The College of Science and Mathematics’ Environmental Sciences, Ph.D. program is constructed to provide skills and training to better understand and solve complex environmental problems, such as those caused by anthropogenic pollutants, invasive species, habitat fragmentation and loss of biodiversity, that can affect both human and ecosystem health. Since fall semester, six new students have joined the Environmental Sciences, Ph.D. program.
David Peterman is from Pataskala, Ohio and transferred from Ohio State University to Wright State in 2012. At Wright State University, he completed his Bachelor of Science's in Earth and Environmental Sciences and his Master of Science's in Geophysics. His research interests include: paleobiology of fossil cephalopods; specifically, the evolution and functional morphology of septal walls in ammonite shells. He is using fractal analysis to quantify the degree of complexity in these patterns to better understand their purpose. He recently presented at American Geophysical Union and has submitted a manuscript to the Journal of Paleontology regarding his research this semester.
Advised by Chris Barton
Angela Bertangni grew up in a suburb of Philadelphia. She attended Penn State's main campus for four years and completed a Bachelor of Science's in Geoscience, with a minor in Italian. "While at Penn State, I worked in a mineralogy lab and completed research on pH-mediated transformations of the mineral birnessite," said Bertangni. Her general research interests focus on studying environmentally relevant minerals using a variety of instruments and techniques. Bertangni explains, "My current research focuses on studying the growth of barite when the mineral interacts with specific electrolyte solutions. This process is observed and analyzed using a hydrothermal atomic force microscope. Outside of the lab, I enjoy photography, ice skating, and rock climbing."
Advised by Steve Higgins
Diane Bailey grew up in southwest Ohio, living several places between Dayton and Cincinnati with a brief stay in Toronto, Canada. Diane started her academic career at Sinclair Community College then transferred to Wright State receiving a Bachelor of Science's in Business, a Bachelor of Science's in Biology and a master’s in Biology. Her research interests include the use of bioinformatics to understand how plants interact with the world via microbes and determining what drives microbial diversity in soils. Diane’s previous research with Dr. Jim Amon examined belowground bacterial community structure in wetlands and how the community interacted with plants. The work that will now continue with Dr. Rua. In their spare time, Diane can be found at home in Miamisburg snuggling her parrot and trying to play video games.
Advised by Megan Rua
Safia Janjua became a research officer in a molecular biology lab at a prestigious organization in 2010 after completion of her master's degree from UAAR Pakistan. "In Bioresource Research Centre (BRC), I have been involved in different conservation genetics project on important wildlife species of Pakistan like Asiatic black bears, musk deer, snow leopards, common leopards and gray langur, etc. During my five years of affiliation, I published 13 research papers focusing conservation genetics. In 2014, I became the co-editor of Journal of Bioresource Management- JBM a research journal started by BRC in collaboration with Wright State University," said Janjua. The BRC is a privately funded non-governmental organization in Pakistan working in different fields of biological sciences, especially in wildlife conservation. Since joining Environmental Sciences, Ph.D. program in Fall 2016, Safia won the Sabin Snow Leopard Grant for studying the genetics of snow leopards of Pakistan. At Wright State University, she hopes to gain new skills and broader horizons to back to her country to effectively participate in conservation efforts going on in her home country.
Advised by Tom Rooney
Michaela Mitchell grew up in Fort Thomas, KY. After high school, she first studied biology at Northern Kentucky University. Deciding 
she was not ready for college, she joined the U.S. Navy and served for six years. After completing her service in the Navy, Michaela decided to pursue a culinary degree, and it was in culinary school that she realized science was her true passion, specifically geology and biology, which led her to gravitate toward the field of paleontology/paleobiology. She returned to Nothern Kentucky University to earn a bachelor’s degree in both geology and statistics, and entered the Earth and Environmental Sciences Master’s program at Wright State University with Dr. Chuck Ciampaglio as her adviser. The focus of her thesis research was convergent evolution in tooth morphology of filter feeding sharks, which provided insight into how filter feeding sharks developed their filter feeding adaptations and how the teeth of distantly related filter feeding sharks have been evolutionarily modified as a result of these adaptations. A possible current research direction combines paleontology and neontology using molecular data to gain insight into how rays have transitioned from oceanic to freshwater environments. Michaela is very happy to be a part of the Environmental Sciences Ph.D. program at Wright State University and excited to continue her dissertation research with Dr. Chuck Ciampaglio.
Robin Richardson-Coy grew up in southwest Ohio near Cincinnati. She earned two associate's degrees (Civil and Environmental Engineering) from Cincinnati State and then worked for 16 years in an environmental consulting firm contracted by the US EPA. For the first six years her focus was bioremediation of petroleum and creosote contaminated soils. She focused her research on drinking water quality/safety with three years focusing on biofilm - disinfectant interactions and seven years focusing on water system vulnerabilities and early detection systems to monitor for potential terrorism threats. She got a bachelor's in Environmental Health Science in 2013 and a master's in Biology in 2016, both from Wright State University. Her masters focus was on feeding selectivity of a cichlid fish in Lake Tanganyika and her current research interest is studying how anthropogenic activity affects algae in freshwater ecosystems. Robin is active in local pet rescue efforts and is a member of the EMT.
Advised by Yvonne Vadeboncoeur
