The Notre dame Stream Team
Translation Ecology Grounded in a Field-Based Approach

Ludmilla F., Stephen J., and Robert T. Galla Professor of Biological Sciences
Director of Environmental Change Initiative (ND ECI)
Curriculum Vitae
Full CV available upon request
Ph.D., Virginia Tech
Postdoctoral, Virginia Tech and Oak Ridge National Laboratory
My research program centers on the influence of agricultural and urban systems on stream ecosystem function. Results from our research demonstrates a commitment to outreach with the broader community of policy makers, NGOs, and agencies in order to improve the management of our freshwater ecosystems. The Indiana Watershed Initiative (IWI) focuses on paired field and in-stream conservation to improve water quality.
Director of Environmental Change Initiative (ND ECI)
Curriculum Vitae
Full CV available upon request
Ph.D., Virginia Tech
Postdoctoral, Virginia Tech and Oak Ridge National Laboratory
My research program centers on the influence of agricultural and urban systems on stream ecosystem function. Results from our research demonstrates a commitment to outreach with the broader community of policy makers, NGOs, and agencies in order to improve the management of our freshwater ecosystems. The Indiana Watershed Initiative (IWI) focuses on paired field and in-stream conservation to improve water quality.
Graduate Students
PhD Candidate
Fall 2019 - Present Research Interests: influence of anthropogenic activity on stream ecosystem processes, nitrogen cycling in impacted watersheds, efficacy of conservation practices in agricultural systems, role of human activity in driving cyanobacterial-algal associations and algal bloom dynamics |
PhD Student
Summer 2021 - Present Research Interests: Emma is researching how various agricultural practices and environmental conditions like nutrients and light availability impact how antimicrobial resistance genes travel through agricultural streams. She is also researching how edge-of-field drainage water management structures impact flow and nutrient loading from farm fields into streams, and how these altered field conditions change the biogeochemistry and hydrology of the land.
PhD Student
Summer 2021 - Present Research Interests: Mitch's research aims to explore the fate and transport of environmental contaminants in agriculturally impacted streams. Specifically, I am investigating the ecological factors that influence the transport of antibiotic resistance in flowing waters and assessing the efficacy of current agricultural management practices to reduce nutrient inputs from overland flow into streams. My work is at the nexus of scientific research and translational ecology, and aims to improve water quality for the benefit of all life.
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Affiliated Graduate Students

Sabrina Volponi (Advisor: Dr.Diogo Bolster)
PhD Student
Fall 2020 - Present
Research Interests: Anomalous transport through porous media, colloid transport, inverse modeling, and applications of stochastic models in hydrology.
PhD Student
Fall 2020 - Present
Research Interests: Anomalous transport through porous media, colloid transport, inverse modeling, and applications of stochastic models in hydrology.
Postdoctoral researchers

Olivia Ginn
Postdoctoral Researcher
Summer 2021 - Present
Research Interests: Environmental engineering applications in ecology and conservation, particularly the drivers and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance dissemination, persistence, and degradation in river systems.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Summer 2021 - Present
Research Interests: Environmental engineering applications in ecology and conservation, particularly the drivers and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance dissemination, persistence, and degradation in river systems.

Moh Aboelnour
Postdoctoral Researcher
Summer 2022 - Present
Research Interests: Hydrological modeling studies, including the impact of land-use change and climate variation on surface water-groundwater interactions and water quality at rural-urban interface.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Summer 2022 - Present
Research Interests: Hydrological modeling studies, including the impact of land-use change and climate variation on surface water-groundwater interactions and water quality at rural-urban interface.