Pacific Northwest Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Application
Portland State University
Contact person:
Barbara A. Sestak
Associate Vice Provost for Sponsored Research
Office of Research and Sponsored Projects
Portland State University
PO Box 751
Portland, OR 97207-0751
Telephone: 503-725-3340
Fax: 503-725-3416
E-mail: sestakb@pdx.edu
Programs relevant to federal land management, environmental and research agencies
including degrees offered and the number of graduate students in each program
Anthropology-- http://www.anthropology.pdx.edu/
The mission of PSU’s Department of Anthropology is the holistic study of the human species,
centered on the study of human evolution and on human biological and cultural diversity through
the subfields of Archaeology, Biological (Physical) Anthropology, Sociocultural Anthropology,
and Linguistics. As Anthropologists, the department faculty see themselves at the core of the
Liberal Arts, bridging the Arts and the Sciences and decidedly interdisciplinary in our approach
to the study of human diversity. As a Department, the faculty have chosen to focus on teaching
and research in four areas: Native American prehistory and ethnography; Applied Anthropology
in the urban setting; Asian society and culture; and Human Biological Diversity. At the graduate
level, the Anthropology Department at Portland State University offers a program leading to the
Master of Arts degree. The program is designed to give the student a graduate level of
competence in general anthropology, including the major subfields of physical anthropology,
archaeology, and sociocultural anthropology. At the same time, the program will permit the
student to pursue a special interest in one of the subfields. The M.A. degree candidate is required
to do research in an area of special interest and prepare a thesis based upon it. As of Fall 2004
there were 26 graduate students in the programs. The teaching and research areas of the fulltime faculty include:
Kenneth M. Ames: Archaeology, method and theory, cultural ecology, social archaeology,
northeast Asia, North America
Thomas Biolsi: North American Indians, political anthropology, political economy, ethnohistory
Virginia L. Butler: Archaeology, zooarchaeology, taphonomy, site formation processes; western
North America, Oceania
Sharon A. Carstens: Cultural anthropology, symbolic anthropology, ethnicity, gender,
ethnohistory; China, Malaysia, Southeast Asia
Margaret C. Everett: Applied Anthropology, urban anthropology, development, political
economy; Latin America
Marc R. Feldesman: Physical anthropology, primate and human evolution, primate anatomy,
evolutionary theory, morphometrics, computer applications, forensic osteology
Michele R. Gamburd: Practice theory, language and culture, migration, gender, social change,
South Asia
Douglas Wilson: historical archaeology, method and theory, Public Archaeology, North America
Biology-- http://www.biology.pdx.edu/
The Department of Biology is a multidisciplinary and highly interactive department dedicated to
undergraduate and graduate education and cutting-edge research. The faculty are committed to
providing a strong undergraduate and graduate program in biology related to the natural
occurrence of organisms and encompassing all levels of biologic function from molecules to
ecosystems. There are 19 full-time faculty whose research and teaching explore several facets of
biology that bridge the gap between molecules and ecosystems, while maintaining our focus on
organisms. Entry level classes are offered for students majoring in biology as well as for students
majoring in other fields, and a rich diversity of courses at the upper division and graduate level.
The approximately 500 students majoring in biology have four possible tracks through the
subject (general biology, organismal biology, micro- and molecular biology, and botany).
Regardless of the track, students will experience the breadth of biology including genetics,
physiology and evolution. Students will also experience a diversity of other subjects including
systematics, ecology, anatomy and biochemistry.
There are approximately 60 graduate students (15 Ph.D., 50 M.S.) in the Department of Biology.
Most of the graduate students must complete a thesis that is based on original research and
supervised by a faculty committee. This puts a premium on collaboration among faculty within
the unit as well as cultivating research opportunities with off-campus organizations (e.g., OHSU,
the Oregon Zoo, ODFW and the USFS). There are several collaborative on-going research
projects involving graduate students with cooperating agencies in Oregon, primarily agencies in
Portland. Research areas:
Evolution and Systematics
Drs. Bartlett, Boone, Cruzan, Duffield, Masta, Newman, Reysenbach, Ruedas, and
Stedman conduct research programs that focus on how genes and organisms change over
time. Their work examines how populations change and ultimately how such genetic and
phenotypic evolution affects species diversity, in organisms ranging from bacteria to
plants and animals. In addition, they examine coevolutionary adaptations of viruses, and
mechanisms of coevolution. These faculty integrate field sampling, field observations,
and experimentation, with sequencing and other molecular techniques in order to address
questions concerning historical and contemporary changes in organisms and populations.
Their work encompasses aspects of conservation genetics, biogeography,
phylogeography, speciation, hybridization, phylogenetics, molecular evolution, and
systematics.
Ecology
The research of Drs. Boone, Cruzan, Duffield, Jones, Murphy, Newman, Ruedas,
Reysenbach, Stedman, and Wilson directly or indirectly has roots in ecology, and the
faculty use combinations of classical and molecular tools to address questions in ecology.
These faculty study the ecology of microbes and viruses that inhabit extreme
environments such as hot springs, marine hydrothermal vents, deep and cold marine
sediments; the population genetics of dolphins and whales; plant ecological genetics and
phylogeography; biogeography; evolution; conservation; invasive species biology; island
biology; behavioral ecology of vertebrates; urban ecology and effects of fragmentation on
vertebrate communities; population and behavioral ecology; forest ecology; extrapair
mating systems of birds; and coevolution of viruses and their hosts. The faculty are
focused on addressing questions concerning the factors affecting the distribution and
abundance of organisms, and factors affecting this abundance as well as the behavior of
populations.
Genetics, Genomics, Molecular and Cell Biology
Drs. Bartlett, Boone, Cruzan, Masta, Paucek, Podrabsky, Reysenbach, and Stedman are
investigating molecular and cellular mechanisms that influence cell and genome
maintenance, comparing genomes and transcriptomes of different organisms, and using
genomic and proteomic approaches to understand how organisms interact with their
environments. One group focuses on organisms, viruses, and communities inhabiting
extreme environments. This group is part of the multi-disciplinary Center for Life in
Extreme Environments at Portland State University, and also is intertwined with the
Ecology and Evolution and Systematics groups in the Biology Department. Many of
these faculty are also involved in the inter-campus Integrated Graduate Education
Research Training Subsurface Biosphere program with Oregon State University. Other
faculty members in the group focus on organisms ranging from plants to arachnids to
fishes to humans.
Animal Physiology and Behavior
Drs. Crawshaw, Garlid, Hillman, Murphy, Paucek, Podrabsky, and Zelick comprise this
research group and share a common research focus on utilizing comparative models to
understand physiological mechanisms of environmental adaptation in vertebrates. This is
a highly integrative group with research programs operating on many levels of biological
organization, from organismal physiology and behavioral ecology to molecular
mechanisms of gene expression. In more specific terms, the comparative physiology
group has extensive research capacity in cardiovascular physiology, mitochondrial
physiology, temperature regulation and acclimation, neurobiology and sensory
physiology, behavior, osmoregulation and dehydration tolerance, energetics, ethanol
effects, and environmental effects on development and behavior in both a laboratory and
field context.
Science, Education and Society
Drs. Bartlett, Murphy, Reysenbach, Ruedas, Stedman and Weasel are particularly
involved in science education and outreach. Dr. Weasel has unique expertise in education
and ethics, along with molecular biology and genetics. Her research draws together issues
of biotechnology and genetic engineering; gender, race, and class in science; ethics and
values in science; and the intersection of biology and society in shaping what we know
about life. She seeks to improve scientific literacy at all levels of education and to
promote equity for underrepresented groups in science. Dr. Weasel has a major
international research project on ethics and values relating to biotechnology. All of the
faculty have ongoing collaborations with local public school districts, the Graduate
School of Education, and ed-oriented groups on and off campus.
Chemistry—http://chem.pdx.edu/
The Department of Chemistry is committed to maintaining a teaching program of excellence at
the undergraduate level as well achieving a strong graduate program. Courses tailored for the
student desiring only an introduction to the field are offered on a regular basis. A wide variety of
other course in the program are designed to offer fundamental training for students majoring in
chemistry or for students in other science related areas, such as biology or health-related
occupations. The curriculum, faculty, library and facilities of the department are approved by
the American Chemical Society. At the undergraduate level students major in chemistry or
biochemistry. At the graduate level the department offers the Master of Arts or Master of
Science, the Master of Arts in Teaching or Master of Science in Teaching (Science) and the
Ph.D. in environmental sciences and resources/chemistry. The department currently has nine
graduate students.
The research interests of the faculty can be viewed as falling into various categories,presented
here as Materials Chemistry, Environmental Chemistry, and Biological Chemistry. Research in
Materials Chemistry at Portland State University is aimed at problem-solving. Hence, there is
ongoing synthetic and characterization work related to applications of fluorinated molecules,
polymers for artificial photosynthesis and for molecular recognition and chemical sensors, and
sol-gels for chemical sensor applications. Research projects in Environmental Chemistry run the
full spectrum from in situ measurements to modeling and prediction for policy making.
Atmospheric chemistry forms a major part of the program, centering on reactivity of atmospheric
free radicals. Advanced analytical techniques using mass spectrometry and laser spectroscopy
are used to measure the radicals and other species in the atmosphere and during reaction kinetics
studies in the laboratory. Additionally, the chemical sensor development cited above is applied to
pollution detection in liquid and soil media. Research in Biological Chemistry at Portland State
University is diverse, ranging from NMR structural studies of biologically-active compounds to
investigations of artificial cell membranes. Work is particularly focused on nucleic-acid
biochemistry (e.g., nucleoside biosynthesis, RNA structure and function, and DNA hybridization
dynamics), enzymology (e.g. mechanisms of catalysis), and ligand-polymer interactions (e.g.,
cofactor binding in globin and collagen, and metal-ion binding in catalytic RNAs). There are also
many collaborations with faculty outside the department and university that encompass research
in biophysics, genomics, bioinformatics, and theoretical chemistry.
Faculty:
Dean B. Atkinson, Analytical and Physical Chemistry; Chemical kinetics, cavity ring-down
spectroscopy.
Albert S. Benight, Biophysical Chemistry; Nucleic acids and protein biophysics; DNA and RNA
sequence-dependent stability; statistical thermodynamics; multiplex hybridization, microarrays,
bioinformatics.
George M. Coia, Inorganic Chemistry; Electrochemistry, coordination chemistry, kinetics,
nanocrystalline semi-conductor photochemistry.
Dirk Iwata-Reuyl, Biological Chemistry; Mechanistic enzymology, mechanism and function of
RNA modification, natural product biosynthesis, molecular medicine.
Niles Lehman, Biochemistry; Evolution in vitro of RNA, molecular biology and genetics of the
origins of life and primordial chemical systems.
David W. McClure, Physical Chemistry/Chemical physics; thermodynamics, computational
methods.
Robert J. O'Brien, Physical Chemistry; Chemical kinetics, photochemistry, atmospheric
chemistry, environmental chemistry.
David H. Peyton, Biochemistry; Dynamics and structural aspects of proteins, protein-ligand
interactions, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Scott Reed, Organic Chemistry; Biosensors, nanotechnology, fluorescence spectroscopy.
Gwen Shusterman, Physical Chemistry; Computational chemistry, chemical education.
Reuben H. Simoyi, Nonlinear Dynamics; Chemical instabilities, chemical chaos, oscillations and
symmetry-breaking bifurcations. Convective instabilities; Hydrothermal waves and advection.
Biological Chemistry; Mechanistic basis of physiological effects of organosulfur compounds,
chemical toxicology, carcinogenesis.
Carl C. Wamser, Organic Chemistry; Materials chemistry, photochemistry, organic reaction
mechanisms, polymer photochemistry, solar energy conversion.
Mingdi Yan, Organic Chemistry/Material Science; Molecular recognition, microfabrication,
surface chemistry, sensors.
Research Associate Faculty
Thomas M. Hard, Environmental Chemistry; Atmospheric chemistry, spectral and temporal
discrimination methods in spectroscopy, photochemical kinetics of atmospheric trace gases.
Rotimi Olojo, Biophysical Chemistry; Chemical Kinetics, organosulfur compounds reactions and
toxicological implications, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and metal-induced carcinogenesis.
Shankar B. Rananavare, Physical Chemistry; Microemulsions, liquid crystals, display
technology.
Civil and Environmental Engineering-- http://www.ce.pdx.edu/
The undergraduate degree program in civil engineering includes required courses in the analysis
and design of structures, applied hydraulics, surveying and mapping, soil mechanics and
foundations, engineering project management, transportation engineering, and environmental
and water resources engineering. The civil engineering curriculum at Portland State University is
accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission/Accreditation Board for Engineering
and Technology (EAC/ABET). A minor is available within the Maseeh College of Engineering
and Computer Science in the area of environmental engineering. The minor is available only to
students outside the Civil Engineering undergraduate program.
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers three masters programs. It also
offers a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering and participates in both the
Environmental Sciences and Resources Doctoral Program and in the Systems Science Doctoral
Program.
The Master of Science program in civil engineering is designed to provide students with the
technical and professional knowledge necessary to develop their abilities to seek creative
solutions to complex problems in their field of interest. The program involves advanced courses
in the areas of structural analysis and design, transportation engineering, water resources,
environmental engineering, geotechnical engineering, and project management, as well as
science and mathematics. The Master of Engineering in Civil and Environmental Engineering
program is designed for those who are working as an intern with local agencies or companies.
This degree program allows the student to complete appropriate intern credits with his/her
employer. The Master of Engineering in Civil and Environmental Engineering Management is
designed for those who are involved in technical management of civil and environmental
engineering projects. The coursework is focused on core courses and capstone in the Engineering
Management Department, as well as technical electives in the Civil and Environmental
Engineering Department in Structural, Geotechnical, Environmental/Water Resources, or
Transportation Engineering.
The Ph.D. program in Civil and Environmental Engineering offers advanced courses in the areas
of structural analysis and design, transportation engineering, water resources, environmental
engineering, geotechnical engineering, and project management. The faculty are engaged in
research related to: management of urban stormwater, surface hydrodynamic and water quality
modeling, management of eutrophication of urban water systems, mathematical modeling of
groundwater and contaminant transport, creep response of fibrous composite materials; nonlinear
behavior of composite plates, intelligent transportation systems, urban transportation, traffic flow
theory, data fusion and macroscopic modeling, multi-modal traveler information, sustainability,
alternative fuels, traffic management of freeways, video-imaging technologies and ITS, traffic
operations using real-time traffic information, access management and traffic safety, land use
and access relationships, earthquake vulnerability of buildings in urban areas, retrofit of
buildings against seismic damage, seismic testing of structures, transmission towers, substructures and equipment.
As of Fall 2004, there are 43 students in the graduate programs.
Scott Wells, Chair http://www.ce.pdx.edu/%7Escott/
Environmental fluid mechanics involving surface water quality and hydrodynamic modeling in
the area of modeling liquid-particle separation in environmental engineering processes.
Robert Bertini http://web.pdx.edu/~bertini/
Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) focusing on the integration of new technologies and
benefits from collaborations with other disciplines such as urban studies and planning, electrical
engineering, mathematics and statistics and computer science.
Peter Dusicka http://web.pdx.edu/%7Edusicka/
Extreme loading on structures, with research activities focusing on seismic performance and
design of structures, lifelines and non-structural components; implementation of innovative
materials and special devices in bridge and building structural systems.
William Fish (joint appointment with Environmental Sciences)
http://www.ce.pdx.edu/%7Efishw/
Manouchehr Gorji
Structural mechanics; the theoretical prediction of the behavior of fiber-reinforced composite
materials subject to various loading and environmental conditions.
Carol Hasenberg
Seismic hazard assessment models for the Portland metropolitan area and several Oregon
counties; relationship between assessment models and emergency planning on a city, county, and
statewide level.
Gwynn Johnson http://www.ce.pdx.edu/%7Egjohnson/
Processes that govern environmental systems, specifically those contributing and pertaining to
subsurface flow and contaminant transport/fate and remediation; environmental chemistry,
analytical chemistry, soil and water sciences, groundwater hydrology, water resources and
environmental engineering.
Kent Lall
Transportation operations using video-imaging technologies, intelligent transportation systems,
capacity of transportation facilities, and access management.
Wendell Mueller
Analysis and testing of full-scale structures, and/or their components for constant loads (static),
loads that change with time (dynamic) or seismic loads, and may include non-linear effects.
Franz Rad
Survey of the seismic hazards for about 50,000 non-residential buildings in Portland, Oregon;
development of earthquake damage and loss estimation models for buildings: behavior of
grouted conduit connections under cyclic loading, capacity of J-bolts in masonry walls, and
behavior of hollow clay walls retrofitted with fiber reinforced composites, under cyclic loading.
Trevor Smith
Improved input for computer modeling of design problems for Geotechnical Engineers; research
on arid collapsible soils, pile behavior under horizontal load, conversion of ODOT's RCAD
guide, and reliability based design (RBD) probabilistic slope stability.
Environmental Sciences and Resources-- http://www.esr.pdx.edu/
The Environmental Studies Program allows students to develop the skills and interdisciplinary
understanding needed to deal with environmental issues. Environmental studies includes the
interaction of natural and social sciences needed to understand environmental systems. The
Environmental Studies Program cooperates with several departments and centers, including the
departments of Anthropology, Biology, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Economics, Geography,
Geology, History, Mathematics, Physics, Political Science, Sociology; the Center for Science
Education; and the School of Business Administration and the College of Urban and Public
Affairs. The program offers degree tracks in environmental science and in environmental
policy/management. The B.A./B.S. degrees in environmental studies rest on an interdisciplinary
curriculum that develops understanding and expertise in environmental science and
environmental policy/management by building on a foundation in mathematics, natural sciences,
and social sciences. The curriculum emphasizes problem solving and hands-on experience.
Students complete field experiences working on projects in the University, metropolitan
community, and region.
Three Masters degrees are offered: Master of Science (MS), Master of Environmental
Management (MEM), Master of Science Teaching (MST). MS students complete lab or field
thesis research. MEM students complete a project with scope and effort similar to a thesis but
with more flexibility of topic and design, including in-depth study of an appropriate problem.
The Environmental Sciences and Resources (ESR) graduate program provides a curriculum that
will develop scientists and managers able to analyze and understand environmental systems,
predict environmental change and participate in the management of the environment. Each
student conducts research and completes a thesis or project; each student develops depth in a
specific academic area; and each student develops breadth through a set of core courses that
include concepts in physical sciences, life sciences, and social sciences.
The PhD program in Environmental Sciences and Resources focuses on basic scientific research
on the problems of the environment. An important element of the program is the combination of
traditional training in one of the disciplines with research directed to problems in environmental
and resource sciences. The Ph.D. degree in environmental sciences and resources can also have
an emphasis in Biology, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Geography, Geology, Physics. One of
the goals of the program is to provide a broadly based understanding of the fields of
environmental science coupled with scientific training in one or more specialty areas. Students
are encouraged to engage in research programs which cross the boundaries between disciplines.
As of Winter 2005 there were 31 graduate students in the master programs and 74 students in the
Environmental Science PhD.
The Graduate Certificate in Hydrology Program is designed to give students advanced training in
hydrology, including coursework in surface hydrology, hydrogeology and water quality, and
leads to professional certification with the American Institute of Hydrology (AIH). This
program is an interdisciplinary program centered in the Environmental Science (ES) Masters
Program, and affiliated with the Departments of Civil Engineering, Geology, Geography,
Biology and Physics at Portland State University.
The Center for Lakes and Reservoirs (CLR) http://www.clr.pdx.edu/index.htm housed in the
Environmental Sciences and Resources Department at Portland State University was established
by the legislature to address lake management and invasive aquatic species issues in Oregon.
PSU and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) have combined forces to
create the Aquatic Bioinvasion Research and Policy Institute to provide interdisciplinary
understanding and management of biological invasions in coastal marine and freshwater
ecosystems. Through collaborative efforts with additional institutions and agencies, the Institute
will include a diverse range of disciplines that are relevant to invasion processes, including
biology, environmental science, economics and trade, engineering, and social sciences. PSU
serves as the home base for the Aquatic Bioinvasion Research and Policy Institute and SERC’s
Chesapeake Bay laboratories will be the base for Atlantic Coast research. The Institute engages
interested research staff, currently in residence at PSU and SERC, and plans to establish a broad
consortium of industry, natural resource managers, researchers and students from many
additional organizations with interest and expertise in aquatic bioinvasions. The new Institute
will address critical gaps in science and management of aquatic bioinvasions across several key
areas:
• Drivers of current spatial and temporal patterns of invasions;
• Ecological effects of biological invasions;
• Policy, trade and economic dimensions of biological invasions;
• Roles of shipping and other transfer mechanisms in species dispersal;
• Factors that effect aquatic ecosystems’ susceptibility for invasion;
• Effectiveness of strategies in reducing species transfer, invasion establishment, and
invasion impacts;
• Transmission, epidemiology, and effects of non-native parasites and pathogens,
including those that infect humans, fisheries species, and other aquatic organisms.
Faculty:
Roy Koch – Program Director
Interests: modeling of hydrologic and water resource systems.
Marion Dresner
Center for Science Education Research
David Ervin
Interests: Environmental management and environmental policy reform.
William Fish
Interest: Transformation and transport of heavy metals and other contaminants in the
environment.
Joseph Maser, Assistant Professor of Environmental Science.
Interests: Wetland ecology and regulations and effectiveness of wetland mitigation projects.
Yangdong Pan
Interests: Aquatic ecology, the ecology of freshwater benthic algae, especially diatoms.
Richard R. Petersen
Interests: Limnology and the factors that influence the distribution of plankton in Oregon Lakes.
John G. Rueter
Interests: Responses of algae to light variations, and technology in Education.
Trygve P. Steen
Interest: Conservation, forest ecology.
Mark D. Sytsma
Director, Center for Lakes and Reservoirs http://www.clr.pdx.edu/
Interests: Limnology; the effects of nonindigenous aquatic plants on aquatic ecosystems.
J. Alan Yeakley
Interests: Ecosystem ecology and watershed hydrology, with a focus on riparian processes.
Geography-- http://geog.pdx.edu/
The undergraduate program is designed to lead students to an appreciation and understanding of
the human environment anon the world, regional and local scales. It provides background and
requisite training for careers in resource, planning, environmental, or educational fields. At the
graduate level, the department offers the degrees of Master of Arts, Master of Science, Master of
Arts in Teaching, and Master of Sciene in Teaching (General Social Science). The department
also participates in the Environmental Sciences and Resources Ph.D. program. Areas of primary
concentration are urban geography, physical geography, resource management, culture,
environment and society, GIS, and cartography. The Department currently has 58 graduate
students.
Barbara Brower
Resource policy, mountain geography, pastoralism, highland Asia, the American West, cultural
ecology
Teresa Bulman
Resource management, water resources, environmental law, teacher education
Heejun Chang
Hydrology, water resources, urban environment, global change, visual spatial analysis, GIS
Michael Emch
GIS, remote sensing, human-environment interactions (on leave as Robert Wood Johnson
Fellow, Columbia University, Fall 2004-Summer 2006)
Andrew G. Fountain (joint appointment with Geology)
Glaciology, geomorphology, energy balance/meteorology, remote sensing
Keith Hadley
Biogeography, landscape ecology, dendroecology, alpine environments
Thomas Harvey
Urban geography, cultural landscape studies, North America
Daniel M. Johnson
Climatology, historical geography
Gil Latz
Pacific Asia, Japan, regional development policy, international trade, teacher education
( currently PSU Vice-Provost for International Affairs)
Joseph Poracsky
Cartography, numeric visualization, urban natural resources / urban forestry, remote sensing
Martha A. Works
Latin America, cultural geography, economic development, tropical environments, agriculture
Geology-- http://www.geol.pdx.edu/
The Department of Geology offers programs leading to the bachelor’s degree in geology, as well
as studies in numerical modeling, geochemistry, geomicrobiology, hydrogeology, engineering
geology, planetary geology, and environmental geology.
The Department of Geology offers programs leading to the Master of Arts or Master of Science
in geology, an option in geohydrology, the Master of Arts in Teaching or Master of Science in
Teaching (Science), and to the Ph.D. degree in environmental sciences and resources.
The M.A./M.S. program is designed to train geology students beyond the baccalaureate degree
for professional employment or for advanced graduate work. The M.A.T./M.S.T program is
offered for teachers in secondary schools and community colleges. The department is an active
participant in the Environmental Sciences and Resources Doctoral Program with specialized
studies in hydrogeology, economic geology, environmental geology, engineering geology, and
applied stratigraphy. As of Fall 2004, there are 28 students in the graduate programs.
Faculty:
Scott F. Burns. Geomorphology, Soils, Environmental geology
http://web.pdx.edu/~burnss
Sherry L. Cady. Geomicrobiology and Astrobiology
http://cadylab.pdx.edu/
Kenneth M. Cruikshank. Structural Geology, Geomechanics, Computer Applications
http://geomechanics.geol.pdx.edu/
Michael L. Cummings. Volcanic stratigraphy, Mineralogy and Petrology
http://web.pdx.edu/~cumminm
Andrew G. Fountain. Geomorphology, Glaciology, Remote Sensing
http://glaciers.pdx.edu/fountain
Christina L. Hulbe. Quaternary Climate, Glaciology, Geophysics
http://web.pdx.edu/~chulbe/
Curt D. Peterson. Sedimentology, Stratigraphy, Coastal Processes
http://coastal.geol.pdx.edu/
Martin J. Streck. Igneous Petrology, Geochemistry
http://pumice.pdx.edu/
Research Assistant Faculty:
Georg H. Grathoff. Clay Mineralogy
http://web.pdx.edu/~grathog
Benjamin C. Horner-Johnson. Marine paleomagnetism, Polar Wander, Indian Ocean tectonics
http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~ben/
Melinda Hutson. Planetary Sciences, Geochemistry
R. Benjamin Perkins. Low-Temperature Geochemistry
http://web.pdx.edu/~rperkins
Alex M. Ruzicka. Planetary Sciences, Geochemistry
http://web.pdx.edu/~ruzickaa/
Mechanical Engineering-- http://www.me.pdx.edu/
The Department of Mechanical Engineering provides a strong educational experience by
exposing students to state-of-the-art techniques and to good practices. The undergraduate
program is accredited by ABET and is focused on Mechanical Engineering design. The MME
Department offers a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering (BSME). This four year,
undergraduate major prepares students for entry-level positions in mechanical engineering.
Students interested in advanced training can purse the MSME or MSMSE degrees at the graduate
level. We anticipate that our Ph.D. program will begin in the Fall of 2006. The graduate
programs in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Engineering engage students in solving the
problems faced by industry and government in the Portland Metropolitan area, the state of
Oregon, and southwest Washington. The Department currently has 24 graduate students.
MME faculty are engaged in a variety of research projects ranging from fundamental
investigations to applied projects sponsored by local industry.
Materials Science Group
Jack Devletian
Technical Specialities: Welding metallurgy and design, properties of ferrous and non-ferrous
welds, soldering for electronic assembly.
Current Research: Solidification mechanics, microstructure and mechanical properties of ferrous
and non-ferrous welds.
Victor Li
Technical Specialities: modeling of heat transfer, microstructure evolution, residual stresses,
distortion, and hydrogen diffusion in welding as well as in other thermal-mechanical material
processing
Lemmy Meekisho
Technical Specialities: Numerical modeling and simulation of materials processes, thermal
management, and reliability issues in electronic packages.
Jim VanWinkle
Technical Specialities: Metallic and ceramic corrosion and electrochemistry; thin films;
semiconductor manufacturing (experimental CMP)
William Wood
Technical Specialities: Synthesis, structure, and properties of materials. Analysis of the
structure/property/compositional relationships of super-alloys, ultrahigh strength and structural
steel alloys, hydorgen embrittlement delayed cracking, laser surface alloying, welding of thick
section ferrous and nonferrous alloys, and electroslag surfacing.
Design and Manufacturing Group
Faryar Etesami
Technical Specialities: Design, Computer-Aided Design, Mechanical Tolerancing, and Statistical
Process Improvement
Dave Turcic
Technical Specialities: Analysis and design of high speed mechanical systems, system design,
motion synthesis for manufacturing and material handling processes, design for manufacturing,
robotics, computer aided design and computer-aided manufacturing, geometric modeling,
automatic controls, and experimental methods.
Chien Wern
Technical Specialities: Mechanical testing, fatigue testing, fracture mechanics, manufacturing
process optimization, instrumentation, and robotics.
Current Research: Surface characterization and strength of machined product, and fatigue testing
of gears.
Sung Yi
Technical Specialities: Electronic Packaging, Delamination and Failure mechanisms of IC
packages and Composites, Constitutive Modeling and Characterization of Engineering Materials,
Numerical Modeling and Simulation of Manufacturing Process of Polymer Matrix Composites
and IC Packages.
Hormoz Zareh
Technical Specialities: Design Analysis and simulation with Finite Element techniques,
Computer-Aided Design, Design optimization.
Thermal and Fluid Science Group
Gerald Recktenwald
Technical Specialities: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Fluid mechanics, Heat transfer,
Thermal management of electronic equipment, Numerical modeling
Current Research: Development of a device that uses a transient heat transfer method for
measuring thermal resistance of thermal interface materials (TIMs). Development of a device to
re-warm hypothermic humans.
David Sailor
Technical Specialities: Modelling of heat island mitigation, urbanization of mesoscale climate
models, energy consumption and weather/climate, climate model downscaling, facilities.
Graig Spolek
Technical Specialities: Computer simulation and experimentation in the areas of fundamental
heat and mass transfer, HVAC systems design and control, industrial drying, and industrial
energy utilization.
Derek Tretheway
Technical Specialities: Micro Particle Image Velocimetry, Measurements of flow in
microdevices, non-Newtonian fluid flow
Mark Weislogel
Technical Specialities: Fluid-thermal/Fluid-sciences, macroscale and microscale capillary-driven
flows in complex geometries, passive cooling systems, microscale thermal devices, microgravity
fluid mechanics.
Urban Studies and Planning—http://www.pdx.edu/usp/education.html
Coursework from the Department of Urban Studies and Planning is primarily for a graduate
program. Understanding metropolitan regions and their problems, and analyzing policies to
shape their evolution and overcome obstacles are major concerns of the Urban Studies Ph.D.,
Master of Urban Studies, and Urban Studies/Regional Science Ph.D. programs at Portland State
University. The Portland metropolitan area, which is widely known for its regional approach to
dealing with these issues, is an excellent setting for both theoretical and applied studies of
metropolitan region phenomena. The nation's only directly elected regional government is here.
The state of Oregon and the metropolitan area are committed to fostering environmentally
sustainable patterns of urban growth, as the ongoing transformation of the Pacific Northwest's
historically resource-based economy continues.
The doctoral programs explore these issues from multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary points of
view. Through participation in classes and seminars, and supervised research and teaching
activities, Ph.D. students are prepared for careers in institutions of higher education and in
research organizations. M.U.S. graduates generally work in applied research and communitybased advocacy settings. The Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) degree is fully
accredited by the Planning Accreditation Board, which is under the sponsorship of the American
Institute of Certified Planners (AICP), American Planning Association (APA), and the
Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning (ACSP).
As of Fall 2004, there are 206 students in the graduate programs. Faculty and their research
interests are:
Carol Abbottt
Urban history, urban revitalization policy
Sy Adler
Planning institutions, theories and practices in the Pacific Northwest, focusing on questions of
economic development and social and physical infrastructure supply, land use, and
environmental protection initiatives at local, state and regional levels
Qian Cal
Population estimates and projections, migration and emigration, population aging and resaerch
methods.
Jennifer Dill
Transportation and environmental planning, travel behavior, air quality, and transportation-land
use interactions
Barry Edmundson
Immigration statistics, the internal migration of the foreign-born, and demographic changes in
home ownership.
Michael Fogarty
Productivity of the manufacturing economies of regions; regional growth and development
through investments in science and technology, emphasizing the role of universities, government
labs, and corporate R&D
Charles Heying
Interrelationship of private, nonprofit and public sectors in market economies; institutional
network analysis; and elites, power, and social transformation
George Hough
Demographic methods and techniques, demographic data analysis for small areas, population
estimates and forecasts, statistical methods, and labor force dynamics
Deborah Howe
Creation of affordable housing alternatives, neighborhood and community development, land use
planning implementation and impact, community planning for an aging society, and the
evolution of the Oregon land use planning system
Karen Gibson
Comparative analysis of black and white poverty, racial and gender inequality in the labor
market, and economic development policy
Robert Liebman
Comparative social institutions, historical sociology/social change, communities/organizations,
and religion
Loren Lutzenhiser
Environmental impacts of socio-technical systems, particularly how urban energy/resource use is
linked to global environmental change
Sheils Martin
Economic development and technology economics and policy
Barry Messer
Urban environmental education and community development, regional development in the
United States
Gerard Mildner
Economics of local government, including growth management, rent control, municipal sports
stadiums, housing markets, land use regulation, and urban transportation
Connie Ozawa
Environmental policy and management, use of scientific and technical information in public
decision making, the role of the professional, and public participation methods
Risa Proehl
School enrollment forecasts, community and needs assessments, small area population estimates,
and affordable housing market analyses
Anthony Rufolo
State and local finance, transportation, labor issues and regional economics
Ethan Seltzer
Oregon statewide planning program, regional planning, and regional and community
development
Irina Sharkova
GIS applications in population, urban and health studies; spatial analysis of urban demographic
and social patterns; modeling local and regional population change; and social indicators
James Strathman
Regional science and transportation planning
Gerald Sussman
Political economy of development, information cities and the political economy of information
technologies
Richard White
Urban social structure, social justice, community organization and development, and urban faithbased organizations
List and brief description of faculty with expertise in disciplines and interdisciplinary work
relevant to federal land management, environmental and research agencies
ANTHROPOLOGY
Ken Ames
Kenneth M. Ames is Professor and Department Chair of Anthropology at Portland State
University. He has conducted archaeological field research in western North American since
1968, and along the Lower Columbia River since 1984. He has authored numerous refereed
articles and book chapters on the archaeology of western North America and on complex huntergatherers and other topics. He has published in such journals as American Antiquity, Antiquity,
Journal of Field Archaeology, Annual Reviews of Anthropology, Arctic Anthropology, North
American Archaeology Evolutionary Anthropology and American Anthropologist. He is senior
author, with Herbert Maschner, of the book Peoples of the Northwest Coast, Their Archaeology
and Prehistory, published by Thames and Hudson, London, in 1999. He has also recently
published a major monograph: The North Coast Prehistory Project Excavations in Prince Rupert
Harbour, British Columbia: The Artifacts (British Archaeological Reports International Series
No. 1342, Oxford). He was a consultant to the National Park Service for the Kennewick Man
cultural affiliation study. Ames has published popular pieces in venues such as Archaeology
Magazine and newspapers. He is editor of volume on Oregon Archaeology, and has two edited
volumes in preparation. One is entitled Household Archaeology on the Northwest Coast, and the
other, titled Chinookan Studies focuses on the Chinookan peoples of the Lower Columbia River
Region. Ames’ recent field research has focused on the Cathlapotle Town site, the location of a
Chinookan town visited and described by Lewis and Clark on their return trip in March, 1806.
The project began in 1991, and is ongoing. It is a joint project among Portland State University,
US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Chinook Tribe. A preliminary report on this research,
Archaeological Investigations at 45CL1, Cathlapotle (1991-1996), Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge,
Clark County, Washington: A Preliminary Report, has recently been published as US Fish and
Wildlife Service, Region 1, Cultural Resources Series Number 13. The project has produced 12
MA theses and two Ph.D. dissertations since 1987. Dr. Ames has received funding from the US
Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Park Service.
Virginia Butler-- http://web.pdx.edu/~virginia/
Virginia Butler’s main research is in zooarchaeology (the study of animal remains found in
archaeological sites) and is particularly interested in the role of fish in past human societies. She
draws on evolutionary ecology to study predator-prey interactions, and considers human
demography, technological change and independent changes in paleoenvironments that affect
prey abundance. Over the last 15 years, working on her own and in colloboration with others, she
has studied fish remains from sites throughout the Pacific Northwest, the Great Basin of Nevada
and California, and Oceania. Her research falls in the following main areas: taphonomy (the
processes that control the deposition and preservation of animal remains), evolutionary ecology,
applying ancient bone records to contemporary issues in conservation biology and public
outreach. Most recently, she has compiled 10,000 yr long fish records in the Columbia River
system and Owens Valley, California. Species abundance fluctuates greatly, probably due to
both climatic and human factors. Her work shows ways ancient animal records contribute to
conservation biology, which often operates with limited knowledge of long-term biotic history.
Her geographic focus is western North America and Oceania and she has published papers in
American Antiquity, Antiquity, Journal of Archaeological Science, Ancient Biomolecules,
Quaternary Research,
Journal of World Prehistory and Oregon Historical Quarterly. Dr. Butler has received funding
from the Colville Tribes, the Columbia George Discovery Center and the US Fish and Wildlife
Service.
Douglas Wilson
Doug Wilson is an Archaeologist with the Vancouver National Historic Reserve and directs the
public archaeology program for the Vancouver National Historic Reserve, including Fort
Vancouver National Historic Site. He conducts archaeological field schools, directs the
archaeological research program, manages cultural resources compliance work, and directs
public archaeology outreach activities. He works with Historic Reserve partners, the City of
Vancouver, U.S. Army Reserve, the National Park Service, and the Office of Archaeology and
Historic Preservation, to protect and interpret the premier historical archaeological site in the
Pacific Northwest. Through a partnership agreement with the Vancouver National Historic
Reserve, Dr. Wilson joined the faculty of PSU in fall 2004 where he teaches courses in
archaeology and directs the National Park Service partnership field school at the Vancouver
National Historic Reserve. He has directed and managed archaeological projects throughout
Oregon and Washington, including cultural resources surveys, site testing, site evaluation, and
data recovery excavations associated with project compliance with Section 106 of the National
Historic Preservation Act, the preparation of Environmental Impact Statements and
Environmental Assessments and various State and local cultural resource laws. His major
research interests are Historical Archaeology, Cultural Resources Management, Archaeological
Method and Theory, Computer, Geographic, and Statistical Applications in Archaeology. He
has published in Expanding Archaeology and Journal of Archaeological Method and Theory.
BIOLOGY—http://www.bio.pdx.edu/
Mitchell Cruzan--http://web.pdx.edu/~cruzan/index.html
Mitch Cruzan is an associate professor of biology with a research focus in plant ecological
genetics. He is utilizing ecological and molecular genetic approaches to address issues
associated with plant adaptation to novel and extreme environments. Because of their sedentary
nature, plants often must withstand some of the most severe conditions present in terrestrial
environments. Dr. Cruzan’s lab group focuses on a range of general topics in ecology and
evolutionary biology including natural hybridization, floral biology, phylogeography, and the
population genetics of rare and invasive species. His primary study system are plants in the
Piriqueta caroliniana complex, a novel model plant system. The Piriqueta system has several
advantages that render it particularly suitable for the study of adaptation. While it possess a
relatively short generation time and small genome similar to traditional model organisms, closely
related populations of this taxon occur in a much broader range of habitats than other model
systems, which spans the moisture extremes experienced by terrestrial organisms- from severe
drought to saturated soils that occur during sustained floods. Moreover, since these plants are
perennial, they have adaptive characteristics that allow them to persist and remain
metabolicallyactive during periods of severe conditions. Experimental and genetic analyses on
this species have demonstrated that genotypes from different habitats posses suites of
morphological and physiological traits that facilitate their growth and survival under the severe
conditions that they experience. The primary goal of our work is to identify and analyze the
genetic factors that contribute to adaptation to these contrasting environmental conditions. Dr.
Cruzan currently has research funding from the National Science Foundation and the US
Department of Agriculture.
Larry Crawshaw-- http://www.bio.pdx.edu/faculty/crawshaw/crawshaw.html
Larry Crawshaw is interested in elucidating the effects of ethanol on physiological systems, with
a particular focus on those responses involved in the regulation of body temperature. Studies in
his lab entail the measurement of behavioral, physiological, and neural variables, and utilize both
selectively bred lines of mice and the comparative approach to pursue these goals. The inbred
mouse lines that are studied most intensively are those with increased and decreased resistance to
ethanol induced hypothermia. He has demonstrated that a significant portion of the differential
change in body temperature that follows ethanol administration in these lines is due to a direct
effect on the regulated body temperature. An investigation of the neuropharmacological,
anatomical, and physiological differences of the relevant brain structures in these lines of mice
will provide insight into both the mechanism of the effects of ethanol and the nature of
homeostatic hypothalamic functions. Dr. Crawshaw’s comparative interests are broad, and
involve the study of all aspects of the responses which vertebrates have evolved to deal with the
thermal environment. One current interest involves the response of goldfish to anoxic
environments. These animals can survive for a number of days without oxygen. They accomplish
this by metabolizing lactate to ethanol, which they then secrete. Research has shown that
intracranial injections of ethanol at concentrations lower than those present in the brain of anoxic
goldfish (3mM) can alter thermoregulation and other behaviors. Further study of this
phenomenon will help elucidate the effects of naturally occurring ethanol levels on an important
physiological system. A list of Dr. Crawshaw’s publications can be found at
http://www.bio.pdx.edu/faculty/crawshaw/crawshaw.html. Dr. Crawshaw’s research funding has
come from the National Institutes of Health.
Deborah Duffield-- http://www.bio.pdx.edu/faculty/duffield/duffield.html
Deborah Duffield’s main research interests are genetic variability in natural populations. More
specifically her work concentrates on:
•
Cytogenetics, protein electrophoresis, nuclear DNA (fingerprinting and microsatellites)
and mitochondrial DNA haplotype analysis of whale and dolphin species, emphasizing
evolution and population structure and dynamics.
•
Cetacean hemoglobins: structure and function; hemoglobin gene regulation.
•
Physiological and genetic aspects of hematologic parameters related to diving capabilities
and ecotype in marine mammals.
•
Detection of organochlorines in marine mammal blubber.
She is also interested in inheritance of genetic disorders in horses and genetic markers for
tracking color pattern inheritance in horses. A list of her publications can be found at
http://www.bio.pdx.edu/faculty/duffield/duffield.html
Sarah Eppley—arriving Fall 2005
Sarah Eppley’s research interests are the evolution of mating systems, spatial population biology,
wetland and conservation biology. Her research focuses on how ecological and genetic factors
influence the balancing act between the advantages and disadvantages of employing particular
mating system strategies. Future work will obtain data from greenhouse and field experiments
using the perennial salt marsh grass Distichlis spicata.
Suzanne Estes—arriving Fall 2005
Suzanne Estes’ research interests are evolutionary genetics, experimental evolution, properties
and evolutionary consequences of mutation, and conservation biology. She is an evolutionary
biologist interested in the patterns and genetic mechanisms of adaptation and in the properties of
mutation and their consequences for evolution. Her work involves understanding the role of
mutation in evoluation (both adaptive and maladaptive) and the potential for populations to
evolve in response to environmental change. Growing experience suggests that organisms
possess greater capacities to meet environmental challenges than initially expected, and that a
multiplicity of evolutionary solutions to such problems can be possible. Her research program
uses a variety of tools and approaches to investigate questions primarily related to these issues,
centered primarily around addressing evolutionary questions using soil nematode,
Caenorhabditis elegans, and congeners as models. The main objectives of her NSF postdoctoral
fellowship are to establish how pre- and post- mating factors help to define the mating system
and how aspects of the mating system influence offspring fitness correlates.
Mark Fishbein—arriving Fall 2005
The primary goal of Mark Fishbein’s research is to understand processes that generate the
exquisite diversity of flowers. His approach emphasizes 1) phylogenetic analyses of plant
lineages and 2) the inference and hypothesis testing of evolutionary processes that produce floral
diversity. This research requires implementation of tools in a variety of sub-disciplines such as
1) plant-insect interactions, 2) molecular evolution, 3) developmental biology, 4) phylogenetic
theory, and 5) biogeography. His overall strategy is to find general explanations for biological
diversification by integrating approaches at multiple scales and using a variety of techniques.
Ronald D. Jones
Dr. Jones is a microbial ecologist who specializes in nutrient cycling and water quality research.
Much of his work involves studying the mechanisms by which excess nutrients and pollutants
affect microbial processes in wetlands and coastal environments. Currently he is conducting
research on phosphorus cycling and the mobilization and accumulation of mercury in the Florida
Everglades, Florida Keys, and Florida Bay. Methods used include a wide variety of analytical
chemistry techniques and microbial enzymatic and functional assays. A list of his publications
can be found at http://www.bio.pdx.edu/. Dr. Jones’ current research funding is from the Army
Corps of Engineers.
Susan Masta—http://www.bio.pdx.edu/
Susan Masta is interested in the process of biological diversification, and pursues research on
multiple levels. At the molecular level, she studies the evolution and diversification of
mitochondrial genomes of arachnids. At the population level, she examines the factors that
promote and inhibit speciation, with both spiders and toads. At the species level, she is interested
in the systematic relationships among organisms, and in how selection can influence our
inferences of organismal relationships. Dr. Masta’s current research funding is from the
National Science Foundation.
Michael Murphy— http://www.bio.pdx.edu/faculty/murphy/murphy.html
Michael Murphy is interested in the population biology and behavioral ecology of vertebrates
(mainly birds and mammals), and the conservation biology of all taxa. He is also interested in
island ecology, where islands are defined as any area of hospitable habitat that is surrounded by
inhospitable space. His studies of island ecology thus include research on true oceanic islands in
the Caribbean and habitat islands in urban landscapes. Dr. Murphy has just completed a 12 year
population study of the Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus), a long-distance, Neotropical
migrant bird. With the collaboration of many students, he (a) examined parental behavior and the
dynamics of male:female interactions while rearing young, (b) assessed parentage using DNA
fingerprinting, and most recently, (c) described habitat-specific population dynamics. He is
currently initiating new studies to examine the population biology of forest birds living within
the extensive forest park system of Portland, Oregon. This work will address questions ranging
from the impact of domestic cats on avian nest success, to the influence of landscape structure on
the dispersal dynamics and persistence of populations in isolated fragments of urban forest. Dr.
Murphy is also continuing research on the winter ecology of Neotropical migrant birds on San
Salvador, The Bahamas. This work on the island (since 1994) has led to quantitative descriptions
of species-specific patterns of habitat use and population trends, and has shown that several
species exhibit highly biased female sex ratios on the island, while other species with balanced
sex ratios exhibit strong sexual habitat segregation. Current research is designed to answer why
sexual habitat segregation occurs in these species. A list of his publications can be found at
http://www.bio.pdx.edu/faculty/murphy/murphy.html. Dr. Murphy’s currently funding is from
the US Fish and Wildlife Service and the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.
Jason Podrabsky
Dr. Podrabsky is interested in how organisms respond and ultimately adapt to their environment
at a physiological, biochemical, and molecular level. He is especially interested in how embryos
and larvae are affected by their environment, and how they deal with environmental stress. In
many cases, embryos are the most sensitive life history stage to environmental preturbations. The
basis for this increased sensitivity remains a mystery, due principally to a lack of information on
developmental physiology. How are developmental, cell cycle, and metabolic pathways
integrated during development and how are these interactions affected by the environment? How
and when are physiological traits acquired during development? How is physiological
homeostasis maintained in embryos and adults exposed to a highly variable environment, and are
these responses different? In orde to answer these questions, Dr. Podrabsky has focused on the
annual killfish Austrofundulus limnaeus as the primary model organism for his studies. These
fish live in small ephemeral ponds (mud puddles) in regions of northern South America that
experience pronounced dry and rainy seasons. These fish are in general very tolerant to extremes
in temperature, oxygen availability, salinity, and pH. The adult fish are not dehydration-tolerant
and thus will die when their ponds dry. Populations survive in a given location due to the
production of drought-resistant diapausing embryos encased in the drying mud. Diapause may
interrupt development at three distinct developmental stages in annual killfish. Embryos entering
diapause arrest development and enter a state of metabolic dormancy. The predictable arrest of
cell proliferation and metabolism associated with entry into diapause makes this an excellent
system for studies on the control of the cell cycle and regulation of metabolic pathways.
Radu Popa—arriving Fall 2005
Radu Popa is a geo-microbiologist – astrobiologist. His research interests are on the energy flux
in subsurface chemosynthetic ecosystems, microbial bio-mineralization of iron-sulfides,
interdisciplinary study of magnetic bacteria, microbial ecology, mechanisms of
biomineralization, and the origins and signatures of life. His future research will be on the
development of biogenetic magnetite. This will include the interaction between protein and
mineral surfaces and its biological function. Using genetic manipulation, he will study how
changes in protein expression influence the formation of iron biominerals. This will lead to an
expansion of his research to studying microganisms forming metal sulfides, which play a key
role in hydothermal systems and in anaerobic sediments.
Todd Rosenstiel—arriving Fall 2005
Todd Rosenstiel is interested in the interactions between plant physiology, plant ecology, and
global change. His research asks questions about mechanisms of plant function in an ecological
context with an emphasis on how components of cellular metabolism can scale to impact
ecosystem processes. These questions are based in developing a mechanistic understanding of 1)
the processes controlling the exchange of compounds between plants and their environment, 2)
how a changing climate impacts these processes, and 3) what these changes may mean to the
properties of plant cells, individual plants and ecosystems. One of the most interesting examples
of the dynamics between plant functional biology and climate change is the relationship between
the emission of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from terrestrial ecosystems and atmospheric
chemistry. Isoprene is the most significant VOC release dorm the leaves of forest trees. Dr.
Rosentiel’s work looks at how components of global change might influence the emission of
isoprene from the leaves of forest trees. In addition to investigating the linkages between plant
cell physiology and atmospheric processes, he has also begun work on understanding how
aspects of plant metabolism may directly influence soil processes. Developing a robust
mechanistic view of rhizodeposition in forest trees is also critical to refining our understanding
of the potential consequences of global change on forest ecosystems.
Luis Ruedas.—http://www.bio.pdx.edu/faculty/ruedas/ruedas.html
Dr. Ruedas' interests lie in the following areas:
•
Systematics and zoogeography of Maxomys Sody, 1936 (Rodentia: Muridae: Murinae):
DNA/DNA hybridization studies of some Borneo-Javan species and allied Sundiac and
Australo-Papuan genera.
•
Evolutionary relationships of Southwestern United States Cottontails (genus Sylvilagus)
based on dental morphology.
•
Systematics and zoogeography of Southeast Asian rodents based on mitochondrial 12S
ribosomal gene sequences; a project being undertaken in cooperation with Dr. Juan
Carlos Morales, from CERC, the Center for Environmental Research and Conservation of
Columbia University.
•
Mammal Fauna of Guinea Project; a cooperative project between Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC), Institut de Recherche et de Biologie Apliquee de Guinee
(IRBAG-Kindia), and the Division of Mammals of the Museum of Southwestern Biology
(MSB).
A list of his publications can be found at http://www.bio.pdx.edu/faculty/ruedas/ruedas.html
Anna-Louise Reysenbach—http://alrlab.pdx.edu/
Anna-Louise Reysenbach is a microbial ecologist with special interests in the ecology of
terrestrial and deep-sea hydrothermal vents and in the evolution of biogeochemical cycles. Her
projects have included enhancing expertise in bacterial taxonomy; evolution of environments
within black smoker chimney walls: microbial colonization as functions of temperature,
chemistry and time; genome sequencing and comparative analysis of the chemolithoautrotrophic
Persephonella marina and it's terrestrial relative, Sulfurihydrogenibium azorense; sampling and
initial characterization of hydrothermal fluids, deposits, microfauna and megafauna at vent
fields; a microbial inventory of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem thermal features. She is
currently funded by the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, the National
Park Service, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
Ken Stedman—http://web.pdx.edu/~kstedman/
Ken Stedman’s major research focus is the viruses of the extremely thermophilic archaeon (also
known as archaebacteria) Sulfolobus. These viruses are completely different, both in their
structures and sequences, from any other known viruses. He is interested in how these viruses
and their hosts function in geothermally heated hot springs at very high temperatures (80C =
176F) and high acidity (pH below 4). These viruses can also be used as tools to develop
molecular genetics for extremely thermophilic Archaea. The same viruses can also be used as
expression vectors for novel enzymes from extreme thermophiles. Dr. Stedman is also interested
in transcriptional regulation in Sulfolobus, since there are some very striking parallels to
transcriptional regulation in eukaryotic cells, including humans. Sulfolobus is however a much
more tractable system for studying these basal transcriptional mechanisms.
CHEMISTRY
Dean Atkinson— http://www.chem.pdx.edu/people/faculty_pages/atkinson.html
Dean Atkinson’s research specializes in the development and implementation of powerful new
measurement methodologies to chemical problems of environmental importance. An example is
the recently developed cavity ring-down (CRD) absorption spectroscopic technique, a very
sensitive variant of normal absorption spectroscopy which uses light from pulsed or continuous
laser sources. Implementation projects include the measurement of chemical reaction rates of
free radicals extant in the terrestrial atmosphere and the ultra-sensitive quantitative determination
of atmospheric trace gas concentrations using CRD. On the development side, a project is under
way to extend the powerful CRD method into the condensed phase, opening up the potential for
a number of pollution monitoring and/or kinetic applications.
The main thrust of the research focuses on the reactivity of (free) radicals in the terrestrial and
other planetary and cometary atmospheres. Because of their high concentrations and rapid
reaction rates, radicals control the concentrations and fates of nearly all pollutants. Sophisticated
computer models are able to use the rate coefficients for elementary reaction steps along with
other data to predict the effect of anthropogenic (man-made) emissions. By conducting both
laboratory based and field measurements, these models can be verified and refined.
One method for refining the atmospheric chemical models is to augment the base information or
inputs which are used to generate the model. Included in this data set are the photolysis rates and
product branching ratios for the radical and closed-shell components, particularly those known to
be important in subsequent chemistry, and the chemical reaction kinetic data that describes the
reactivity of the radicals involved. These parameters are most readily measured in a wellcontrolled laboratory environment under known conditions of temperature and pressure using
considerably simpler model reaction sequences than those encountered in nature. The power that
CRD brings to the measurements in these situations is ready quantitation, sensitivity and
selectivity, determination of absolute densities of radicals and other species, and detection of
small amounts of species in the presence of large amounts and varieties of contaminants.
Verification of the atmospheric models is achieved by accurately measuring the concentration of
a few "trace" species along with various meteorological factors, including the solar flux, and
comparing these with the model predictions. Dr. O’Brien and his group have developed a suite of
methods for the determination of extremely short-lived species, as well as some of the more
stable ones. Interestingly, CRD is complementary to the main analytical method that is used,
Laser Excited Fluorescence, in that a variety of compounds which are "invisible" to LEF are
readily accessible to it. Thus the doorway to a number of "troublesome" tracers may be opened,
if the challenging problem of chemical interferences can be overcome. Very simple and robust
instrumentation will be a key goal of this project, since field monitoring, in principle, can mean
airplane and perhaps even shuttle and extraterrestrial vehicle mounted systems, as well as ground
based measurements which can be taken over quite long time scales with high sample density.
Thomas Hard— http://www.chem.pdx.edu/people/faculty_pages/hard.html
The natural world, and human technology, emit gases into the atmosphere. These gases include
water vapor, carbon dioxide, and a host of trace gases that have direct or indirect effects on
climate, agricultural productivity, and human health. Most trace gases are removed from the
atmosphere by chemical reaction with hydroxyl radicals, HO (or equivalently, OH). Atmospheric
HO is created by sunlight, acting on ozone and water vapor. HO has a short chemical lifetime,
less than 1 second, due to its rapid reactions with other trace gases. Even at noon on a summer
day, the net atmospheric HO concentration is only a few parts per quadrillion of air, making its
detection a major experimental challenge.
With my colleagues, particularly Bob O'Brien, Dr. Hard has developed a sensitive method for
HO detection and quantitative measurement, called FAGE (Fluorescence Assay with Gas
Expansion). FAGE uses a tunable ultraviolet pulsed laser, a vacuum pump, photomultipliers, and
optical, electronic, and chemical components. Besides HO, FAGE can measure the atmospheric
concentrations of other molecules that can be converted to HO by adding a reagent. In that
manner, we've used FAGE for HO2 (hydroperoxyl radical) and RO2 (organic peroxy radicals).
HO2 and RO2 are products of atmospheric reactions of HO with more abundant trace gases, and
are important intermediates in the production of ozone in the lower atmosphere and in urban air.
FAGE has been deployed in atmospheric studies of HO and HO2 at the Oregon Coast, Eastern
Washington, and the Los Angeles basin. These studies included measurements of other
molecules involved in the production and removal of HO and HO2. These efforts have been
supported by EPA, NSF, NASA, and the California Air Resources Board. FAGE has been
adopted (and adapted) by several groups of researchers for airborne, shipborne, and land-based
atmospheric radical measurements. The goal of this work is to understand how the atmosphere's
normal chemical composition is maintained, and how it responds to pollution.
Scott Reed— http://www.chem.pdx.edu/people/faculty_pages/reed.html
Research in the Reed laboratory is centered in an emerging scientific field at the interface
between chemistry, biology, and nanotechnology. Biological systems have evolved to function
with great precision on the nanometer scale and provide inspiration for the molecular design of
nanostructures.
One project in the lab utilizes nanometer sized metallic particles. Such nanoparticles alter the
optical properties of adjacent chromophores, acting as antennae for absorbed and emitted light.
In this project, biopolymers, such as DNA, are used to connect fluorophores to metal particles at
defined distances, allowing for the systematic study of metal-fluorophore interactions. From this
we can design molecular sensors for the fluorescent detection of specific proteins, DNA, or
environmental pollutants.
Another project involves the preparation of mimics of cellular structures. Cells have evolved to
efficiently utilize energy for motility, reproduction, and synthesis of proteins and chemicals, all
while efficiently managing energy utilization and waste production. They are the ultimate
nanoscale factory. Simple mimics of cells can be useful for designing more efficient methods of
chemical synthesis with intrinsic waste management capability. Such environmentally benign or
green chemistry can play a role in minimizing chemical hazards to individuals and the
environment.
Carl Wamser— http://www.chem.pdx.edu/people/faculty_pages/wamser.html
Research in the Wamser laboratory is focused on solar energy conversion, using an approach
called artificial photosynthesis. The long-term goal is development of a solar cell that efficiently
collects solar energy and converts it to a useful form of chemical energy, such as the
decomposition of water into hydrogen and oxygen using the energy of sunlight. Many of the
design strategies are roughly based on natural membrane systems as used in photosynthesis. For
example, the light-absorbing molecules used in the research are porphyrins, structural analogs of
chlorophyll. Porphyrins are specifically organized in various ways to enhance their ability to
collect solar energy, transfer their excitation energy to a reactive site, and initiate electron
transfer reactions. Currently there are two main lines of research active in the group.
Thin films of polymeric porphyrins are created by the technique of interfacial polymerization.
Two reactive porphyrin monomers are dissolved separately in immiscible liquids; rapid reaction
occurs only at the interface between these two solutions, creating a thin polymer film. In the case
of acid chloride and amine derivatives, a polyamide film is created. As the polymerization
reaction proceeds, the interfacial film becomes a barrier that slows further reaction; hence
interfacial polymer films can be exquisitely thin (10 - 100 nm). Nevertheless, these films absorb
visible light well and undergo photoinduced charge transfer reactions that are directional,
analogous to the charge transport membranes of natural photosynthesis. The directionality of
these films is caused by an asymmetry of functional groups on the porphyrin units within the
polymer film; specifically, excess amine groups appear on the surface of the film that was made
in contact with the porphyrin amine derivative and excess carboxylic acid groups appear on the
surface of the film that was made in contact with the porphyrin acid chloride derivative. (Acid
chlorides are hydrolyzed to carboxylic acids during the workup of the finished film). This
structural asymmetry of the thin films is a novel feature that is still under study both
experimentally and theoretically. The structural asymmetry leads to the photochemical
asymmetry, because the redox potentials of the different porphyrins are such that electron
transfer is favored from aminoporphyrins to carboxyporphyrins.
The second approach under active investigation is sensitization of high surface area TiO2
semiconductor electrodes using porphyrin derivatives and porphyrin polymers. The use of high
surface area semiconductors has recently led to remarkable improvements in the efficiency of
solar cells and allowed the use of simple and inexpensive semiconductors such as TiO2. Since
TiO2 is white (it absorbs in the ultraviolet but not in the visible), efficient collection of the solar
spectrum requires sensitization by a molecule absorbing in the visible. We have demonstrated
that our carboxyporphyrin derivative is an excellent sensitizer for TiO2, rapidly injecting an
electron into TiO2 with high quantum efficiency. We are actively investigating various ways of
attaching a series of porphyrins to TiO2 electrodes. This approach also uses the concept of
directional electron transfer between porphyrins, with an electron transfer gradient from
aminoporphyrin to carboxyporphyrin to TiO2. We are also investigating the polymerization of
aminoporphyrins, which undergo oxidative electropolymerization to a conductive polymer
analogous to polyaniline.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES AND RESOURCES
Roy Koch – Program Director, http://www.ce.pdx.edu/faculty_koch.shtml
Roy Koch's general teaching and research activities include modeling environmental and water
resource systems with a focus on describing natural variability and the effects of human impacts
on those systems. This work is directed at improving the understanding of human impacts and
improving the design of mitigation measures. Current research interests include:
•
The use of statistical analysis of historic data to document the hydrologic and water
quality variability of small urban streams and the impacts of development on those
streams
•
The investigation of the impacts of urban development and Best Management Practices
(BMPs) on the hydrologic characteristics and water quality of small urban streams
•
The applicability of existing hydrologic models and the data required to produce reliable
estimates of streamflow and water quality for small urban watersheds and their utility in
evaluating BMPs
•
The relationship of large scale climate patterns to local and regional climate and
hydrologic processes, and modeling streamflow and related climate processes for the
purposes of long term (several months to one year ahead) hydrologic forecasting, and
modeling hydrologic process at large spatial and temporal scales.
David Ervin— http://web.pdx.edu/~dervin/
David Ervin is an economist whose research interests are in agricultural biotechnology and
environmental management, in business environmental sustainability, in environmental policy
reform, and in international trade and environmental management. His funded research projects
have included "Oregon Business Decisions for Environmental Performance" for U.S. EPA 20032006; “Public Goods and University-Industry Relationships in Agricultural Biotechnology.” U.S.
Department of Agriculture, Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems. 2001-2004.
($2,000,000) www.agri-biotech.pdx.edu; “Economic Measures of Mt. Hood National Forest
Sustainability.” U.S. Forest Service. 2001-2002; “Motivations for Business Sustainability.”
FatEarth. 2001 and “Policy for Agricultural Biotechnology and the Environment” Kellogg
Foundation and the U.S. Department of Agriculture1999-2000.
William Fish— http://www.cee.pdx.edu/~fishw/
William Fish’s research centers on the transformation and transport of heavy metals and other
contaminants in soil, surface water, sediment, and groundwater systems. He has a particular
interest in the linkages of chemistry and biology to transport processes and contaminant cleanup
strategies. Dr. Fish has over 20 years of experience in applied research in environmental
chemistry. His research into the fate and transport of heavy metals and organic contaminants has
been supported by a wide range of organizations including the U.S. EPA, U.S. Department of
Energy, U.S. Geological Survey, National Science Foundation, Metro, Port of Portland, and the
Portland Bureau of Environmental Services. Dr. Fish has worked at many impacted sites such as
the Columbia Slough, Rock Creek, Camas Swale Creek (Eugene, OR), Pompton Lakes (NJ) and
several cleanup sites in California.
Joseph Maser— http://web.pdx.edu/~maserj/
Joseph Maser is interested in the general areas of wetland ecology and regulations. In particular,
his research interests are focused on the effectiveness of wetland mitigation projects to
compensate for ecological functions lost due to anthropogenic activities. The mitigation sites he
has studied were upland areas designed and constructed to mimic existing wetland areas. The
studies, done in New Jersey, New York, Delaware and Oregon, measured hydrological activity,
vegetative community structure and species composition and wildlife use at the mitigation sites.
These measured functions were compared to control areas (upland areas similar to pre-mitigation
conditions) and existing wetlands which were mimicked by the mitigation design. Dr. Masser is
also interested in the effect of wetland regulations on land use and development patterns and the
effect of wetland mitigation policies on ecological functions at a landscape level.
Yangdong Pan— http://web.pdx.edu/~pany/pan.htm
Research interests focus on the ecology of freshwater algae, especially diatoms and toxic
cyanobacteria; the biomonitoring and assessment of aquatic ecosystems; and the numerical
analysis of environmental and biological data. His currently funded research projects with EPA
include “The evaluation of periphyton-environmental gradients in western streams” (EPA, 20012007); “Wetland development: are there ecological assembly rules?” (EPA, 2001-2004); and “A
biologically driven national classification scheme for US streams and rivers” (EPA, 2002-2005).
Richard R. Petersen— http://www.esr.pdx.edu/environ/petersen/
The emphasis of Dr. Petersen's research is aquatic ecology. His background is in oceanography
and limnology. He has investigated the environmental factors regulating the primary productivity
in the Willamette River, the limnology of the open reservoirs of the City of Portland water
supply, and the environmental significance of urban storm water runoff in the Portland
metropolitan area. Dr. Petersen has studied the synergistic effects of copper and zinc on the
growth of a freshwater alga with respect to chemical speciation of those metals. He and Dr. John
Rueter have researched the effects of elevated concentrations of copper on cooling ponds
associated with coal-fired power plants. He is a co-author of An Atlas of Oregon Lakes. He has
conducted research on the recovery of lakes located in the blast zone of 1980 eruption of Mt. St.
Helens. He is currently involved in research on the chemical and physical factors that influence
the distribution of freshwater phytoplankton in Oregon lakes and on the limnology of the lakes of
the Mount St. Helens National Monument.
Mark D. Sytsma
Mark Sytsma is director of the Center for Lakes and Reservoirs (http://www.clr.pdx.edu/).
The Center for Lakes and Reservoirs (CLR) at Portland State University was established by the
legislature to address lake management and invasive aquatic species issues in Oregon. Dr.
Sytsma’s primary research interest is the biology and management of aquatic invasive species,
especially submersed aquatic plants. Current projects include investigation of the influence of
landscape position and dissolved organic carbon on lake productivity, regional coordination of
aquatic invasive species management in the Columbia Basin, technical assistance to the Oregon
Department of Agriculture for aquatic weed management, and surveillance and contingency
planning for aquatic invasive species. He is a member of the Oregon Invasive Species Council
and the Western Regional Panel on Aquatic Nuisance Species and coordinates the Columbia
River Aquatic Nuisance Species Initiative. Alan Yeakley—http://web.pdx.edu/~yeakleya/alan.htm
Alan Yeakley’s research focus is on riparian processes, including aspects of plants, soil, nutrients
and hydrology. The work is conducted in both urban and wildland watersheds. Investigations
within his urban riparian research include examination of the sources of nutrient contributions to
streams, the effect of regulatory strategies on riparian buffer protection, and the effects of
urbanization on the distribution of non-native and native plants in riparian areas. His wildland
riparian research investigations are primarily centered at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, a
site in the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) network. Projects include determining the
effects of vegetation disturbance in riparian areas on nutrient transport between hillslope and
stream, and predicting and modeling soil moisture from landscape and soil attributes. Other
research include investigations on the effect of climate variation on terrestrial ecosystems, and
biogeographic relationships in plant dispersal.
GEOLOGY
Sherry L. Cady—http://cadylab.pdx.edu/
The research of Dr. Cady and her students focuses on the biogeochemical interactions between
microorganisms and their environment. This knowledge provides a framework for understanding
how microoganisms have influenced their environment throughout time, and visa versa. The
group also uses a variety of imaging, structural and chemical analytical methods to detect
evidence of microbial life (i.e. biosignatures) in the geological rock record. This work applies
directly to paleobiological and geomicrobiological studies of life on Earth and on other planets.
The Geomicrobiology and Electron Microscopy Laboratory group is involved in a number of
interdisciplinary projects that involve working across a wide range of temporal (Archean to
modern) and spatial (global to angstrom) scales. Since microbial biosignatures are preserved in
sediments, aqueous mineral precipitates, and in the cracks and crevices of altered rocks,
numerous opportunities to gain significant insight into biogeochemical processes using standard
and advanced optical and analytical electron microscopy methods exist. Significant findings to
date include the discovery that hyperthermophilic biofilms contribution to the morphogenesis of
high-temperature siliceous sinters (Cady & Farmer, 1996), and that freshwater carbonate
microbialites displaying morphological characters found only in early Cambrian marine settings
are forming today (Laval, et al., 2000).
Michael L. Cummings—http://web.pdx.edu/~cumminm
Michael Cumming’s long-term research interests are centered around quandrangle mapping of
the middle Miocene rift systems of eastern Oregon. He is particularly interested in the relations
among statigraphic (volcanic and sedimentary), structural, and thermal evolution of these
systems. The approach is multidisciplinary and includes geochemical, geophysical,
mineralogical, paleontological, and structural studies. Together with colleagues, he is presently
mapping in the area west of Beulah Reservoir near Juntura, Oregon. Two other projects continue
in the Oregon-Idaho graben. The first is work on an alteration zone that developed in an
andesitic flow. The extensive loss of mass and generation of secondary porosity suggests that the
alteration system was vapor dominated. A second study with graduate student Suzanne Hess
looks at the structural evolution of the Dry Creek Buttes fault zone. This fault zone is a major
structural zone that controls location of hot spring gold prospects, intrusions, and stratigraphic
patterns in the central part of the Oregon-Idaho graben.
Dr. Cummings continues to expand research in hydrogeologic studies. He is particularly
interested in evaporation from the shore zone and generation of bio-mineral crusts containing
minerals that are far from saturation in the lake water and believes that wind erosion and
selective redissolution of these crusts plays an important role in evolution of lake-water
chemistry. In the Portland area, he is working on the hydrology of Government Island in the
Columbia River. Evapo-transpiration rates are of interest in determining a water budget for the
island. This project is for the Port of Portland and is part of their mitigation program for
expansion of runways at Portland International Airport.
Past projects include a study that examined the geology and hydrology of southeastern Oregon
with the intention of finding "blind" geothermal systems. The project was completed for the
Bonneville Power Administration. Part of the product is a GIS database for the southeastern 1/3
of Oregon. The database includes hydrologic, geologic, heat flow, thermal gradient, neotectonic,
and water chemistry for this region. The database is available through the Department of
Geology Home Page. In the fall of 1995 an strontium isotope study of bed rock units and thermal
and non-thermal springs in the Alvord Valley was completed. This report is also available on the
Home Page. This study was supported by the Bureau of Land Management as a series of studies
on geothermal potential in the Borax Lake area of the Alvord Valley.
Andrew G. Fountain—http://glaciers.pdx.edu/fountain
Andrew Fountain is interested in understanding the basic physical laws that control processes on
the Earth’s surface. More specifically, his focus is on ice, particularly glacier ice. His
background in the subject started with ice crystals in the atmosphere, became grounded in lake
ice, switched to sea ice, and then to glaciers. His research is devoted to the problem of water and
glaciers, and the variation of glaciers with climate. Dr. Fountain is part of the team that studies
the McMurdo Dry Valleys in the Antarctic. The McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER project is an
interdisciplinary study of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in a cold desert region of
Antarctica. In 1992 this area was selected as a study site within the National Science
Foundation's Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) Program
(http://huey.colorado.edu/LTER/). He is also part of the study on outburst flood of a glacierdammed Lake, Kennicott Glacier, in Alaska
(http://www.glaciers.pdx.edu/kennicott/default.html) and in the study on the geometry and
hydraulics of englackia conduits in Storgaliaren, in northern Sweden
(http://www.glaciers.pdx.edu/Storglaciaren/index.html) both projects funded by NSF. Besides
these larger scale projects, Dr. Fountain has done work for the National Park Service on North
Cascade Glaciers, database and modeling on Historic Glacier Change for NASA, and several
projects for the US Geological Survey.
Curt D. Peterson—http://coastal.geol.pdx.edu/
Curt Peterson’s current research projects include:
•
Seagrant dune landscape study
•
Holocene Sediment Budget Analysis for the Columbia R. Littoral Cell
•
Cascadia Paleotsunami Runup Height from Barrier Overtopping
•
Stratigraphic Development of Oregon Coastal Dune Field (ODNRA)
•
Paleoliquefaction Evidence for Strength of Cascadia Earthquakes
•
Watershed Sediment Yields from Reservoir Stratigraphic Records
•
Littoral Cell Response to El Nino Shifts of Mean Annual Storm Trackis on the Coastal
Dunal Landscapes of Western North America.
R. Benjamin Perkins—http://web.pdx.edu/~rperkins
Benjamin Perkins' research focus is in water and sediment geochemistry. Specific areas of
interest and some recent studies include:
• Mineral-water reactions that control concentrations of problematic trace elements such as
arsenic, chromium, and selenium in soils and water.
Solubility controls on chromium in alkaline environments.
Mineral affinities of trace metals in black shales.
Biogeochemical and mineral controls on selenium in the environment.
Mineralogy of arsenic-bearing iron seams in shallow sediments in Bangladesh.
• Paleo-environmental reconstruction using sediment geochemistry.
Geochemistry of Phosphoria Formation in southern Idaho and western Wyoming.
• Surface/ground water interactions and geochemical delineation of groundwater sources.
CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Scott Wells—http://www.cee.pdx.edu/~scott/
Dr. Wells has research expertise in environmental fluid mechanics involving surface water
quality and hydrodynamic modeling. He has modeled almost 100 different water body systems
throughout the US and abroad. Dr. Wells basic research has been in the area of modeling liquidparticle separation in environmental engineering processes. Research includes modeling the
dynamics of cake filtration and the dynamics of liquid/particle flow in water and wastewater
clarifiers. Specific areas include modeling the physics of cake filtration with sedimentation,
filtration in a belt-filter press, and filtration in a plate-and-frame press. Current areas of
investigation also involve determination of slurry properties for modeling solid-liquid separation
processes. In addition to mathematical modeling, he is actively involved in surface and
groundwater quality monitoring. His research teams work in the Portland metropolitan area
including the Willamette River, the Columbia River, the St. John's Landfill, Smith/Bybee Lakes,
and the Lower and Upper Columbia Sloughs. Current funded research projects:
•
Water quality and hydrodynamic river basin modeling with CE-QUAL-W2, Corps of
Engineers, Waterways Experiment Station, MS
•
Columbia Slough TMDL Modeling for Temperature, DEQ, State of Oregon, OR
•
Continuous Deflection Separation of Particles from Stormwater, CDS Technology, Inc.,
CA
•
Columbia-Willamette River Water Quality Modeling Project, Clackamas County, OR
Gwynn Johnson—http://www.ce.pdx.edu/%7Egjohnson/
Dr. Johnson’s research interests focus on the mechanistic study of processes that govern
environmental systems, specifically those contributing and pertaining to subsurface flow and
contaminant transport/fate and remediation. Additionally, her research involves the
characterization/modeling of flow and transport through porous media, including homogeneous
and naturally heterogeneous subsurface materials. This characterization of mass transfer
processes involves the use of various multi-process, mechanistically accurate, mathematical
models to simulate measured data. Her interests encompass many fields of study, including
environmental chemistry, analytical chemistry, soil and water sciences, groundwater hydrology,
water resources and environmental engineering.
Trevor Smith
Over the past 21 years Dr. Smith's research has focused on providing Geotechnical Engineers
improved input for computer modeling of design problems. Of particular note is the research
conducted on understanding arid collapsible soils, pile behavior under horizontal load,
conversion of ODOT's RCAD guide, and reliability based design (RBD) probabilistic slope
stability. The collapsible soil studies have defined soil behavior under wetting conditions,
methods to test with insitu tools and design methods for the calculation of foundation settlements
on these soils. All of these foundation engineering research studies have included insitu testing
based design and analyses, with special emphasis on the role played by the prebored
Pressuremeter (PMT). Portland State's geotechnical program has a national reputation for PMT
work and application of its variety of probes and 3 control units feature in the curriculum, as well
as research endeavors.
URBAN STUDIES AND PLANNING
Connie Ozawa
Dr. Ozawa teaches courses on environmental policy and management, planning theory and
practice, and negotiation and dispute resolution. Her research interests focus on the use of
scientific and technical information in public decision making, the role of the professional, and
public participation methods. She is currently conducting evaluations of a regional planmaking
process and a state initiated effort to increase interagency coordination of environmental reviews.
Dr. Ozawa is author of Recasting Science: Consensus-Based Procedures in Public Policy
Making (Westview, 1991) and several journal articles. Much of Dr. Ozawa’s interdisciplinary
work is done I collaboration with Dr. Alan Yeakley in the Department of Environmental Science.
GEOGRAPHY
Heejun Chang—http://www.web.pdx.edu/%7Echangh/
Heejun Chang’s teaching and research interests lie in two separate but related areas: hydrology
and water resources. He is interested in examining the human modification of the hydrologic
system. He examines the complex interactions among climate change, land use change, and
water management that drive major changes in water quantity and quality. His past research in
the graduate school at the Pennsylvania State University includes constructing a GIS-based
distributed hydrologic model for a large river basin in Bulgaria, assessing potential impacts of
climate change on hydrology and water resources for the Mid-Atlantic Region of the United
States, and simulating spatiotemporal variations of water quality for a tributary of the Danube
River. Building upon his dissertation research, which examines complex interactions of climate
change and land use change in streamflow and nutrient loads for Pennsylvania watersheds, Dr.
CHang is currently investigating forms and processes of dynamic watershed systems in
urbanizing areas of the Pacific Northwest and in large river basins in Korea. His current
research projects include 1) hydrology and water quality effects of urbanization and climate
change, 2) comparative studies of urban stream restoration, 3) use of weather and climate
information for resilient water resource management including flood hazard, and 4) assessing the
effectiveness of geovisualization in teaching spatial quantitative analysis. Integrating and
coupling of biophysical and human factors are essential for studying complex watershed
systems. Thus, my emphasis in using various geocomputational methods developed in GIScience
and artificial intelligence is aimed at representing watersheds as complex, hierarchical, and
nested systems created and modified by hybrid natural and anthropogenic factors. Dr. Chang’s
other research interest, in integrated regional assessment, is aimed at understanding causes and
consequences of global climate change in local places.
CENTER FOR SCIENCE EDUCATION
Linda George— http://www.cse.pdx.edu/linda.george/
Dr. George’s main area of research is to examine the impact of urbanization on air quality. She
is interested in the spatial and temporal distribution of primary and secondary pollutants as they
related to airshed management. Her research focuses on determining how land use planning
effects urban air quality on a neighborhood scale.
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
David Sailor—http://www.me.pdx.edu/~sailor/Current%20Projects.htm
David Sailor’s research is in the general area of Energy and the Environment. In recent years
the focus of his work has been on modeling the urban climate, with applications in air quality,
energy consumption, human health, and climate change.
The central mission of Dr. Sailor's research group is to develop an improved understanding of
the urban climate system, its feedback mechanisms, and the potential for mitigating actions to
affect change. Our specific short term goals are to:
(1) quantify the relative role of component parts of the urban infrastructure in affecting the
magnitude of the urban heat island
(2) understand how the urban system will respond to the added stresses of long term climate
change (including changes in population, demographics, technology, and adaptation)
(3) evaluate the likely impacts of planning and policy options to mitigate the negative aspects of
urban environments
List and brief description of relevant facilities and equipment
Biology research facilities--http://www.bio.pdx.edu/
The Department has a Vertebrate Biology Museum, Aquatic Vertebrate Facility, PSU-Keck
Genomics Facility, Greenhouses Herbarium and Science Support shops.
Aquatic Vertebrate Facility-- In 2004, the Department of Biology designed and built a new
Aquatic Vertebrate Facility to support research on fish and amphibians. This is approximetely
1200 sq.ft. It is divided into 2 parts. One side contains 170 2.5 gallon tanks arranged in 8
recirculating, high density aquaculture systems and 14 large 55 gallon aquaria. Each
recirculating system has a separate filtration system and temperature control between 5 and 40
degrees Celsius. The other side can house the two 250 gallon and one 500 gallon
tanks that are listed on the web site. It also has space for at least 200-300 frogs and toads. There
is also a temperature controlled, flow-though system with 8 20 gallon aquaria that can be used to
house other aquatic vertebrates. We also have 4 environmental incubators that can be
programmed to mimic any natural temperature and light patterns. Additional space for holding
marine fish and invertebrates, small mammals (rats, mice, rabbits), or other animal species is
available in the Science Animal Care Facility. This shared facility has 4 (14 x 20 ft. rooms) that
can be assigned to individual investigators or groups of investigators.
Center for Lake and Reservoirs Research Facilities
Facilities available at the CLR include approximately 1300 square feet of office space in the
Harrison Street Building for faculty, staff, and students (shown left); an 1800 square foot
research greenhouse; and approximately 1100 square feet of analytical, 14C laboratories,
equipment storage, and offices in Science Building 2. The greenhouse contains 10 - 1000L
insulated tanks, each with temperature and light control, for studying growth of submersed
aquatic plants. Shallow beds are also available for research on emergent/wetland species.
Laboratory equipment includes a Perkin-Elmer CHN analyzer, a Shimadzu TOC analyzer,
Turner SCUFA for in situ chlorophyll fluorescence, PAM and benchtop fluorometers, and
spectrophotometers. Hydrolab and YSI equipment is available for field measurements of
chemical and physical characteristics of lakes, along with bottom dredges, corers, plankton nets,
etc. Biosonics hydroacoustic instruments coupled with CMT GPS equipment are used for
bathymetric mapping. Boats are available for work on most types of water (18-ft pontoon, 16foot v-hull, 12-foot flat bottom, 16-ft kayak, and 10-foot inflatable). A Jeep is used as a field
vehicle.
The Trace Element Analytical Laboratory, located in Cramer Hall Room 43, currently
provides inorganic analytical support for researchers in Geology, Biology, Environmental
Sciences and Resources, and Civil Engineering.
The lab houses the following instrumentation:
• HP-4500 Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS)
• Dionex ICS-2500 Ion Chromatograph (IC)
• Perkin Elmer AAnalyst-300 Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS)
• Perkin Elmer HGA 800 Graphite Furnace (GF-AAS)
• Perkin Elmer TGA7 Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA)
• EG&G 92-X Instrumental Neutron Activation Analyzer (INAA)
In engineering laboratories and computer facilities are available that support research in the
following areas: structures and materials, concrete, surveying and mapping, geotechnical,
computational water quality resources, hydraulics, environmental, and transportation. Among
others, a high-tech Seismic and Applied Research (STAR) Lab and Intelligent Transportation
Systems (ITS) Lab provides state of the art equipment for research.
Seismic Testing and Applied Research (STAR) Laboratory of the Civil & Environmental
Engineering Department at Portland State University (PSU). The STAR Lab is 5,500 sq. ft. and
includes a 44 ft. by 32 ft. test slab with 100,000 lbs. tie downs on 4-foot centers. It has a 10-ton
crane and a ceiling height of 22 feet. The center-piece of the Lab is a 10-foot by 10-foot, one
degree of freedom seismic shake table with a total stroke of 12 inches, capable of testing 20 kip
specimens. In addition, the STAR Lab has a vertical shake table with a stroke of 6 inches and
capable of testing specimens of 5 kips. These two tables are capable of simulating actual
earthquakes or testing equipment to seismic design requirements. Two 100-kip and a 5-kip
actuator are available for static or cyclic loading. The STAR Lab is equipped with a variety of
hydraulic loading jacks capable of 1,250 kips and data acquisition electronics. It also houses a
machine shop. Description of the actual assessed overhead rate (not to exceed 17.5%) to be charged and
cost items to which the rate is applicable for activities conducted through the CESU,
including research, technical assistance, and educational services.
Portland State University’s federally negotiated F&A rate for research is 42% on modified total
direct costs. PSU will accept the 17.5% limitation established for work done under the PNWCESU agreement. The 17.5% indirect rate will be charged on Modified Total Direct Costs
(MTDC). For PSU, MTDC consists of all salaries and wages, fringe benefits, materials,
supplies, services, travel and subgrants and subcontracts up to the first $25,000 of each subgrant
or subcontract (regardless of the period covered by the subgrant or subcontract). MTDC shall
exclude equipment (single items over $5,000), capital expenditures, charges for patient care,
tuition remission, rental costs of off-site facilities, scholarships, and fellowships as well as the
portion of each subgrant and subcontract in excess of $25,000.