The Bernhardt Lab @ Duke University
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Check our our recent Lab Photos to see more of our lab in action. Visit our Lab-O-Lympics page to see us being ridiculous

Current Lab Members (listed in order of duration in the lab group)

Emily Bernhardt, PI

Emily received her PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Cornell University in 2001 and has been a member of the Duke faculty since 2004. The core of Emily's interests are in watershed biogeochemistry, with most of her current effort invested in understanding how the ways in which people live on and use the landscape alters the structure, function and chemistry of receiving streams and wetlands. Emily teaches courses in General Ecology, Field Ecology and Biogeochemistry.

[Click here for Emily's professional CV and here for her bio] 

ORCID page /ResearcherID / Google Scholar

Twitter account @DrBioGC



Brooke Hassett, River Center Lab Manager

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Brooke has been taking care of our analytical lab and running field campaigns for Duke river folks since 2005!​Currently Brooke is the lab manager for the entire Duke River Center. Before beginning work at Duke, Brooke completed a MS degree at the University of Maryland where she studied the impacts of river restoration in the Chesapeake Bay with Margaret Palmer.


Mike Vlah, Data Scientist

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Mike joined the lab in 2017 after completing his MS at the University in Washington. His background in aquatic ecosystem ecology and his facility with wrangling data into beautiful and useful formats is the secret weapon that underpins the work we do in our StreamPULSE and MacroSHEDS projects. Meet Mike through his code via
​https://github.com/vlahm 


Spencer Rhea, PhD student (and former lab Data Scientist)

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In Fall 2022 Spencer became a PhD student. Spencer joined the lab initially in 2020 after finishing his bachelor's degree in Watershed Science and Environmental Policy at Colorado State University. For two years, Spencer worked closely with Mike Vlah in the development and maintenance of our StreamPULSE and Macrosheds portals. 

For his PhD, Spencer is interested in understanding how saltwater intrusion and sea level rise (SWISLR) are affecting soil and ecosystem carbon stocks and fluxes AND how soil chemistry interacts with SWISLR exposure to determine the relative resilience or vulnerability of organic matter and vegetation to salinization.

Spencer's GitHub
Spencer's LinkedIn


Kiera O'Donnell, Postdoctoral Scholar

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Kiera joined the lab in June 2022. Here at Duke she will be coordinating the Saltwater Intrusion and Sea Level Rise (SWISLR) Research Coordination Network (www.swislr.org/).

Kiera earned her PhD in 2022 from Northeastern where she worked with Dr. Steven Scyphers and was a member of his Social-Ecological Sustainability lab. Her dissertation research focused on the landscape and social outcomes of Hurricane Irma in the lower Florida Keys and Hurricane Michael in the Florida Panhandle. Kiera holds a BS degree in Oceanography from the University of New England and previously worked at NOAA as a data analyst for sea level and storms.

​Kiera's Google Scholar Profile

Shannon Plunkett, PhD student

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Shannon is a PhD student in Duke's Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate program. In 2023 Shannon joined our lab and is now coadvised Helen Hsu Kim and Emily. Shannon is deeply interested in metal contaminants in ecosystems and is currently working on the impacts of mercury contamination arising from both small scale and industrial gold mining on rivers and people in the Madre de Dios region of Peru and old and new mining frontiers in Ecuador. Prior to beginning her PhD, Shannon earned a MS in Soil Science and an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Shannon is the recipient of a NSF GRFP and is a former EPA ORISE scholar.

Shannon's Google Scholar Profile

Adam Rok, Lab Manager

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Adam joined the lab in May 2023. Here at Duke he is charged with keeping the lab humming and supporting all of the group's projects.

Adam earned a MS in Marine Science in 2019 and his undergraduate degree in Environmental Science with a minor in Marine Science in 2016 from UNC Chapel Hill. His masters research explored oxygen dynamics and modeling in the open ocean. In between his MS and joining DukeBGC he learned to raise hellbenders and to work with a wide variety of environmental sensors and samples in labs at Virginia Tech and NCSU.

​Adam's LinkedIn Profile

Heili Lowman, Postdoctoral Scientist

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Heili Lowman received her PhD in 2020 from the University of California in Santa Barbara where she worked with John Melack. Since graduating she has been a postdoctoral scientist with Joanna Blaszczak at the University of Nevada Reno. Heili is joining DukeBGC in March of 2024.

Heili's website

Yuyang Wang, PhD Student

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Yuyang Wang completed her undergraduate degree in environmental studies at Mt. Holyoke in May 2024. She joined the Bernhardt and Wright labs in Fall 2024.
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Yuyang is interested in plant species introduction in the context of globalization, focusing on the novel traits that determine their success in new regions. She also aims to explore the ecological impacts of these species on community structure and function, with particular interest in how climate change influences both the introduction process and the resulting ecological effects. Currently, She is studying these ideas in salt marsh ecosystems in North America and Asia, where the Asian reed Phragmites and North American cordgrass Spartina are competing to become the dominant species.


You could be next!

Visit our Join the Lab page if you are interested in being a part of our research group.

LAB ALUMNI

Former PhD Students
Dr. Jonny Behrens, PhD 2024, Postdoctoral Scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Dr. Audrey Thellman, PhD 2023, Postdoctoral Scientist, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Dr. Alice Carter, PhD 2021, Professional Practice Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics and the Ecology Center, Utah State University
Dr. Emily Ury, PhD 2021, Cooley Postdoctoral Fellow, Environmental Defense
Dr. Jackie Gerson, PhD 2021, Assistant Professor, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University
Dr. Joanna Blaszczak, PhD 2018, Assistant Professor, Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science, University of Nevada, Reno
Dr. Jessica Brandt, PhD 2018, Assistant Professor, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut
Dr. Richard Marinos, PhD 2018, Assistant Professor, Department of Geology, University at Buffalo, NY
Dr. Matt Ross, PhD 2017, Associate Professor, Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University
Dr. Raven Bier,  PhD 2016, Assistant Research Scientist, Savannah River Ecology Research Laboratory, Aiken, SC.
Dr. Kris Voss, PhD 2015, Associate Professor and Director of Environmental Science MS Program, Regis University, Denver, CO.
Dr. Kayleigh Somers, PhD 2013, Research Biologist, NOAA Fisheries, Seattle, WA
Dr. Alison Appling, PhD 2012, Data Scientist, USGS Integrated Information Dissemination Division, Data Science Branch
Dr. Brian Lutz, PhD 2011, VP of Agricultural Solutions, Corteva Agriscience
Dr. Elizabeth Sudduth - PhD 2011, Associate Professor of Biology, Georgia Gwinnett College
Dr. Jennifer Morse - PhD 2010, Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Management, Portland State University

Former Postdoctoral Associates
Dr. Nick Marzolf - former postdoctoral associate (2022-2023), currently Assistant Scientist of Aquatic Sciences, The Jones Center at Ichuaway
Dr. Amanda DelVecchia - former postdoctoral associate (2020-2022), currently Assistant Professor, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Dr. Elliott White - former postdoctoral associate (2020-2021), currently Assistant Professor in the School of Earth, Energy and Environmental Sciences at Stanford University
Dr. Austin Gray - former postdoctoral associate (2020), currently Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at Virginia Tech
Dr. Jenny Rocca - former postdoctoral associate (2016-2020), currently Scientific Consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton
Dr Phil Savoy - former postdoctoral associate (2016-2019), currently a staff scientist at USGS New York Water Science Center
Dr. Marie Simonin - former postdoctoral associate (2016-2019), currently a research scientist at INRAE - IRHS, Angers, France
Dr. Aaron Berdanier - former postdoctoral associate (2016-2017), currently a data scientist with fly Exclusive
Dr. Ben Colman - former research scientist and postdoctoral associate (2009-2015), currently an Associate Professor at the University of Montana.
Dr. Tim Covino - former postdoctoral associate (2012-2013), currently Associate Professor of Watershed Analysis at Montana State University.
Dr. Ashley Helton - former postdoctoral associate (2010-2013), currently Associate Professor at the University of Connecticut.
Dr. Marcelo Ardon - former postdoctoral associate (2007-2011), currently Associate Professor at North Carolina State University.
Dr. Jennifer Follstad-Shah, NSF Bioinformatics Postdoctoral Associate (2007-2010), currently adjunct assistant professor at Utah State University
Dr. Liyan Yin - Postdoctoral Associate, currently Professor, Hainan University, China
Dr. Rich Phillips - former postdoctoral associate, currently Professor at Indiana University

Visting PhD Students
Yongli Wen, visiting from Nanjing Agricultural University, December 2015-March 2017

Former Professional Masters Students
- Alex Brooks (May '17) - Alex went on to complate a PhD student at Colorado State University with lab postdoc alumni Tim Covino and he is now a Hydrologist and Data Science Consultant at Lotic Hydrological 
- Diane Allen (May '14) - Diane currently works as a Staff Scientist and Freshwater Ecologist at  Tetra Tech
- Katie Glodzik (May ’13), Saltwater intrusion in the NC coastal plain – assessing the scale of the phenomenon and its impacts  - Katie left us to earn a PhD at the University of Florida and is now a postdoc at UFL. 
- Ben Riegel (May ’12), Biomass accumulation in restored coastal wetlands estimated from LIDAR and hyperspectral image analysis - Ben is now a GIS and remote sensing analyst wth Environment Services
- Catherine Carter (May ’10) Linking upstream mining to downstream water quality: Mountaintop mining in West Virginia - Catherine is now an environmental scientist at Tetra Tech
- Hayes Neely (May ’08) Restoring Farmland to Wetlands: The Potential for Carbon Credits in Eastern North Carolina - Hayes Neely Jones is currently Supervisor, Federal Leadership and Engagement and Operations; Supervisor (acting), Energy Resiliency and Security for the Federal Energy Management Program
- Peter Cada (May ’07) Changes in stream ecosystem structure as a function of urbanization: Potential recovery through stream restoration - Peter was an environmental scientist at Tetra Tech for many years and is now a Senior Planner with Stantec.

Former  Technicians
Wes Slaughter - 
2021-2023 - Wes was a data scientist associated with the Macrosheds and Hubbard Brook watershed research in our lab for two years. Wes begins a PhD program with Sujay Kaushal at the University of Maryland in Fall 2023
Steve Anderson - 2014-2023 - Steve was the #DukeBGC lab manager for many years berore and after getting his MS with lab alumni Marcelo Ardón. Steve is now working for the Albermarle Pamlico National Estuarine Program. ​
Eric Moore - 2015-2018 - Eric managed the field operations for multiple stream and watershed monitoring stations in both West Virginia and North Carolina as part of our research on mountaintop mining and the StreamPULSE project. Eric is now a PhD student with lab alum Ashley Helton at U Conn.
Adam Haynes - 2017 - field and lab tech for our coastal salinization and StreamPULSE projects (with a small serving of mountaintop mining work). Adam left us to begin a MS degree with Ashley Helton at U Conn.
Christina Bergeman - 2016-2017, field and lab tech for our nanomaterials and coastal salinization projects. Christina is now a PhD student in Joel Meyer's lab in the Nicholas School of the Environment.
Erin Vanderjeudt - 2016-2017, field tech on our urban stream and StreamPULSE projects. Erin is now working as a technician at WHOI. 
Andrew Pericak - 2016 geospatial analysis wizard working with our lab, SkyTruth and Google Earth Engine to develop annualized estimates of mountaintop mining in Appalachia. Andrew is currently a GIS analyst with the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
Joseph Delesantro - 2013-2016 field technician managing our urban streams NSF grant. Joseph completed his PhD in Hydrology at UNC CH with Larry Band in 2021.
Ethan Baruch - 2015-2016 field and lab technician for both our coastal salinization and nanomaterials impact research efforts. Ethan completed his PhDwith John Sabo lab at ASU in 2021 and is now a Senior Environmental Scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Anna Fedders - Former project manager for coastal wetland work 2012-2013, and nanomaterials research (2013-2014). Anna began an engineering degree program at U. Illinois in Fall 2014 and is now Research Coordinator, Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of IL at Urbana-Champaign.
Steven Gougherty - Summer 2012 technician on coastal wetland research, then he became a research coordinator at Michigan State University - Steve entered the PhD program at Boston University with Adrien Finzi in 2018.
Medora Burke-Scoll - Former project manager for our coastal wetland work from 2008-2011.  Medora is now teaching environmental sciences at Eastern Alamance High School in Mebane, NC where she was named ABSS district teacher of the year in 2022! 
Jill Greiner - former FACE project research technician, currently the Water Efficiency Program Coordinator for the city of Charlottesville, VA.
Andrea Martin - former FACE project research technician, currently Climate Action Director for the  Cascadia Consulting group 

Former Undergraduate Researchers (Wündergrads)

Haley Williams, Summer REU Fellow, 2023
Misaki Foster, Summer REU Fellow, 2022

Xitlali Ramirez, BSURF Fellow, Summer of 2021
Wyatt Jernigan, B.S. Biology '22 - Summers of 2019 and 2020


Honors Thesis Researchers
Jessee Steele, B.S. Environment '23
Tyler Edwards, B.S. Biology with Highest Distinction '22 
Abena Antobre, B.S. Biology with Distinction '21 
Melissa Marchese, B.S. Environment with Distinction '21 
Kelsey Lansdale, B.A. Environmental Science and Policy, '19 
Claire Thomas, B.S. Biology with Distinction, '19 

Laura Naslund, B.S. Biology with Highest Distinction '19
Kelly Shen, B.S. Biology and B.S. Environment with Distinction '16 
Ethan Baruch, B.S. Biology and B.S. Environment with Highest Distinction '15
Temistocles Molinar, B.S. Biology with Distinction ‘12
Jacquelyn Burmeister, B.S. Biology with Highest Distinction ‘09
Michelle Lotker, B.S. Biology with Distinction and B.A. Documentary Studies ‘08
Shankar Mundluru, B.S. Biology with Distinction ‘08
Hayes Neely, B.S. Biology with Distinction, ‘06

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Brian Lutz, showing off his decrimping skills
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Elizabeth Sudduth measuring streamflow
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Marcelo Ardon and Jen Morse during an early expedition to the Timberlake field site.
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Kris Voss sampling bugs in a WV stream
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Kayleigh Somers displays her impressive mapping skills ;)
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Alice Carter & Emily at the start of a synoptic sampling campaign in New Hope Creek
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Jackie Gerson demonstrating the clean hands dirty hands methods for mercury sampling
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Emily Ury measuring salinity in a coastal ghost forest
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Jess Brandt sampling fish in NC lakes
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Richard Marinos gets his soil loving feet wet in Hubbard Brook
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Joanna Blaszczak proves that sensing streams is cool
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Christina Bergeman collecting water samples in a cypress swamp on the NC coastal plain.
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Matt Ross collecting storm samples in a WV stream
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Ethan Baruch and a cricket frog from one of our urban streams
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Joanna Blaszczak, Megan Fork, Emily Bernhardt, Kris Voss, Kayleigh Somers and Ashley Helton at the 2014 Urban Streams Meeting (after our Lorax play @ southeastern cities and streams)
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Tim Covino installing sensors in New Hope Creek
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Alison and Emily celebrate at the 2012 PhD hooding ceremony.
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