He also determined the impacts of triclosan, a household antimicrobial agent found at mg/kg concentrations in digested biomass, on the microbial community structure and function of methanogenic systems. He employed molecular techniques to observe changes in microbial communities and abundance of resistance genes. For his M.S. research, he developed improvements to sludge dewaterability and reduced polymer usage for biosolids handling, operated bench-scale anaerobic digesters, and performed full-scale testing at the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant. Patrick was awarded the Canham Graduate Studies Scholarship from the Water Environment Federation in 2010 and was an NSF IGERT fellow while at the University of Minnesota. Research Project: Pyrolysis of Wastewater Biosolids PI: Jon Koch, Co-PI: Daniel Zitomer
Lab Manager
	Mike Dollhopf Manager of Water Quality Center and Hydraulic Laboratories Civil and Environmental Engineering Tel: +1 (414)-288-3523 Fax: +1 (414)-288-6149 E-mail: michael.dollhopf@marquette.edu Mike Dollhopf is the Laboratory Manager for the Water Quality. He received a Master's degree from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee in the field of microbiology, with emphasis on environmental and molecular microbiology, biogeochemistry, and environmental studies. For his degree, he isolated and studied new species of metal respiring bacteria using electrochemical techniques. Mike is presently the Manager of the Hydraulics Laboratory, College of Engineering Lab Safety Officer, and Chemical Hygiene Manager for the College of Engineering. Besides work at UW-Milwaukee, he has worked at the Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, CA developing sensors to detect signatures of life for placement on remote landers. Mike also worked at Michigan State University using bioaugmentation techniques for remediating field sites contaminated with chloroethene compounds using microbial consortia enriched in lab and then injected into the contaminated sites and monitored in situ using molecular techniques. Mike more recently worked at Florida State University, investigating metal reducing and other physiologically important microbes in salt marshes and coastal wetlands, and also was involved as chemical analyst for a water quality assessment of the Apalachicola Bay National Estuary Research Reserve. In the Marquette Water Quality Center, Mike is responsible for lab safety, upkeep, and instruction on proper use of lab equipment (ICP-MS, GCs, TOC analyzer, Kjeldahl apparatus, PCR cyclers, temperature-controled room, incubators, freezers), and graduate and undergraduate student supervision. Mike also enjoys working on the many projects proposed by undergraduate groups involved with testing contaminated water purification processes for use in underdeveloped countries. Mike is a Milwaukee native, and is enjoying life back in his hometown area with two young boys who he is proud to say are becoming rabid Packer fans.
Ph.D. Students
	Kaushik Venkiteshwaran PhD Student Tel: +1 (414)-534-0860 E-mail: kaushik.venkiteshwaran@marquette.edu Kaushik Venkiteshwaran is currently pursuing his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Marquette University. His research involves bioaugmentation, i.e. the addition of specialized microorganisms to anaerobic digesters to increase biogas production and stability. He uses molecular techniques to link microbial community structure with digester function. Kaushik earned his Bachelors in Biotechnology in 2007 from ICFAI University at Dehradun (India) and interned at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), an R&D facility in Hyderabad (India). There he was part of a research team harnessing bio-hydrogen from industrial wastewater by anaerobic fermentation and photo-biological routes. He completed his MS (2010) in Civil Engineering at Clarkson University, Potsdam, N.Y, under the guidance of Dr. Stefan J. Grimberg. His dissertation research focused on improving methane production for on-farm anaerobic digesters. Kaushik was awarded the Cecil Lue-Hing Scholarship, Matthew's Scholarship, and Joseph A. and Dorothy C. Rutkauskas's Scholarship at Marquette University. He is presently the President of the Central States Water Environment Federation Marquette University Student Chapter. Kaushik anticipates completing his PhD by fall of 2013 and will be pursuing faculty and post-doctoral opportunities to continue his planned research and teaching objectives to improve biological processes and develop sustainable solutions. Research Project: Bioaugmentation in Anaerobic Digestion: Linking Microbial Activity and Community Structure with Reactor Performance PI: Dan Zitomer
	Matthew Seib Ph.D Student E-mail: matthew.seib@marquette.edu Matt Seib is currently a Ph.D. student at Marquette University conducting research on anaerobic membrane bioreactors to treat municipal wastewater at low temperatures. Seib received a B.S. in civil engineering (2008) from the University of Wisconsin – Platteville. As an undergraduate he had internships working for Lunda Construction Company (2005), R.A. Smith National (2006-2007), and Applied Technologies, Inc. (2008). As part of a collaborative undergraduate research project he also conducted particle size distribution analysis on stream sediments for a watershed phosphorus transport study. He also spent several weeks in Bangladesh where he shadowed a water resources engineer working to alleviate problems with arsenic contamination in drinking water. Seib received a M.S. in environmental engineering (2011) with a focus on sustainable design through the Masters International program at Michigan Tech. In conjunction with Peace Corps, he spent two years (2009-2011) as a water/sanitation engineer in Mali, West Africa, where he conducted research examining water quality at different sources and points-of-use in the village where he was living. His research demonstrated that drinking water was acquiring microbial contamination between source and point-of-use. The research also identified a potential cost-effective method that can be used both for water testing and as a teaching tool for hygiene education. Upon graduation, Seib intends to work as a research or consulting engineer with the goal of developing and promoting sustainable wastewater treatment technology. Seib was awarded the Canham Graduate Studies Scholarship from the Water Environment Federation in 2012. Research Project: Anaerobic membrane bioreactor for municipal wastewater at ambient temperature PI: Daniel Zitomer
	Dan Carey PhD student E-mail: daniel.carey@marquette.edu> Dan Carey is currently perusing a Ph.D. at Marquette University in environmental engineering. Dan is investigating pyrolysis of biosolids for energy recovery as well as beneficial use of the resulting biochar. Pyrolysis is the heating of a carbon-containing material in the absence of stoichiometric oxygen. This produces a mixture of methane, hydrogen and other constituents that can be burned or stored for energy. It also produces biochar (i.e., charcoal) that can be used as an agricultural soil amendment to increase plant growth. Dan is currently applying pyrolysis to municipal wastewater biosolids and investigating beneficial uses of biochar. He earned his M.S. in Environmental Engineering from Clemson University (2012) where he worked with Dr. David Ladner on developing sustainable membrane harvesting techniques for algae to be used for algal biofuel processing; he also identified and tested waste products as potential nutrient sources for algal cultivation. Dan was additionally trained in the fundamentals of wastewater treatment, process development, and bioremediation. Dan's background is originally in biomedical engineering; he earned his undergraduate degree in 2009 from Clemson University in bioengineering. From 2008 to 2011, Dan worked at a biomedical engineering firm, Poly-Med, Inc., where he developed and synthesized medical polymers. Research Project: Nutrient-Enhanced Biochar Product and Processing of Wastewater Biosolids PI: Dan Zitomer
M.S. Students
	Jon Kusowski MS student E-mail: jonathan.kusowski@marquette.edu Jon started his studies for an M.S. in Environmental Engineering at Marquette in January, 2012. He is currently working on anaerobic digestion research for CH2M HILL and the City of Green Bay Metropolitan Sewerage District (GBMSD). Jon is currently operating bench-scale digesters that are being fed a mixture of thickened primary and waste activated sludge. The next phase of the project will involve adding a mixture of high-strength industrial wastes for co-digestion to increase biogas production for renewable energy. Jon received a BS in Civil Engineering from Marquette University in 2011. During his undergraduate studies, he was a member of the Marquette Men's Track and Field Team and served as captain during his senior year. Research Project: Green Bay Resource Recovery and Electrical Energy Project (R2E2) - Design Project PI: Daniel Zitomer
	Allen Williams MS student E-mail: allen.williams@marquette.edu Allen is an MS student at Marquette University in the Department of Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering. He is working with Dr. Mayer and Dr. Zitomer on nutrient removal/recovery from municipal wastewater treated using anaerobic bioreactors. Allen is reviewing current methods for ammonia and phosphorus removal and will be proposing pilot treatment studies for future research. Recovery of the nutrients and low energy usage are the main goals. Allen obtained his Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering from the University of Missouri- Columbia (Mizzou) where he studied environmental engineering and water resources from 2008 to 2012. While at Mizzou, Allen performed research on soil/water conservation and rainfall. He also worked on phosphorus removal pilot study at a dairy processing plant for The Probst Group in 2012. Current Project Title: Ammonia and Phosphorus Beneficial Use Processes and Technologies Evaluations Co-PIs- Dr. Brooke Mayer and Dr. Daniel Zitomer
Undergraduates
Michael Syverson Andrew Suesse Oliver Haugland
Recent Students
Caitlin Collins Sarah Walsh Kevin Glauber Mike Leipus Ujwal Bhattad Navaneethan Navaratnam Ben Bocher Steven Graziano