Graduate Students and Postdocs


Current Graduate Students

Ryan Moyer, PhD candidate Dissertation topic: Stable- and radiocarbon isotopes in Puerto Rican corals and their associated natural waters.

Branwen Williams, PhD candicate Dissertation topic: Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes from gorgonians in the western equatorial Pacific.

Abbey Chrystal, MS student Thesis topic: Skeletal isotopes in bleached Hawaiian corals.

Ruth Adler, MS student Thesis topic: Arctic paleoceanography.

Stephen Levas, PhD student. Thesis topic: Coral bleaching physiology and seawater chemistry.



Past Graduate Students

Dr. Lisa Rodrigues, PhD 2005, Dissertation title: Physiology and Biogeochemistry of bleached and recovering corals from Hawaii. Currently a Postdoc at Villanova University.

Kathryn Matthews, PhD 2007, Dissertation title: Cadmium in coral skeletons: Natural Variability and in situ calibration. Currently a postdoc at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Henry Wu, MES 2005, Capstone title: Stable isotope record from western Pacific corals. Currently a PhD student at SUNY-Albany.



Current Postdocs

Dr. Adam Hughes, PhD 2006, Current Project Involvement: Acquisition, allocation, and utilization of fixed carbon in bleached and recovering corals.






Undergraduate Students
Current Undergraduate Students

Lindy Rauchenstein, BS (Biology), Senior Thesis Title: Isotopic composition of Total Lipids in Bleached and Recovering Corals.


Past Undergraduate Students

Chris Paver, BS (Geology) , Senior Thesis Title: Temporal and spatial variability in seawater DIC stable carbon isotopes.

James Palardy, BA (Biology, Geology), Senior Thesis Title: The effect of temperature, depth, morphology, and polyp size on feeding in three species of Panamanian corals. Currently a PhD student at Brown University.

Chris Malachowski, BA (Biology, Env. Science), Senior Thesis Title: Effects of river discharge on coral reefs in Puerto Rico and the relationship to land use and cover. Currently a research technician at the University of Hawaii.

Lillian Bloch, BA (Biology, Env. Science), Senior Thesis Title: Developing a method for black carbon extraction from coral and application to an Australian coral core. Currently an MS student at Villanova University.

Work-Study students: Lindsay Swiacki, Haley Wolfgruber, Emily Young, Leigh Seeleman, Shayna Higa, Lauren Tang.

Volunteer students: Patrick Bills, Rachel Michelli, Zachary Rosenbloom, Christine Andrews, Louis Boucher, Scott Himes, Pat Burns



Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry Laboratory Staff

Yohei Matsui, MS, Research Associate: Laboratory Manager and Technician.

Brad Hull, Undergraduate Work-Study Student

Li-Wei Hung, Undergraduate work-study Student

Lindy Rauchenstein, Undergraduate volunteer

Frances Lugo, SROP Undergraduate Intern