Dr. Ryan McManamay is an Assistant Professor within the Department of Environmental Sciences at Baylor University. Previously, he was a research scientist at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) for 6 years, the lead of the Energy-Water Nexus theme within the Urban Dynamics Institute at ORNL, and a Joint Faculty member of the Bredesen Center at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. Ryan is a spatial ecologist that studies human-environmental systems in order to balance ecosystem and societal needs. His primary research focus is understanding past and future large-scale anthropogenic changes to the landscape, particularly land, water, and energy infrastructure development, and explores strategies aimed to synergize sustainability and resilience endpoints. His research has utilized a diversity of approaches including modeling, field work, at varying spatial and temporal scales to understand these systems. He also studies novel approaches to conduct biological monitoring and cataloguing biodiversity. Ryan received an M.S. in stream ecology (Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech) and a Ph.D. in Fisheries and Wildlife (Virginia Tech), with emphasis on environmental flows and river restoration. He is a member of the American Geophysical Union, the American Fisheries Society, and an alumni of the Emerging Leaders in Environmental and Energy Policy (ELEEP) group.
|
|
|
Jillian Sturtevant earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Lee University as of December 2019. She graduated summa cum laude with a minor in mathematics. During her undergraduate studies, Jillian worked with Dr. John Hisey to research the dispersal patterns of familial raccoon groups. Then as a part of a research team she helped interpret fourier tranform data for Dr. Robert Sachi at Oak Ridge National Laboratory as part of his research involving lithium ion batteries. Jillian also completed a research internship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory under the guidance of Ryan McManamay and Chris Derolph. In her REU project she developed methods for extracting geospatial data as well as created a land use model from those methods as a means to explore the energy-water-land nexus. Jillian plans explore the nexus further in her graduate studies at Baylor. She eventually hopes to involve the nexus' socioeconomic effect on local infrastructures and delve into the impact it has on city planning.
|
Mark Lueders graduated summa cum laude from Minnesota State University Moorhead in 2019, with a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. During his undergraduate education, Mark completed various projects involving physiological and behavioral responses to cues, primarily involving zebrafish. Nearly as far away from an ocean as one can get in North America, Mark satiated his interest in the sea by working in the campus marine lab and cofounding the Marine Ecology Club. After spending summer 2017 in Alabama doing REU research with Dr. William Michael Howell at Samford University studying the effects of the chemical Lawsone on rapidly reproducing cells, Mark returned to the South to join the Baylor Environmental Science Department as a Ph.D. student in fall of 2020. He plans to continue following his interests in behavioral ecology, investigating how different strategies allow different species to take advantage of human-mediated habitat alterations. Upon completion of his degree, Mark hopes to enter into academia, teaching at a Christian university where he can provide educational opportunities for the next generation of scientists and work to bridge the gap and correct misconceptions between science and religion.
|
Micah Bowman was born and lived his entire life in Pensacola, Fl until coming to Baylor as a PhD student. He is married to Amber and has 3 children: Hali, Corban, and Keilah. As a lover of all animals (especially snakes), biology quickly became a passion of his. He graduated with a B.S. in Biology from Pensacola Christian College in 2008 and with an M.S. in Biology from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 2013. After graduating from college, he taught various lecture and lab classes for 10 years at his alma mater, his favorite being the vertebrate zoology lecture and lab that he proposed and developed. He has a passion for teaching and effectively communicates the information he is presenting while engaging the listener. His PhD research is focused on using artificial intelligence and deep learning to identify and enumerate aquatic organisms. The process of sampling, sorting, and identifying aquatic organisms is long and tedious. Artificial intelligence and deep learning could greatly improve the speed and efficiency of this process. After completion of his PhD, Micah hopes to continue in scientific research while also teaching others about the complexities of God’s creation.
|
Jordan Jatko was born and raised across the state of Alabama. He graduated with dual bachelor’s degrees in Physiology and German Literature from Middle Tennessee State University in 2018. He completed his master’s in Environmental Toxicology at Clemson University in 2020 where he focused on the effects of arsenic on intestinal health after consumption through drinking water. He previously worked in a research lab at MTSU monitoring human contaminants in stormwater runoff and freshwater beaches, where he was inspired to pursue a career in local government to monitor pollution in and restore freshwater habitats. He is currently a Ph.D. student in the Environmental Sciences department at Baylor University where he plans to follow his goals in the application of modern techniques to monitor and predict contamination in freshwater habitats and how to best meet societal needs through the lens of environmental conservation. He is a member of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Society of Toxicology, American Chemical Society, and the Tennessee Section of the American Water Resource Association.
|
Mikaela Sako graduated summa cum laude from Concordia University Texas (CTX) in 2021 with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Conservation and a minor in communications. During her undergraduate studies, Mikaela worked with Dr. Samuel Whitehead of CTX to research and create an alternative development plan for sustainable university expansion, management, and biodiversity preservation. She served as President of the Sustainability Club at CTX from Fall of 2019 to Spring of 2021. Mikaela was also a collegiate athlete during her undergraduate studies, contributing to both the softball and volleyball teams for Temple College. She was awarded volleyball 2018 All-Region Newcomer of the Year and contributed to the Softball National Championship win of 2019, after which she promptly retired from collegiate sports. Mikaela is currently a Ph.D. student in the Environmental Science department where she plans to study the impact of protected lands in proximity to urbanized areas. Upon completion of her degree, Mikaela hopes to use her research experience to educate the next generation of scientists on sustainable management and conservation practices.
Post-Doctoral and Post-Masters
Jay Oliver currently works in the McManamay lab as a post-master’s data specialist. He was born and raised in Quito, Ecuador and currently resides in Waco. He graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of South Florida in 2014 and obtained his M.S. degree in Environmental Economics and Management from the University of York in 2019. After graduating from his masters, he worked with NASA, the WWF as well as the USGS where he gained hands-on experience with GIS technologies and coding software and their uses in the realm of environmental science. In the lab, he has worked on projects related to water resources, environmental flows, and land use dynamics.
Undergraduate Researchers
Christian Schultz is an undergraduate from St. Charles, IL pursuing a B.S. in environmental science at Baylor University. He has previously worked with Dr. Tamarah Adair in 2019-2020, performing bioinformatic research on bacteriophages. Christian plans to attend graduate school upon completion of his undergraduate.
Dr. Diane Le Bouille worked in the McManamay and Stephen Powers Labs as a postdoctoral research associate from 2020 to 2021. Diane's research focuses on conservation planning and optimization, and uses mathematical modeling to better understand and predict costs associated with protected areas, then spatial optimization approaches to inform reserve design and selection. She works directly with conservation organizations and practitioners to help guide conservation practices. Her personal website is here
|
Jack Charles graduated from Baylor University in May 2022 with a B.S. in Environmental Science. Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Jack served in South Africa as a wildlife research assistant, worked in Yellowstone National Park as a raft guide, and was involved in various Christian ministries at Baylor. In the McManamay Lab, Jack worked on the Zooplankton Optical Imaging System as well as assisting grad students with water sampling analysis.
Ava Corry-Roberts graduated from Baylor in May 2022 with a BA in Environmental Studies and a minor in Studio Art. Ava is originally from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During her time at Baylor, Ava cultivated her passion for sustainable environmental systems through her internships with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and the McManamay Lab, where she has been involved in research examining hydrological, ecological, and water management data. In Fall 2023, Ava will start a master's program at the University of Edinburgh studying geosciences.