People

Welcome to the Trace Metal Group at Princeton University

Many elements present at low concentrations in aquatic systems are toxic pollutants, several are essential elements for life, and some are both. The Trace Metal Group aims to understand the chemical and biological processes that control the transformations, ecological effects, and cycling of trace metals in the environment.

Our group includes chemists, microbiologists, oceanographers and environmental scientists whose interests extends from the enzymatic functions of metals to their role in the global cycles of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus.

We welcome applications from interested graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.

François M.M.Morel

Professor of Geosciences, Emeritus

Xinning Zhang

Assistant Professor

Darcy McRose

Former Postdoctoral Research Associate
Caltech

Anne Morel-Kraepiel

Research Scholar, Lecturer

Romain Darnajoux

Former Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Eva Groves

Administrative Assistant, Retired 2024

Oliver Baars

Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University

Katja E. Luxem

Former Graduate Student

Former Students and Postdoctoral Associates

Darcy McRose (Ph.D., 2018) Trace Metal Uptake and Use in Soil Diazotrophs and Marine Vibrios: Alternative Nitrogenases, Siderophores, and Quorum Sensing OR Efforts of the Very Small to Acquire the Very Scarce.
Postdoc, Princeton University

Oliver Baars- (Postdoc 2011-2014, Associate Research Scholar 2014-2017)
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Plant Pathology
North Carolina State University
obaars@ncsu.edu

Johanna A. L. Goldman (Ph.D., 2016) Environmental Factors Influencing Phytoplankton Productivity in the Context of Climate Change
Postdoc, School of Oceanography
University of Washington
johannag@uw.edu

Xinning Zhang (Postdoc 2011-2014, Associate Research Scholar 2014-2017)
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Geosciences and Princeton Environmental Institute
Princeton University
xinningz@princeton.edu

Romain Darnajoux - (Postdoc 2016-2017)
Postdoc Zhang Lab,Geosciences
Princeton University
romaind@princeton.edu

Jodi N. Young - (Postdoc 2011-2015)
Assistant Professor, School of Oceanography
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-7940
youngjn@uw.edu

Ja-Myung Kim - (Postdoc 2011-2014)
Assistant Professor, POSTECH
Pohang University of Science and Technology
Korea
jamyung@postech.ac.kr

Sven Kranz - (Postdoc 2011-2014)
Assistant Professor; Department of Earth, Ocean & Atmospheric Science
Florida State University
Tallahassee, FL  32306-4520
skranz@fsu.edu
http://www.eoas.fsu.edu/people/faculty/dr-sven-kranz

Jeffra Schaefer (Postdoc 2005-2008, Associate Research Scholar 2008-2013)
Assistant Research Professor, SEBS Environmental Science
Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ
jschaefer@envsci.rutgers.edu

Jenna Losh - (Ph.D., 2013) The Response of Nitrogen-Limited Marine Phytoplankton to Increasing Carbon Dioxide
Program Manager, GLISA
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
jljorns@umich.edu

Yan Xu -  (Ph.D., 2008) Novel Metalloenzymes in Marine Phytoplankton: A Link Between Trace Elements and Macronutrients in the Oceans 
Associate Research Scholar (2008-2012), Princeton Unversity
Research Associate, Stanford University
yanxu12@stanford.edu

Dalin Shi - (Ph.D., 2011)
Effects of Ocean Acidification on Iron Availability and Requirements in Marine Phytoplankton
Chair Professor, College of the Environment and Ecology
Xiamen University, PR China
dshi@xmu.edu.cn

Frank Black - (Postdoc 2009-2011)
Associate Professor, Chemistry
Westminster College, Salt Lake City, UT
fblack@westminstercollege.edu

Sara (Sally) Rocks- (Postdoc 2009-2010)
Research Chemist, Research and Development
FLSmidth, Salt Lake City, Utah
sally.rocks@flsmidth.com

Brian Hopkinson - (Postdoc 2008-2010)
Associate Professor, Dept. of Marine Sciences
University of Georgia, Athens, GA
bmhopkin@uga.edu

Jean-Philippe Bellenger - (Postdoc 2005-2010)
Associate Professor, Dept. of Chemistry
Université de Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
jean-philippe.bellenger@usherbrooke.ca

Ludmilla Aristilde - (Postdoc 2009-2010)
Assistant Professor, Dept. of Biological and Environmental Engineering
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
la31@cornell.edu

Thomas Wichard - (Postdoc 2006-2008)
Research Group Leader, Jena School of Microbial Communication
Institute of Inorganic and Analytical Chemistry
Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
thomas.wichard@uni-jena.de

Patrick McGinn - (Postdoc 2005-2008)
Microalgae Research Officer, Institute for Marine Biosciences
National Research Council of Canada
Patrick.McGinn@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

Eric Egleston - ( Ph.D., 2008) Biological, Chemical, and Policy Aspects of the Relationship between Productivity and the Ocean Carbon Cycle
Eric_Egleston@McKinsey.com

Haewon Park - ( Ph.D., 2008) Cadmium Carbonic Anhydrase of Marine Diatoms: Diversity and Expression

Adam Kustka - (Postdoc 2002-2006)
Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Rutgers University - Newark, NJ
kustka@andromeda.rutgers.edu

Madeli Castruita - ( Ph.D., 2006) Ferritin in phytoplankton
Postdoc, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
University of California, Los Angeles, CA
madeli@chem.ucla.edu

Eileen Ekstrom - (Ph.D., 2007) Investigations Into The Mechanisms of Biotic and Abiotic Mercury Methylation
Ecosystem Analytics, Cambridge, MA
info@ecosystem-analytics.com

Yeala Shaked - (Postdoc 2002-2005)
Lecturer, Interuniversity Institute for Marine Sciences at Eilat
Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
yshaked@vms.huji.ac.il

Degui Tang - (Postdoc 2003-2005)
Sr. Research Scientist, Pfizer Pharmaceuticals
Groton, CT
deguitang@yahoo.com

Elizabeth G. Malcolm (Postdoc 2002-2004)
Professor, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science
Virginia Wesleyan College, VA
emalcolm@vwc.edu

Allen J. Milligan (Postdoc 1999-2003)
Associate Professor, (Senior Research), Department of Botany and Plant Pathology
Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
allen.milligan@science.oregonstate.edu

Tung-Yuan Ho (Postdoc 2000-2003) 
Associate Research Fellow, Research Center for Environmental Changes
Academia Sinica, Taipei, Taiwan
tyho@gate.sinica.edu.tw

Anne Kraepiel (Ph.D., 2001) Biogeochemistry of Trace Metals: Mechanisms of Metal Partitioning in Aquatic Systems
Research Scholar, Department of Chemistry
Princeton University, Princeton, NJ
kraepiel@Princeton.EDU

Mak Saito (Postdoc 2001-2003)
Associate Scientist w/ tenure, Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA
msaito@whoi.edu

Phoebe Lam (MA Geosciences,  2001)
Assistant Professor, Institute of Marine Sciences
University of California Santa Cruz
pjlam@ucsc.edu

Philippe Tortell (Ph.D., 2001) Evolutionary and Ecological perspectives on carbon acquisition in phytoplankton
Professor, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
University of British Columbia, Canada
ptortell@eos.ubc.ca

Jani Benoit (Postdoc 2000-2001)
Professor and Chair, Chemistry Department
Wheaton College
benoit@wheatonma.edu

Klaus Keller (Ph.D., 2000) Trace metal.carbon interactions in marine phytoplankton: Implications on the cellular, regional, and global scale 
Professor, Department of Geosciences
Pennsylvania State University, PA
kzk10@psu.edu

Todd W. Lane (Postdoc 1990)
Research Scientist 
Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA
twlane@sandia.gov

Jenny Jay (Ph.D., 1999) Role of elemental sulfur in mercury methylation by Desulfovibrio desulfuricans ND132
Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of California, Los Angeles,  CA
jjay@seas.ucla.edu

Janet L. Huie - (Postdoc 1998-1999)
Chief Scientific Officer, Jan Biotech, Inc., Ithaca NY
janhuie@janbiotech.com

Dianne K. Newman (Ph.D., 1997) Microbial Respiration and Precipitation of Arsenic
Gordon M. Binder/Amgen Professor of Biology and Geobiology
California Institute of Technology, Pasadena CA
dkn@gps.caltech.edu

James Gawel (Ph.D., 1996) Phytochelatins: Biomonitors for Metal Stress in Terrestial Plants
Associate Professor, Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences
University of Washington at Tacoma, WA
jimgawel@u.washington.edu

Donald Yee (Ph.D., 1996)  Cobalt Substitution for Zinc in Marine Phytoplankton
Environmental Scientist
San Francisco Estuary Institute, CA
donald@sfei.org

Dianne (Rempel) Ahmann (Ph.D., 1996) Dissimilatory Arsenic Reduction in a Freshwater Sediment Microorganism
Assistant Professor, University of Oregon
arempel@uoregon.edu

John Reinfelder (Postdoc., 1992-1996) 
Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences
Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ
reinfelder@envsci.rutgers.edu

Jennifer G. Lee (Ph.D., 1995) Cadmium: A Toxin and a Nutrient for Marine Phytoplankton
Science Writer/Editor
The Scientific Consulting Group, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD
jgrantlee@verizon.net

Bettina (Bartschat) Vöelker (Ph.D., 1994 Zurich) 
Professor, Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry
Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO
voelker@mines.edu

Beth A. Ahner (Ph.D., 1994) Phytoplankton Phytochelatin: A Biological Indicator of Metal Stress
Professor and Chair, Department of Biological and Environmental Engineering
Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
baa7@cornell.edu

Sarah Green (Ph.D., 1992) Applications of Fluorescence Spectroscopy to Environmental Chemistry
Professor and Chair: Department of Chemistry
Michigan Tech, MI
s.green@mtu.edu

Robert Mason (Postdoc 1992)
Professor, Marine Sciences and Chemistry
University of Connecticut
robert.mason@uconn.edu

Neil M. Price (Postdoc., 1987-1991) 
Professor,  Department of Biology
McGill University, Montreal, Canada
neil.price@mcgill.ca

Brian Palenik (Ph.D., 1989) Cell Surface Redox Activities of Marine Phytoplankton
Professor of Marine Biology, MBRD
Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Univ. Of California, San Diego, CA
bpalenik@ucsd.edu

Robert Hudson (Ph.D., 1989) The Chemical Kinetics of Iron Uptake by Marine Phytoplankton
Associate Professor, Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IL
rjhudson@illinois.edu

Janet Hering (Ph.D., 1988) The Kinetics and Thermodynamics of Copper Complexation in Aquatic Systems
Professor of Environmental Biogeochemistry, ETH, Zurich
Professor of Environmental Chemistry, ETA, Lausanne
Director, EAWAG
janet.hering@eawag.ch

Gary Jones (Postdoc 1986-1988) 
Chief Executive, eWater CRC
Professor, University of Canberra
Australia

Pascale Nirel (Postdoc1987-1989)

Anne E. Carey (Ph.D., 1986) Thorium Adsorption onto Marine Particles
Professor, School of Earth Sciences
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH
carey.145@osu.edu

David Dzombak (Ph.D., 1986) Toward a Uniform Model for the Sorption of Inorganic Ions on Hydrous Oxides
University Professor, Department of Civil and Civil & Environmental Engineering
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA
dzombak@cmu.edu

Kevin J. Farley (Ph.D., 1984) Sorption and Sedimentation as Mechanisms of Trace Metal Removal
Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Manhattan College, NYC, NY
kevin.farley@manhattan.edu

William Fish (Ph.D., 1984) Modeling the Interactions of Trace Metals and Aquatic Humic Materials
Associate Professor, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Portland State University, Portland, OR
fishw@cecs.pdx.edu

T. David Waite (Ph.D., 1984) Photoredox Properties of Iron in Natural Waters
Scientia Professor and Chairman, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
d.waite@unsw.edu.au

Carl Watras (Postdoc., 1981-1983) 
Senior Research Scientist, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
Research Fellow Center for Limnology
University of Wisconsin, Boulder Junction, WI
cjwatras@wisc.edu 

Patricia Foster (Postdoc 1978-1980) 
Professor Emeritus of Biology
Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
plfoster@indiana.edu

John Rueter (Ph.D., 1979) The Effects of Copper and Zinc on Growth Rate and Nutrient Uptake in the Marine Diatom Thalassiosira Pseudonana
Professor of Biology and Director of Environmental Sciences Program
Portland State University, OR
rueterj@pdx.edu

Donald Anderson (Ph.D., 1978) Effects of cupric ion activity on Gonyaulax tamarensis, New England red tide organism
Senior Scientist, Department of Biology
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA
danderson@whoi.edu

Michael Anderson (Postdoc 1978)
President,TLI Solutions
Golden, Colorado
manderson@tlisolutions.com

Diane M. McKnight (Ph.D., 1979) Interactions between Freshwater Plankton and Copper Speciation
Professor, Civil, Environmental  and Architectural Engineering
Fellow, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research
University of Colorado, Boulder, CO
diane.mcknight@colorado.edu

Joseph Yeasted (Ph.D., 1978) The Modeling of Lake Response to Phosphorus Loadings: Empirical, Chemical, and Hydrodynamic Aspects
Director of Major Projects, International Technology Corp., Las Vegas, NV
jyeasted@trcsolutions.com

David Burmaster (Ph.D., 1978) Steady and Unsteady Continuous Culture of Monochrysis lutheri under phosphate limitation
President, Alceon Corporation, Cambridge, MA
deb@alceon.com

Kathleen Swallow (Ph.D., 1978) Adsorption of Trace Metals by Hydrous Ferric Oxide in Seawater
Professor Emeritus, Department of Chemistry
Merrimack College, North Andover, MA
kathleen.swallow@merrimack.edu

John C. Westall (Ph.D., 1978) Chemical Methods for the Study of Metal-Ligand Interactions in Aquatic Environments
Professor Emeritus, Department of Chemistry
Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR
john.westall@oregonstate.edu

Harry F. Hemond (Ph.D., 1977) Biogeochemistry of a New England Sphagnum Bog
Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Director, Parsons Laboratory
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
hfhemond@mit.edu

Department of Geosciences Logo

The Trace Metal Group is a research lab within the Department of Geosciences at Princeton University.  The Geosciences Department, together with its affiliated inter-departmental programs and institutes, serves as the central focus for the Earth, atmospheric, oceanographic, and environmental sciences at Princeton.