People
Jay P. Zarnetske, Principal Investigator
Bio: I am a Professor of Hydrological Sciences at Michigan State University in the Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences. Previously, I was a Gaylord Donnelly Environmental Postdoctoral Fellow at the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies and the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. I received my PhD in Water Resource Science from Oregon State University. During my PhD I was an NSF IGERT - Ecosystem Informatics Fellow in the Department of Geosciences and the Water Resources Graduate Program. Prior to receiving my PhD, I earned my MS in Watershed Science from Utah State University's College of Natural Resources and my BA in Geology from Colby College. I have also served as a visiting scientist for New Zealand's National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research and France's H2O'Lyon and Universite de Lyon. I was also a consulting groundwater hydrologist for CDM-Smith, Inc before starting my academic career.
My passion for fresh water resource issues and my research of catchment hydroecology has enabled me to work with and assist scientists and decision makers around the world. My career has taken me from my roots in the Adirondack region of New York, to school, research, and jobs across multiple regions of the United States, plus the Arctic, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Aside from research, teaching, and service activities, I keep myself busy with family activities, movies, gardening, cooking, zymurgy, photography, hiking, camping, and skiing...for that matter, just about any excuse to get outside is generally welcome!
Curriculum Vitae (likely out of date!)
My passion for fresh water resource issues and my research of catchment hydroecology has enabled me to work with and assist scientists and decision makers around the world. My career has taken me from my roots in the Adirondack region of New York, to school, research, and jobs across multiple regions of the United States, plus the Arctic, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand.
Aside from research, teaching, and service activities, I keep myself busy with family activities, movies, gardening, cooking, zymurgy, photography, hiking, camping, and skiing...for that matter, just about any excuse to get outside is generally welcome!
Curriculum Vitae (likely out of date!)
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Dr. Carly Finegan-Dronchi - Research Scientist
Carly joined the lab as a full-time research scientist in the summer of 2025. Before joining the lab, Carly finished her MS and PhD degrees in Environmental Geosciences at Saint Louis University, where she conducted research on urban water quality. Carly has a wide range of expertise in stream and groundwater monitoring, analysis, and protection. She is now a key member of multiple projects in our lab as well as the Hydrogeology Lab at MSU.
Dr. Arsh Grewal - PostDoc
Arsh joined the lab as a post doc in summer 2024. Arsh finished his PhD at McMaster University, where he conducted research on the seasonality of water and chemical cycling in permafrost environments at the catchment scale in Yukon Territory, Canada. Arsh is working on Arctic Watershed Biogeochemistry, and Watershed and Wetlands DOC export regimes projects.
Caroline Weidner - PhD CAndidate
Caroline joined the lab as a PhD student in Summer 2020. Caroline finished her BS in Earth Sciences at Syracuse University, where she worked on spatial and temporal variability in headwater streamflow behavior. Caroline is the lead graduate student working on the Watershed and Wetlands DOC export regimes project.
Amelia Grose - PhD Candidate
Amelia joined the lab as a PhD student in the summer of 2020. Amelia finished her BS in Environmental Sciences at the University of Notre Dame, where she studied the effect of groundwater flows on conservation practices aimed at reducing nutrient runoff into agricultural streams. Amelia is the lead graduate student working on the Arctic Watershed Biogeochemistry projects.
Nudrat Fatima - PhD Student
Nudrat joined the lab as a PhD student in Fall 2023. Nudrat finished her BS and MS in Environmental Science at Fatima Jinnah Women University (Pakistan), where she worked on chemical solutions for dealing with plastic waste in the environment. She also worked for multiple years as a research associate at the Centre for Evidence Action Research as part of the Sustainability Development Policy Insitute in Pakistan. She will be pursuing a dual-PhD degree in Earth and Environmental Science and Environmental Science and Policy.
Jack Garrison - Undergraduate researcher
Jack is a EES major who joined the lab in Summer 2024. They are helping with our DOC export regimes and wetland monitoring projects, while doing an independent research project on the stream biogeochemistry patterns in a low-relief wetland dominated catchment associated with the KBS LTER site..
Sarah Wood - Undergraduate researcher
Sarah is a Computer Science major who joined the lab in Spring 2025. When not representing MSU rowing team in competitions, Sarah is helping with our DOC export regimes and wetland monitoring projects..
Pepper - Large Woody Debris, excavation and RElaxation specialist in Training
Pepper joined the lab and Zarnetske family in 2019. He was rescued after spending his first six months wandering rural southern Michigan. Since then, he has become a role model for the lab in the practice of balancing deep relaxation and unmitigated exuberance.
Lab Alumni
Sam Nesheim - Research Scientist
Sam joined the lab as a full-time research scientist in the summer of 2023. Before joining the lab, Sam finished his MS degree in Earth Sciences at Syracuse University where he conducted research on urban water quality. Prior to that, Sam completed dual degrees in Environmental Science and Environment and Sustainability at the University of Minnesota Duluth. He has experience working on stream ecosystem field assessments and watershed biogeochemistry research. After making big contributions to multiple projects and coauthoring papers in our lab, he transitioned to a staff scientist position in Minnesota doing water quality monitoring and protection.
Luisana Rodriquez Sequeira - Research Scientist
Luisana joined the lab as a full-time research scientist in the summer of 2022. Before joining the lab, Luisana finished her undergraduate degrees in Earth science and computational math at UC-Santa Cruz. She has experience working on watershed biogeochemistry research, including an internship at the Stroud Water Research Center. She was a key member of multiple projects in the lab. She went on to get a Masters degree in hydrology at Virginia Tech.
Dr. Chao Song - PostDoc
Chao was a postdoc in our lab and is now tenure-track faculty in the College of Ecology at Lanzhou University.
Chao joined the lab as a postdoc in the summer of 2020. Before joining the lab, Chao was a postdoc in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University working on evaluating statistical methods of ecological meta-analysis. Chao completed his Ph.D. at the University of Georgia, where he worked on how ecosystem metabolism changes with spatial and temporal scales. He was working on the Watershed DOC export regimes projects.
More info here at his website: https://chaosonglab.github.io/
Chao joined the lab as a postdoc in the summer of 2020. Before joining the lab, Chao was a postdoc in the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife at Michigan State University working on evaluating statistical methods of ecological meta-analysis. Chao completed his Ph.D. at the University of Georgia, where he worked on how ecosystem metabolism changes with spatial and temporal scales. He was working on the Watershed DOC export regimes projects.
More info here at his website: https://chaosonglab.github.io/
Dr. Tanner Williamson - PostDoc
Tanner was a postdoc in our lab and is now a Wetland Scientist and Principal Investigator at the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission.
Tanner joined the lab as a postdoc in the summer of 2020. He received his MS from Montana State University (2014) and his PhD from Miami University of Ohio (2020). He is largely interested in how land use and climate change influence biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem metabolism. He has explored these issues across a range of aquatic ecosystems and spatial scales, from eutrophic reservoirs to sub-arctic headwater streams. He was working on Arctic Watershed Biogeochemistry projects.
Tanner joined the lab as a postdoc in the summer of 2020. He received his MS from Montana State University (2014) and his PhD from Miami University of Ohio (2020). He is largely interested in how land use and climate change influence biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem metabolism. He has explored these issues across a range of aquatic ecosystems and spatial scales, from eutrophic reservoirs to sub-arctic headwater streams. He was working on Arctic Watershed Biogeochemistry projects.
Dr. Arial Shogren - PostDoc
Arial was a postdoc in our lab and is now tenure-track faculty at the University of Alabama.
Arial joined the lab as a postdoc in the summer of 2018. In 2019, Arial was awarded an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship to continue her Arctic watershed research in the lab. Arial completed her PhD at the University of Notre Dame, where she worked on the fate and transport of novel materials, such as eDNA and environmental proteins, in flowing environments. During her PhD training, she gained an interest in environmental heterogeneity, hyporheic zones, and scaling issues in ecology. Moving up from reach-scale processes, she is now working on our Arctic Watershed Biogeochemistry projects.
More info here at her website: https://sites.google.com/view/shogrenscience/home
Arial joined the lab as a postdoc in the summer of 2018. In 2019, Arial was awarded an NSF Postdoctoral Fellowship to continue her Arctic watershed research in the lab. Arial completed her PhD at the University of Notre Dame, where she worked on the fate and transport of novel materials, such as eDNA and environmental proteins, in flowing environments. During her PhD training, she gained an interest in environmental heterogeneity, hyporheic zones, and scaling issues in ecology. Moving up from reach-scale processes, she is now working on our Arctic Watershed Biogeochemistry projects.
More info here at her website: https://sites.google.com/view/shogrenscience/home
Dr. Ben Abbott - PostDoc
Ben was a postdoc in our lab and is now tenure-track faculty at Brigham Young University.
Ben is an ecosystem ecologist working on dissolved organic matter production and transport across the terrestrial-aquatic gradient. He joined the lab from Rennes France, where he was working as a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Rennes (OSUR). He did his Ph.D. at the University of Alaska Fairbanks on the effects of permafrost collapse on carbon and nitrogen cycling and got his B.S. in Watershed and Earth Systems Science from Utah State University.
When he's doing "big science", you're likely to find Ben biking, playing with his family, hiking, making music, blogging about the intersection of science, society, and religion, or . . . biking? Details at benabbott.org.
Ben is an ecosystem ecologist working on dissolved organic matter production and transport across the terrestrial-aquatic gradient. He joined the lab from Rennes France, where he was working as a Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Observatoire des Sciences de l'Univers de Rennes (OSUR). He did his Ph.D. at the University of Alaska Fairbanks on the effects of permafrost collapse on carbon and nitrogen cycling and got his B.S. in Watershed and Earth Systems Science from Utah State University.
When he's doing "big science", you're likely to find Ben biking, playing with his family, hiking, making music, blogging about the intersection of science, society, and religion, or . . . biking? Details at benabbott.org.
Dr. Joe Lee-Cullin - PhD Graduate
Joe finished his PhD in 2019 and is now tenure-track faculty at Albion College!
Joe joined the lab as a PhD student in August 2014. Joe finished his Geoscience M.S. thesis work at the University of Iowa. Through his M.S. thesis he developed and validated a conceptual model for predicting the transport and fate of contaminants using field solute tracer studies coupled with laboratory experiments. He also holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Iowa. Joe made great strides toward unraveling the complexities of watershed dissolved organic carbon in streams, specifically the fate of organic carbon at stream-groundwater interfaces.
Joe joined the lab as a PhD student in August 2014. Joe finished his Geoscience M.S. thesis work at the University of Iowa. Through his M.S. thesis he developed and validated a conceptual model for predicting the transport and fate of contaminants using field solute tracer studies coupled with laboratory experiments. He also holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Iowa. Joe made great strides toward unraveling the complexities of watershed dissolved organic carbon in streams, specifically the fate of organic carbon at stream-groundwater interfaces.
Emma Haines - MS Student
Emma finished her MS thesis on stream-lake interactions in Fall 2021 and is now pursuing science advocacy and policy.
Emma joined the lab as a MS student in August 2019. Emma finished her BS in Environmental Science, Technology, and Policy at California State University - Monterey Bay. Emma is exploring stream-lake interactions and their role in modifying flow and DOC export regimes in an Arctic LTER watershed.
Emma joined the lab as a MS student in August 2019. Emma finished her BS in Environmental Science, Technology, and Policy at California State University - Monterey Bay. Emma is exploring stream-lake interactions and their role in modifying flow and DOC export regimes in an Arctic LTER watershed.
Sinchan Roy Chowdhury - MS Graduate
Sinchan finished his MS thesis on bioclogging in hyporheic zones in 2019 and returned back to India where he is pursuing a PhD.
Sinchan joined the lab as a MS student in August 2016. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the Bengal Engineering and Science University. He worked on the Hyporheic Microzones project figuring out how to advance our ability to model complex microbially-mediated sediment pore water chemistry. He made great strides showing how both biological and physical controls interact to control the unique reaction sites in hyporheic sediments.
Sinchan joined the lab as a MS student in August 2016. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the Bengal Engineering and Science University. He worked on the Hyporheic Microzones project figuring out how to advance our ability to model complex microbially-mediated sediment pore water chemistry. He made great strides showing how both biological and physical controls interact to control the unique reaction sites in hyporheic sediments.
Tyler Hampton - MS Graduate
Tyler finished his MS in May 2018 and is now working on his PhD at University of Waterloo.
Tyler joined the lab as a MS student in June 2016. He came to the group after finishing his BS in Hydrology from University of New Hampshire. He worked as a junior scientist position with the USGS and undergraduate research at Hubbard Brook LTER. He worked on the Hyporheic Microzone project figuring out the fate of Nitrate in stream and lake sediments through the use of novel tracer experiments.
Tyler joined the lab as a MS student in June 2016. He came to the group after finishing his BS in Hydrology from University of New Hampshire. He worked as a junior scientist position with the USGS and undergraduate research at Hubbard Brook LTER. He worked on the Hyporheic Microzone project figuring out the fate of Nitrate in stream and lake sediments through the use of novel tracer experiments.
Sydney Ruhala - MS Graduate
Sydney finished her M.S. in Geosciences in our lab in 2017. She is now working as a state geologist for the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality.
Sydney joined the lab as a MS student in June 2014. She graduated from Lymann Briggs College at Michigan State University with a B.S. in Environmental Geosciences.
Sydney joined the lab as a MS student in June 2014. She graduated from Lymann Briggs College at Michigan State University with a B.S. in Environmental Geosciences.
Fletcher Kirkwood - Undergraduate Technician
Fletcher is a EES major who joined the lab in Summer 2022. They are helping with our DOC export regimes and wetland monitoring projects.
Eryn Greuel - Undergraduate Researcher
Eryn is a Lyman Briggs major who joined the lab in Fall 2020. She was part of the MSU professorial assistantship program and was very enthusiastic about all of the lab projects.
Megan Duda - Undergraduate Researcher
Megan was an environmental engineering major who joined the lab in Fall 2018. She worked on our Arctic hydrology and catchment biogeochemistry projects.
Sam Cairns - Undergraduate Researcher
Sam was an geological sciences major who joined the lab in Fall 2018. He worked on our Arctic hydrology and catchment biogeochemistry projects.
Rachel Geiger, REU - Undergraduate Researcher
Rachel joined the lab in 2017 as a KBS LTER REU. Rachel was studying for her BS in Environmental Science at Western Washington University. She is now working full-time for the U.S. Forest Service! She is interested in the interactions between water bodies and their surrounding environments, and specifically enjoys exploring how hydrology impacts aquatic ecosystems.
Chenxi Li - Undergraduate Researcher
Chenxi Li joined the lab in 2018 as an MSU MMG Environmental Microbiology student interested in microbial communities and their function in stream ecosystems, specifically focused on nitrogen cycling in stream sediments.
Elizabeth Tripp - Undergraduate Researcher
Elizabeth joined the lab from 2017. Elizabeth was working on her BS in Environmental Geosciences at MSU.
Stephen Plont - Undergraduate Researcher
Stephen joined the lab in 2015. He graduated with degrees in Environmental Geosciences and Chemistry. He is now a graduate student at Virginia Tech. In his time at MSU, Stephen conducted hyporheic studies using in situ mesocosms. Stephen also lead a full summer field campaign at the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest LTER as part of the Leverhulme Project.
Evan Wiewiora - Undergraduate Researcher
Evan joined the lab in 2015. He graduated with degrees in Environmental Geosciences and Mathematics. He worked on how landscape patterns and processes control dissolved organic matter abundance in stream sediments across mid-Michigan. Evan also helped with the completion of the "Sparty Wells" Groundwater-Surface Water Demonstration Site on Campus. Evan graduated in 2017 and now is in graduate school for Biostatistics.
Abraham Downer - Undergraduate Researcher
Abraham joined the lab in 2014. He graduated and is now a Teaching Assistant in the Geography Department at MSU. He is now working toward his MS in Physical Geography at MSU.
Kenai - Large Woody Debris and RElaxation specialist
Kenai spent over 14 years pursuing the wonders of aquatic environments through his special interest in large woody debris. In this time, he sampled over 100,000 forms of large woody debris from all over the United States. In his late career, he transitioned into retirement and spent most of his time practicing and demonstrating relaxation methods. He was a founding member of the lab.. He crossed his last stream and the rainbow bridge in June 2017.
Facilities
Student and Computing Lab Space
Wet lab space
Established January 2015! It will never look so fresh, clean, or empty ever again!
Established January 2015! It will never look so fresh, clean, or empty ever again!
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