Environmental Science Program Directory
Environmental Science Program
Jennifer Smith-Engle, Ph.D.
Professor and Program CoordinatorOffice: NRC 3502
Phone: (361) 825-2436
Email: jennifer.smith-engle@tamucc.edu
Coastal geology, coastal management, sedimentary geology, regional geology, coastal processes; coastal regulations and resource management; Late Pleistocene/Holocene coastal geology and geomorphology
Hussain Abdulla, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of ChemistryOffice: CS 211
Phone: (361) 825-6050
Email: hussain.abdulla@tamucc.edu
Focusing on four research areas of Organic Biogeochemistry: Environmental metabolomics; Fate of terrestrial dissolved organic matter; Effects of natural organic matter in the solubility of anthropogenic pollutants and Chemical characterization of trace metals organic ligands.
Mohamed Ahmed, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of GeophysicsOffice: NRC 2508
Phone: (361) 825-3278
Email: mohamed.ahmed@tamucc.edu
Website: https://ahmedlab.tamucc.edu
Applying geophysics, remote sensing, hydrogeology, modeling, and GIS to investigate a wide range of complex problems
Keisha Bahr, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of BiologyOffice: TH 134
Phone: (361) 825-3707
Email: keisha.bahr@tamucc.edu
Website: https://www.bahrlab.com
Coral Reef Ecology, Eco-physiology; Climate Change Ecology; Ocean acidification and Carbonate Chemistry; Reef diversity, distribution, and community level structure and processes; Science Communication.
Loretta Battaglia, Ph.D.
Professor & Director of Center for Coastal StudiesEmail: loretta.battaglia@tamucc.edu
Coastal ecosystems; invasive species; wetland plant communities; multivariate statistics
Feri Billiot, Ph.D.
Professor of ChemistryOffice: CS 207
Phone: (361) 825-6067
Email: fereshteh.billiot@tamucc.edu
Chiral separations with amino acid based surfactants; distribution, fate & effect of endocrine disruptors in the environment
Darek Bogucki, Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorOffice: CS 251
Phone: (361) 825-2836
Email: darek.bogucki@tamucc.edu
Website: https://faculty.tamucc.edu/dbogucki
Small scale physical processes in the coastal ocean, including remote sensing, numerical methods in fluid dynamics, biological-physical interactions, sensors, and LIDAR
Gregory Buck, Ph.D.
Associate ProfessorOffice: TH 236
Phone: (361) 825-3717
Email: gregory.buck@tamucc.edu
Molecular biology of prokaryotes; medical microbiology; virology; science education
Kirk Cammarata, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of BiologyOffice: TH 338
Phone: (361) 825-2468
Email: kirk.cammarata@tamucc.edu
Website: https://faculty.tamucc.edu/cammarat
Plant responses to contaminated environments using molecular, biochemical and genomics techniques; Phytoremediation; Molecular characterization of epiphytic biofilms on seagrasses; Seagrass stress responses
Tianxing Chu, Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorOffice: RFEB 314F
Phone: (361) 825-2685
Email: tianxing.chu@tamucc.edu
Website: https://mantisresearch.org/faculty
Knowledge discovery with emergent remote sensing and geospatial techniques applied to real-world concerns such as modeling sea-level change and land deformation
Richard Coffin, Ph.D.
PENS Chair & ProfessorOffice: NRC 3500
Phone: (361) 825-2814
Email: richard.coffin@tamucc.edu
Website: http://icl.tamucc.edu
Carbon isotope geochemistry to study biogeochemical cycles in the coastal ocean and estuaries.
Sharon Derrick D-ABFA, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Forensics CoordinatorOffice: TH 239
Phone: (361) 825-3637
Email: sharon.derrick@tamucc.edu
Forensic personal identification from the skeleton and bone trauma analysis.
Joseph David Felix, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Environmental Chemistry and CMSS Program CoordinatorOffice: NRC 3202
Phone: (361) 825-4180
Email: joseph.felix@tamucc.edu
Website: http://felixlab.tamucc.edu
Stable isotope biogeochemistry; Transport, fate, and air-sea-land exchange processes of volatile organic compounds and reactive nitrogen; Bulk and compound-specific stable isotope analysis method development
Dale Gawlik, Ph.D.
HRI Endowed Chair for Conservation and BiodiversityOffice: HRI 314A
Phone: (361) 825-2045
Email: dale.gawlik@tamucc.edu
Website: https://www.harte.org/research/conservation-biodiversity
Research interests: waterbird ecology and conservation, wetland and intertidal ecosystems, restoration ecology, and the use of birds in aquatic ecosystem management.
James Gibeaut, Ph.D.
Endowed Associate Research ProfessorOffice: HRI 215A
Phone: (361) 825-2060
Email: james.gibeaut@tamucc.edu
Website: https://www.harteresearch.org/research/geospatial-sciences
Coastal geology using topographic Lidar, remote sensing, GIS, and field surveys to measure and understand coastal change
Xinping Hu, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry and Endowed Chair for Ecosystem Science and ModelingOffice: HRI 209
Phone: (361) 825-3395
Email: xinping.hu@tamucc.edu
Website: http://hulab.tamucc.edu
Oceanic carbon cycle; Ocean acidification; Sediment early diagenesis; Carbonate geochemistry; Stable isotope biogeochemistry
Patrick Larkin, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of ChemistryOffice: CS 203
Phone: (361) 825-3258
Email: patrick.larkin@tamucc.edu
Plant biochemistry and genetics; fate and metabolism of nutrients and toxins, diversity and dispersal, conservation.
Chuntao Liu, Ph.D.
Professor of Atmospheric SciencesOffice: NRC 1109
Phone: (361) 825-3845
Email: chuntao.liu@tamucc.edu
Research area: Remote sensing of cloud, precipitation and severe weather.
Cherie McCollough, Ph.D.
Professor of Science EducationOffice: TH 337
Phone: (361) 825-3166
Email: cherie.mccollough@tamucc.edu
Website: https://DrCherieMc.com/
Dr. McCollough is interested in environmental education issues that are related to ecology and life sciences and has research experience both in the public schools and higher education.
Shawn McCracken, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of BiologyOffice: TH 142
Phone: (361) 825-3303
Email: shawn.mccracken@tamucc.edu
Website: https://www.mccrackenlab.com
Dr. McCrackens interests lie in the ecological and evolutionary responses to environmental change at community to ecosystem scales, directed at the development of management strategies and policy to preserve landscape wildlife biodiversity.
Richard McLaughlin
HRI Chair and Professor EmeritusOffice: HRI 311C
Phone: (361) 825-2010
Email: richard.mclaughlin@tamucc.edu
Marine policy and law
Paul Montagna, Ph.D.
HRI Chair and ProfessorOffice: HRI 122E
Phone: (361) 825-2040
Email: paul.montagna@tamucc.edu
Ecosystem studies with a focus on benthic components, freshwater resources, water quality, ecosystem modeling, and environmental statistics; and integrating natural science with human dimensions research.
Riccardo Mozzachiodi, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of NeuroscienceOffice: TH 335
Phone: (361) 825-3634
Email: riccardo.mozzachiodi@tamucc.edu
Neurobiology; biological basis of learning and memory; behavior
Dorina Murgulet, Ph.D.
CMSS Program Coordinator and Professor of HydrogeologyOffice: NRC 3103
Phone: (361) 825-2309
Email: dorina.murgulet@tamucc.edu
Website: https://artesian.tamucc.edu/index.html
Physical and Contaminant Hydrogeology; Hydrology and Water Resources; Groundwater/surface water interactions; Coastal hydrogeology.
Tesneem Nusayr, Ph.D.
Professional Assistant Professor of Biomedical SciencesPhone: (361) 825-2841
Email: tesneem.nusayr@tamucc.edu
Ioana Pavel, Ph.D.
Professor of ChemistryOffice: TH 235
Phone: (361) 825-3824
Email: ioana.pavel@tamucc.edu
Website: https://www.pavellab.com
Our team is dedicated to finding interdisciplinary solutions to address Public Health challenges, with a focus on Human Health and Environmental Health.
Ingo Pecher, Ph.D.
Professor of Coastal and Marine System ScienceOffice: NRC 3508
Email: ingo.pecher@tamucc.edu
Geophysical studies of seafloor processes. Fluid expulsion, cold seeps, gas hydrates, shallow gas, geohazards, seafloor sedimentation and erosion. Analysis of seismic, echosounder, multibeam and sidescan sonar data. Geophysical well logs. Marine heat flow. Integration of geochemical, sedimentological and geophysical data.
Jennifer Pollack, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Marine Biology and HRI Chair for Coastal Conservation & RestorationOffice: HRI 210A
Phone: (361) 825-2041
Email: jennifer.pollack@tamucc.edu
Website: https://www.harte.org/research/coastal-conservation-restoration
Field research experience in temperate salt marsh creeks, semi-arid estuaries, and polar regions
Lindsay Prothro, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of GeologyOffice: CS 247
Phone: (361) 825-4062
Email: lindsay.prothro@tamucc.edu
Toshiaki Shinoda, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Atmospheric ScienceOffice: NRC 3509
Phone: (361) 825-3636
Email: toshiaki.shinoda@tamucc.edu
Website: https://faculty.tamucc.edu/tshinoda
Climate dynamics, Atmosphere-ocean interaction, Physical oceanography
Jim Silliman, Ph.D.
Professor of ChemistryOffice: NRC 3510
Phone: (361) 825-3718
Email: james.silliman@tamucc.edu
Organic geochemistry: Climate and environmental change and Differences in organic geochemical practices, Biogeochemistry, Environmental chemistry
Michael Sollitto, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, School of Arts, Media, & CommunicationOffice: BH 327
Phone: (361) 825-2443
Email: michael.sollitto@tamucc.edu
Organizational assimilation. The role that coworker relationships play in employees' adjustment and eventual departure from their organizations.
Michael Starek, Ph.D.
Professor of Geospatial Systems EngineeringOffice: NRC 3407
Phone: (361) 825-3978
Email: michael.starek@tamucc.edu
Website: https://mantisresearch.org/faculty
My research explores the merging of geomatics, remote sensing, and geospatial computing for science and engineering problems. Expertise includes LiDAR, autonomous sensing & UAS, photogrammetry, machine learning, and GIS.
Greg Stunz, Ph.D.
Professor of Marine Biology and Endowed Chair for Fisheries and Ocean HealthOffice: HRI 311C
Phone: (361) 825-3254
Email: greg.stunz@tamucc.edu
Marine biology, marine ecology, marine fisheries ecology, fisheries, estuarine ecology, environmental biology
Philippe Tissot, Ph.D.
Associate Research ProfessorOffice: NRC 2801
Phone: (361) 825-3776
Email: philippe.tissot@tamucc.edu
My main research interest is the application and development of machine learning based techniques
Michael Wetz, Ph.D.
Professor of Marine BiologyOffice: HRI 210B
Phone: (361) 825-2132
Email: michael.wetz@tamucc.edu
Website: https://www.harte.org/research/coastal-ecosystem-processes
Phytoplankton ecology, estuarine and coastal food webs and biogeochemical cycles, effects of climatic and anthropogenic change
Kim Withers, Ph.D.
Assistant ProfessorOffice: NRC 3205
Phone: (361) 825-5907
Email: kim.withers@tamucc.edu
Feiqin Xie, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Atmospheric SciencesOffice: NRC 3507
Phone: (361) 825-3229
Email: feiqin.xie@tamucc.edu
Website: https://faculty.tamucc.edu/fxie/
My primary research interests are in atmospheric remote sensing and atmospheric dynamics.
Hua Zhang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Civil EngineeringOffice: RFEB 319C
Phone: (361) 825-2467
Email: hua.zhang@tamucc.edu
Website: https://wesa.tamucc.edu
Hydrology, water resources management, geospatial analysis, infrastructure resilience, environmental systems analysis
Lin Zhang, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Marine ChemistryOffice: HRI 104
Phone: (361) 825-2095
Email: lin.zhang@tamucc.edu
Website: http://zhanglab.tamucc.edu
Compound/Position Specific Carbon and Nitrogen Isotopic Analysis in Amino Acids and Application in Oceanography and Ecology. Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry of Greenhouse Gases in Alaskan Peatlands.