John Kominoski, Ph.D. – Professor. Ecosystem Ecologist and Biogeochemist, Lead PI of the Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research Program. Curriculum Vitae, Google Scholar, ORCID
Selena Chavez, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Fellow. Selena’s research is using remote sensing to quantify historic and modern aerial extent of mangrove cover in Biscayne National Park. She is supported on a fellowship from the National Park Foundation’s Scientists in the Parks program.
Liz Ortiz, Ph.D. – Postdoctoral Fellow. Liz is developing a revised standard method for more accurately quantifying total phosphorus concentrations in surface waters in the Florida Everglades.
Christopher Feliciano, B.S. – MS Student. Chris’s thesis focuses on the dissolved organic carbon and gaseous carbon fluxes from urban freshwater and estuarine ecosystems.
Kevin Montenegro, B.S. – Ph.D. Student. Kevin is investigating the effects of marine wrack on soil chemistry, accretion, and elevation in coastal mangrove forests. His dissertation will continue a collaboration with the National Park Service’s South Florida/Caribbean Inventor and Monitoring Network.
Veronica Restrepo, B.S. – Ph.D. Student. Veronica’s dissertation research focuses on Everglades mangrove forest recovery from hurricanes and marsh transformation and productivity with hydrologic restoration and saltwater intrusion.
Nicholas Oehm, M.S. – Ph.D. Student. Nick’s dissertation research investigates how research experiences for middle and high school teachers influences their self-efficacy as scientists and how this impacts student classroom science assessment. Among many things, Nick is PI of a BioRET program funded through the National Science Foundation.
Chris Rizzie, Lab Manager.
Roger Bendana, Research Assistant.
Naya Vallecillo. Undergraduate Research
Assistant.
LAB ALUMNI
Postdoctoral Associates
Elena Solohin, Ph.D. Elena was studying how sediment age and accretion rates in coastal mangroves vary among mangrove ecotypes. Current: private sector
Matt Smith, Ph.D. Matt updated a PARAFAC model for dissolved organic matter in the Florida Everglades. Current: Biological Scientists, Institute for Water Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC
Aingeru Martinez, Ph.D. Aingeru tested effects of invasive Eucalyptus leachates on aquatic microbial metabolism in lab mesocosms. Former: University of The Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain. Current: University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
Dong Yoon Lee, Ph.D. Dong Yoon was measuring legacy effects of saltwater intrusion on marsh ecosystem productivity. Current: Scientist, South Florida Water Management District, West Palm Beach, Florida
Mary Zeller, Ph.D. Mary studied carbonate-associated organic matter in seagrass meadows of Florida Bay. Current: Scientist, Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research, Germany
Andrea Nocentini, Ph.D. Andrea studied fire ecology and the role of fire on biogeochemical cycling in oligotrophic and eutrophic wetlands. Current: Data Scientist, Seminole Tribe of Florida, Hollywood, Florida
Graduate Students
Liz Ortiz, Ph.D. Liz earned an FIU Outstanding Graduate Award for her dissertation. She was studying how dissolved organic carbon (DOC) composition, concentration, and bioavailability vary among urban streams and canals. She participated in a NSF-funded cross-city urban DOC project that is analyzing 100 locations each in Miami, Atlanta, Boston, Salt Lake City, and Portland, Oregon. Current: Postdoctoral Associate, FIU Institute of Environment.
Jordon King, M.S. Jordon earned an FIU Outstanding Graduate Award for his thesis on the biogeochemical structure and function of flocculent organic matter in ridge and slough wetlands of the Everglades. Current: Environmental Technician, SCS Engineers, Miami.
Matt Smith, Ph.D. Matt studied how urban flooding drives microbially mediated changes in dissolved organic matter in Miami. Current: Biological Scientist, Institute for Water Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC.
Kenny Anderson, Ph.D. Kenny studied effects of changing freshwater and marine hydrology (water depth and hydroperiod) on dissolved and particulate organic matter composition and flux. Current: Postdoctoral Associate, Kent State University, Ohio.
Sean Charles, Ph.D. Sean studied how shifting coastal wetland plant composition with sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion changes soil carbon storage and organic matter processes. Current: Assistant Research Professor, East Carolina University, Coastal Studies Institute, Wanchese, North Carolina.
Shelby Servais, Ph.D.. Shelby studied effects of saltwater intrusion on soil microbial communities in the Florida Everglades. Current: Program Analyst, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Washington, DC.
Research Technicians
Caitlin Reisa, M.S. – Research Assistant and Lab Manager, formerly lead mangrove research in the FCE LTER. Current: Research Associate II at the University of Miami’s Cooperative Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS)
Julia Pope, B.S. – Technician, Northeast Shark River Slough project. Current: Technician, US Dairy Forage Research Center (USDA-ARS).
Chris Rizzie, B.S. – Research Assistant. Chris formerly led the Northeast Shark River Slough project and the Urban DOC project.
Sophia Hoffman, M.S. – Research Assistant. Northeast Shark River Slough project. Current: Virginia Coast Reserve LTER, University of Virginia.
Ryan Bremen, M.S. – Everglades Mangrove Forest Hurricane Recovery Project. Current: Assistant Boating Safety Officer at the University of Miami, Miami, Florida.
Amanda Kuhn, B.A. – Texas Mangroves Hurricane Harvey RAPID Project. Current: Ph.D. Environmental Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona
Diana Johnson, M.S. – Northeast Shark River Slough, Everglades Restoration Project
Shishir Sarker, M.S. – Northeast Shark River Slough, Everglades Restoration Project. Current: Ph.D. Geological Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky
Michelle Robinson, M.S. – Salinity x Phosphorus Experimental Wetland Mesocosms Project. Current: Biologist, Planning and Environmental Resources, Monroe County, Florida.
Michael Kline, M.S, – Salinity x Phosphorus Experimental Wetland Mesocosms Project. Current: Environmental Sensor Manager, Archbold Biological Station, Venus, Florida.
Hanna Campen Current: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany
Undergraduate & High School Students
Barbara Moahamed Current: MS program at Charite Molecular Medicine Program, Berlin, Germany
Alexis Ramos Former: MS program, Institute of Plant Breeding, University of Georgia. Current: Laboratory Technician II, Auburn University, Alabama
Julio Pachon (FCE-LTER REU 2013, Society of Wetland Scientists Undergraduate Mentoring Scholarship). Former: 2Seeds Network, Magoma-Kijano, Zanzibar, Tanzania. Current: PhD program, Soil and Water Sciences Department, University of Florida
Kristina Morales (FCE-LTER REU 2015, Society of Wetland Scientists Undergraduate Mentoring Scholarship). Current: MSc program, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Diana Segrera
Daniel Rivera
Andrew Menendez
Andrea Gutierrez (Felix Varela High School 2015)
Emma Singer
Gabrielle Cabral Former: MS program, University of Miami, Rosenthiel School of Marine Science. Current: Biological Science Technician, Biscayne National Park, Miami, Florida
Venus Garcia
Beatriz Sampaio
Patricia Leroy
Francisca Olmos de Aguilera
Marco Fernandez (FCE-LTER REU 2016, Society of Wetland Scientists Undergraduate Mentoring Scholarship, McNair Foundation Fellowship). Current: Ph.D. Biology, Florida International University, Miami, Florida
Daniel Read (UREx SRN REU 2017)
Suzy Roebling (FCE-LTER REU 2017)
Jonathan Lau (FIU Dual Enrollment Program 2017-2018)
Cate Patriarca (Felix Varela High School 2017-2018)
Alessandra Puig-Santana (FCE-LTER REU 2018). Former: Social Media Spanish Translator, Joshua Tree National Park, Twentynine Palms, California. Current: MS Program in Environmental Science, Bren School, University of California, Santa Barbara
Andreina Contreras (FCE-LTER REU 2019)
Diana Rodriguez – Undergraduate Field Assistant
Andrew Huang
Gonzalo Eyzaguirre – Honors Undergraduate Thesis 2019
Katherine Hulting. REU 2021 (Gordon College), Current: PhD student at Michigan State University
Jasmine Rodriguez. REU 2022 (Syracuse University). Current: Graduate School, University of Miami
Christopher Bermudez. REU 2023 (FIU). Current:
Roger Bendana. REU 2024 (FIU), Current: FIU Institute of Environment, Research Assistant.
Hannah Tharrington. REU 2024 (Purdue University), Current:
Valeria Mejia – High School Lab Assistant (Doral Academy). Current: Undergraduate Chemical-Biological Engineering at Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Laureen Franco. John Marshall Scholar (2025), Everglades Foundation.
Naya Vallecillo. John Marshall Scholar (2026), Everglades Foundation.
High School Teachers
Ingelise Giles, Ph.D. – Key Largo Middle School, Key Largo, Florida. Current: Associate Professor, STEM Transformation Institute, Florida International University.
Cristina Whelan, Ph.D. – Biotech High School, Miami, Florida
Teresa Casal, Felix Valera High School, Miami, Florida
Catherine Laroche, Felix Valera High School, Miami, Florida
Joseph Morales, B.S. – RET, Teacher, Miami Northwestern High School, Miami, Florida
Walfrido Valdes, B.S. – RET, Teacher, Miami Southridge Senior High School, Miami, Florida
Richard Dominguez, B.S. – RET, Teacher, Miami-Dade Middle School Science, Miami, Florida
Cristina Whelan, Ph.D. – RET, Teacher, Biotech High School, Miami, Florida
Beatriz Guimaraes RET, Teacher, Biotech High School, Miami, Florida
Amanda Hernandez. RET, Teacher, Southridge Senior High School, Miami, Florida
Lacey Simpson. RET, Teacher, Braddock Senior High School, Miami, Florida
The Kominoski Lab 
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