UDaily Fifth Class DENIN Environmental Fellows Doctoral Students Program

The University of Delaware's (UD) Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN) fosters environmental research and solutions. A key component of this effort is the DENIN Environmental Fellows Program, which supports doctoral students conducting environmentally relevant research. This article delves into the program, its objectives, and highlights the work of some of its fellows.

The DENIN Environmental Fellows Program

The DENIN Environmental Fellows Program aims to cultivate scientists whose research addresses societal needs. Functioning as a team for two years, fellows participate in DENIN events, network with leaders, and develop communication skills. The fellowships include a $10,000 annual stipend for two years, contingent on academic standing.

Selection Process

Fellows are selected through a competitive process involving a research proposal and interviews. The selection committee comprises internal and external reviewers.

Research Areas of DENIN Fellows

DENIN Fellows engage in a diverse range of research areas, reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of environmental science.

Biogeosciences

Two fellowships are supported by a Unidel Foundation grant, focusing on biogeosciences, the study of interactions between geological and biological processes.

Concrete Microbiome

Anders Kiledal, a student in molecular biology and genetics, researches the concrete microbiome, focusing on bacteria in concrete. His work explores the potential of these bacteria as bio-indicators of premature concrete degradation.

Wastewater-Derived Composites

Xiangmin Liang, working with Professor Daniel Cha, focuses on developing composite materials from microorganisms in wastewater treatment plants. He evaluates the use of filamentous microbes for reinforcement and polymer-accumulating microbes as a matrix for composites.

Carbon Cycle in Coastal Wetlands

Alma Vázquez-Lule, working with Associate Professor Rodrigo Vargas, studies the carbon cycle in coastal wetlands. Her research measures carbon dioxide and methane capture and emission in Delaware salt marshes.

Invasive Plants and Habitat Disturbance

Eric Moore, working with Assistant Professor Tara Trammel, studies nonnative invasive plants and urbanization-related habitat disturbances. His research includes experiments to reduce secondary invasion, promote native species diversity, and slow nitrogen cycling.

Biochar for Carbon Sequestration

Danhui Xin, working with Professor Pei Chiu, researches biochar, a carbon-rich product from organic wastes. Her work explores biochar's potential for carbon sequestration and improving soil fertility.

Community Engagement in Offshore Wind Energy Development

Emma Korein studies community engagement in offshore wind energy development as part of her Marine Policy PhD program. With adviser Jeremy Firestone, professor of Marine Science & Policy, Emma has used a variety of methods to better understand community perceptions of the fairness, benefits, and burdens of offshore wind.

Corporate Decarbonization and Sustainability Policymaking

Idowu Kunlere is working towards a PhD in Energy and Environmental Policy, researching the processes and impacts of corporate decarbonization and proactive and equitable sustainability policymaking. Advised by Kalim Shah, assistant professor in the Biden School of Public Policy, Kunlere is crafting institutional reform suggestions to restore public confidence in the Voluntary Carbon Market, a decentralized market funding emission-reduction projects worldwide.

Microplastic Contamination

Raghed Kurbaj is drawn to questions at the intersection of health and environmental changes, and his interest has been piqued by the issue of microplastic contamination. As the first student in adviser Ariel Alperstein’s lab in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, Kurbaj’s research centers on spectroscopy. In his fellowship, he plans to explore the relationship between plastic size and composition and its intake into the human body, and hopes his findings demonstrate connections between environmental pollution and its impact on humans.

Sociopolitical Impacts of Environmental Change

Nusrat Mohana, a Geography PhD candidate, is no stranger to the sociopolitical impacts of environmental change. Her childhood in Bangladesh was affected by the country’s frequent flooding and stagnant water, which led her to research how environmental disruption shapes the experiences of those who are displaced. With her adviser Lindsay Naylor, associate professor in the Department of Geography & Spatial Sciences, Mohana examines the lives of Myanmar nationals living in Bengali refugee camps, helping inform better environmental and humanitarian intervention.

Genetically Engineered Microbes

Austin Morgan is pursuing a doctorate in microbiology under adviser Mark Blenner, associate professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering. Inspired by the use of genetically engineered microbes to monitor and remediate environmental problems, Morgan aims to build a biological timer that controls when modified genes “turn on” in an organism. This timer would prevent organisms from becoming invasive or destructive to their surrounding environment, broadening the technology’s potential implementations.

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Sustainable Soil Remediation

Dr. Jason Geiger earned a Bachelor degree from Gannon University. His research with his advisor, Dr. Paul Imhoff, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is testing a more sustainable method that leaves the soil in place.

Plastics Breakdown in Mealworm Larvae

Ross Klauer earned a Bachelor degree in chemical engineering from Rose Hulman Institute of Technology in Indiana. His research under the direction of Dr. Mark Blenner and Dr. Kevin Solomon, both Associate Professors in Chemical and Bbiomolecular Engineering, is examining the breakdown of common plastics in the guts of mealworm larvae.

Permafrost Mapping in the Andes

Mike Powers conducts research under the direction of Dr. Michael O’Neal, Professor of Geological Sciences, using satellite data and field measurements to map the occurrence of permafrost in the Andes. The area contains cultural heritage sites of indigenous people, and several new copper mines are proposed in the area.

Pollutant Transformation into Valuable Chemicals

Bradie Crandall earned a Bachelor degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of South Carolina. Under the direction of his advisor, Dr. Feng Jiao, Robert Grasselli Development Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, his research focused on taking pollutants like the carbon dioxide that’s causing climate change, and the nitrates that are polluting our drinking water in Delaware, and turning these pollutants into valuable chemicals.

Mercury-Absorbed Sediment Transport

Christy Li earned duel degrees in Earth and Environmental Science and Math from Lehigh University. Her research with Dr. James Pizzuto, Professor of Earth Sciences, studied the transport and removal of mercury-absorbed fine sediment in the South River in Virginia through the development of a sediment transport model.

Plastics Movement in Delaware Bay

R. Alan Mason earned duel degrees in Earth Sciences and Music Education from Ohio State University. His work with his advisor, Dr. Tobias Kukulka, Professor, School of Marine Science and Policy, showed that plastics tend to aggregate into tidelines-where two currents or water masses converge-and form a patchy, irregular distribution in the bay. Mason aimed to develop analytical models to better understand what drives plastics movement in Delaware Bay.

Sea Level Rise along the Delmarva Peninsula

Dannielle Pratt earned a Master’s degree in Environmental Science and Management from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Syracuse University. With her advisor, DENIN Director Dr. Holly Michael, she studied sea level rise along the Delmarva Peninsula.

Additional Fellow Spotlights

The user data also provides information on fellows from other institutions and programs, highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of environmental studies.

Denzel Amoah (Rhode Island School of Design)

Denzel Amoah earned a Bachelor of Science in urban studies with a concentration in planning and public administration from Worcester State University. Throughout his undergraduate studies Denzel explored issues of poverty, housing discrimination, urban exclusion, public space and business zoning through a creative lens, drawing on his photography and design skills to investigate and research these topics. His passion for landscape architecture reflects his focus on the intersection between human ecology and urban greening. At RISD, Denzel is looking forward to immersing himself in the study and practice of landscape architecture that enhances the environment it occupies through innovative and compelling design.Denzel's fellowship is made possible by the Rosanne Somerson (76) Presidential Fellowship.

Jay Costello (Rhode Island School of Design)

Jay Costello earned a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Arkansas Fayetteville. Jay is interested in the dialogue between people and places.

Elbert Giron (Rhode Island School of Design)

Elbert Giron earned a Bachelor of Science in Technology and Engineering Studies from Brigham Young University. Elbert's approach to design is rooted in his "blue-collar" background. His work centers around finding accessible, natural and functional solutions to the problems that need solving. Elbert's fellowship is made possible by the Building Tall Expendable Presidential Fellowship.

Dina Khorchid (Rhode Island School of Design)

Dina Khorchid (Palestinian, b. 1987) is a visual artist and designer. She earned a Bachelors degree in Visual Communication from the American University of Sharjah and was a fellow at the Ashkal Alwan Home Workspace Program (HWP, 2018-2019) and the Salama bint Hamdan Emerging Artists Fellowship (SEAF, 2016-2017). Dina’s work has been showcased in various group shows in the United Arab Emirates, as well as in Lebanon, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. At RISD she is pursuing a Masters of Fine Arts in Textiles. She looks forward to a rigorous, hands-on studio experience and mentorship opportunities to expand on her practice, skills and interest in navigating through personal spaces, landscapes and languages of connection, in relation to the fragility of loss, preservation and memory access. Dina's fellowship is made possible by a Presidential Fellowship.

Janice Lardey (Rhode Island School of Design)

Janice Lardey earned a Bachelor of Fine Art, majoring in painting and sculpture, from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science And Technology in Kumasi, Ghana. Janice developed her early love of design and form into a diligent and observational practice, investigating ideas of loss, material effects, ecological changes, human interactions, decay and impermanence. Drawing inspiration from artists like Aboubakar Fofana, Anni Albers and Zora Opoku, Janice’s practice is informed by the “charged histories” embedded in the materials she sources. By deliberately blending artistic techniques traditionally practiced by men in her community, she subverts stereotypical ideas and patriarchal limitations. With an eye toward global discourse and expression of her artistic voice beyond the borders of Ghana, Janice is looking forward to immersing herself in creative practice at RISD, seeking critique, new inputs, perspectives and exploration of techniques to support her artistic vision. Janice's fellowship is made possible by the Distinguished Alumna Presidential Fellowship.

Jahi Lendor (Rhode Island School of Design)

Jahi Lendor earned a Bachelor of Arts in visual art and graphic design with a minor in art history, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a specialization is graphic design from Rutgers University. He views language, medium, materials and objects as ways to process the world around me; collapsing the limitations of painting, sculpture, installation, design and assemblage. Through his work, Jahi strives to show an honest representation of everyday ‘blackness,’ ranging from trauma to beauty. Through various mediums and creative methods he explores identity, collective memory, and erasure. At RISD, Jahi is seeking growth and exploration of his practice through rigorous studio time, curriculum, and critique. He relishes the opportunity to push the boundaries of his comfort and create more room for artistic development. He is looking forward to forging artistic and professional connections and embedding himself in the creative community here at RISD.

Ayesha Mohyuddin (Rhode Island School of Design)

Ayesha Mohyuddin MFA 23 JMAyesha earned a Bachelors of Fine Arts with a concentration in sculpture from Washington University in St. Louis. She is a metalsmith, photographer, and graphic designer with a passion for working with non-profit organizations and in support of voluntary initiatives. Through the study of jewelry and metalsmithing at RISD, she looks forward to exploring and communicating “the internal and external, religion and spirituality…the body and soul.” Ayesha’s awards, honors, and accomplishments include being named an Annika Rodriguez Scholar, a John B. Ervin Scholar, being awarded the 2015 Caroline Risque Prize in Sculpture, and exhibiting at the Benaki Museum during the 2019 Athens Jewelry Week. Ayesha's fellowship is made possible by the Hillary Blumberg (92 FAV) Presidential Fellowship.

Victor Rivera-Diaz (Rhode Island School of Design)

Victor Rivera-Diaz MA NCSS 22Victor earned a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies with a minor in Linguistics from the University of California, Santa Cruz. His artistic and research interests include environmental aesthetics, green urbanisms, nature in visual culture, design and indigeneity, and ecosemiotics. At RISD, Victor will explore divergent value systems and aesthetic aspirations that shape the disparate availability of urban ecosystem services. Drawing upon visual research methods, he will research and shed light on the entanglements that exist within and among the interstices of urban life and the environment. Victor’s future goals include doctoral studies, informed and enhanced by design strategies for tangible change.Victor's fellowship is made possible by the Hillary Blumberg (92 FAV) Presidential Fellowship.

Gabriel Rojas (Rhode Island School of Design)

Gabriel Rojas MFA 23 PTGabriel earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art from Oklahoma State University, Stillwater. Since graduating in 2018 he has exhibited extensively, showing work at dozens of venues as well as virtually during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gabriel’s recent achievements and awards include several residencies and fellowships, and his public art has been commissioned and displayed throughout Tulsa and Stillwater for years. Immersing himself in his local artistic community, Gabriel founded a biennial exhibition for local emerging artists in Tulsa. He also worked as an assistant for multiple artists of the Tulsa Artist Fellowship including Yatika Fields, Hoesy Corona, and Shane Darwent. Always seeking to create “productive tension” in his painting, Gabriel’s influences interplay throughout his work, building up in layers with disparate references ranging from ancestral heritage, to biological systems, to science fiction and graffiti. With a practice rooted in emotion, improvisation and a drive to explore the materiality of painting, Gabriel is thrilled to join the artistic community at RISD and in Providence, to work closely with our faculty and his fellow students, and to experiment with other media and interdisciplinary practices in his work.Gabriel's fellowship is made possible by the Roger (Hon. He is passionate about sound, nature, touch, form, the experiences of others and critique.

Kyle VanHemert

Kyle VanHemert earned a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Washington University in St. Louis and a Master’s Degree in history from the University of Delaware and worked toward a doctoral degree in history through UD’s Hagley Program in Capitalism, Technology, and Culture.

Additional Programs and Events

Pitt OT Fall and Spring Colloquiums

The Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh hosts Fall and Spring Colloquiums to discuss occupational therapy best practices, research, and education.

The Fall 2025 Colloquium will be held virtually on December 9, 2025, and will feature a welcome address from Associate Professor and Chair Juleen Rodakowski, the Caroline Robinson Brayley Distinguished Lecture by Associate Professor Ketki Raina, and capstone presentations from Doctor of Clinical Science (CScD) in Occupational Therapy students.

The Spring 2025 Colloquium, held virtually on April 29, 2025, included a welcome address from Associate Professor and Chair Juleen Rodakowski, recognition of the 2025 Pitt Occupational Therapy award recipients, and the Joan C. Rogers Distinguished Lecture presented by Michelle Woodbury, Professor at the Medical University of South Carolina.

Joan C. Rogers Distinguished Lecture

Michelle Woodbury, an experienced clinician with a background in neurorehabilitation, presented the Joan C. Rogers Distinguished Lecture. Her research focuses on innovative rehabilitation strategies for neuro-survivors.

CScD in OT Capstone Presentation

Farida S. Gayle, MS, OTR/L, presented a capstone project focused on adapting an evidence-based self-management stroke prevention program for an aphasia support group.

OTD Capstone Poster Sessions

Doctor of Occupational Therapy (OTD) students presented virtual poster sessions, demonstrating the application of theory to practice and synthesis of advanced knowledge. Topics included sensory integration, productive aging, early childhood interventions, and mental health.

OTD Peer Network Projects:

Sensory Spaces: Brittany Brooks, Rachel Dixon, Leah Gibbon, and Charlotte Klimasewski focused on sensory spaces for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Older Adult Wellbeing: Lexi Cadwallader, Cleo Dillon, Kayla Kubiak, Helen Lam, and Tessa Lignelli worked on improving older adults’ wellbeing through education and youth engagement.
Childcare Programming: Katie Arndt, Hallie Cicco, Amanda Ciccone, and Grace Moncure updated childcare hour programming at HEARTH using visual schedules and emotional regulation strategies.
Technology and Social Engagement for Older Adults: Branden Chung, Kelsey Colarusso, Nikki D’Agostino, Ava Giatras, and Stephanie Jennette developed programs to educate older adults about technology skills and promote healthy habits at Beacon Communities.
Housing Instability: Jordann Antoan, Jamilet Diaz, Allison Dzuroff, and Rachael Rosenstein addressed OT’s role in addressing housing instability and transitions.
Employment Engagement for Adults with IDD: Alondra Canton, Dani Cake, Amanda Gorsky, Abby Kinneally, and Cassidy Rose implemented an interactive staff training program to promote work participation in adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
Meal Preparation Interventions for Eating Disorders: Nick Caggiano, Katelyn McCarthy, Hannah Obenhoff, and Katie Walker explored meal preparation interventions to support coping strategies and increase engagement in mealtime activities for individuals with eating disorders.
Discharge Planning for Geriatric Psychiatric Patients: Mac McCormick, Pamela Li, Kathryn Rerko, and Kristin Tollefson focused on improving discharge planning for geriatric patients with psychiatric conditions.
Visual and Perceptual Difficulties in Children: Sarah Cooper, Katie Denike, Libby Elliot, and Aleia Kramer addressed visual and perceptual difficulties affecting childhood occupations.
Tandem Group Therapy for Feeding Challenges: Nicole Mardaga, Meredith Massaro, Kiley Robatin, Peyton Stewart, and Meg Weckstein presented the “Spoonfuls of Support” pilot tandem group therapy program for children with feeding challenges.
Support for Cancer Caregivers: Sarah Kargbo, Morgan Krantz, Helena Krejsa, and Rhea Roy developed a virtual program to address gaps in knowledge and confidence for cancer caregivers.
Sensory Regulation in Academic Environments: Ani Boghossian-James, Sarah Fishbein, Lily Hoffman, Julia Schwartz, and Christen Stefanelli focused on sensory, behavioral, and emotional regulation management skills for students with sensory differences in academic environments.

Environmental Fellows Program

The Environmental Fellows Program is a collaboration between University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability, the Environmental Grantmakers Association (EGA), and the C. S. Mott Foundation. The collaborators recognized the need for a program to identify and train diverse students to work in environmental and philanthropic sectors. The Environmental Fellows Program is looking for future leaders and decision-makers in the rapidly changing fields of conservation, justice, equity, and philanthropy.

DENIN: An Interdisciplinary Incubator

Founded in 2009, the Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN) serves as an interdisciplinary incubator of research, knowledge, and solutions dedicated to safeguarding the environment and addressing environmental issues.

Application Information

Applications for the DENIN Environmental Fellows Program are open through January 4, 2026, with a priority deadline on December 1, 2025.

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