Current Graduate Students
Aila Inaba
PH.D student, Microbial Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers University, started 2022
Affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Education: BS in Cell and Molecular Biology, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, 2021
Research Interests: Microbiology of high-temperature deep-sea hydrothermal vents
Lucas Foster
PH.D student, Microbial Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers University, started 2022
Affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Education: BS in Biology, Allegheny College, 2022
Research Interests: Astrobiology, Extreme thermophiles
Olivia Cannon
PH.D student, Microbial Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers University, started 2021
Affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Education: B.S. in Marine Science, Coastal Carolina University, 2017
Research Interests: Metaproteogenomic analyses of chemosynthetic microbial biofilms from deep-sea hydrothermal vents
Nick Bergamini
PH.D student, Microbial Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers University, started 2021
Affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Education: B.S. in Biology, Union College, 2020
Research Interests: Physiology of chemosynthetic bacteria from shallow-water hydrothemal vents
Avanthika Bharath
PH.D student, Microbial Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers University, started 2018
Affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Education: B. Tech. in Industrial Biotechnology, Government College of Technology, Coimbatore, India, 2018
Research Interests: DNA uptake in chemosynthetic Epsilonproteobacteria from deep-sea hydrothermal vents
Former Graduate Students
Ian Schlegel
PH.D student, Microbial Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers University, 2017-2023
Affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Education: B.S. in Oceanography, University of Washington, 2017
Research Interests: Adaptations to high pressure in chemosynthetic thermophiles
Ben Jelen
PH.D student, Environmental Science Graduate Program, Rutgers University, 2010-2019 (Primary advisor: Paul Falkowski)
Affiliation: Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Education: B.A. in Biology, Rutgers University, 2000
Research Interests: Evolution of microbial metabolism and sulfur respiration in chemosynthetic thermophiles
Sushmita Patwardhan
Science writer at PRECISIONscientia
Ph.D. student, Oceanography Graduate Program, Rutgers University, 2012-2018
Affiliation: Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Education: B.S. in Zoology/Microbiology, University of Pune, Pune, India, 2012
Research Interests: Prokaryotic diversity, physiology and function in shallow-water geothermal environments
Ashley Grosche
Senior scientist at Aviwell, Toulouse, France
Ph.D. student, Microbial Biology Graduate Program, Rutgers University, 2012-2018
Affiliation: Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology
Education: B.S. in Marine Biology, Rutgers University, 2010
Research Interests: Chemosynthetic microbial biofilms at deep-sea hydrothermal vents
Charles O'Brien
Ph.D. student, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Graduate Program, Rutgers University, 2009-2013
Affiliation: Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology
Education: B.S. in Biotechnology, Rutgers University, 2002
Reserch Interests: Mechanisms of biofilm formation in natural microbial communities at deep-sea hydrothermal vents
Ramaydalis Keddis
At Rutgers University as of 2016
Kean University, 2013-2016
Ph.D. student, Environmental Sciences Graduate Program, Rutgers University, 2006-2013
Affiliation: Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Department of Environmental Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology
Education: B.S. in Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, 2006
Reserch Interests: Hydrocarbon oxidation in deep-sea geothermal environments
Marie Bolognini
MS student, Masters of Business and Science in Biotechnology and Genomics, Rutgers University, 2010-2012
Affiliation: Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences & Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology
Education: B.S. in Microbial Biotechnology, Minor in Biochemistry, Rutgers University, 2009
Ileana Perez-Rodriguez
At the University of Pennsylvania as of July 2017
University of Southern California, 2015-2017
Barbara McClintock Fellow at the Carnegie Institution of Washington, DC, 2011-2015
Recipient of the P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) Scholar Award and of a NSF K-12 Fellowship
Ph.D. student, Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources Graduate Program, Rutgers University, 2005-2011
Affiliation: Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources & Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology
Education: B.S. in Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras, 2005
Reserch Interests: Anaerobic chemosynthetic bacteria in deep-sea geothermal environments
Melitza Crespo-Medina
Currently at the Universidad Interamericana de Puerto Rico
Recipient of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) Award 2005
Ph.D. student, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Graduate Program, Rutgers University, 2003-2008
Affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology & Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences
Education: B.S. in Biology, University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, 2002
Reserch Interests: Thiosulfate oxidizing bacteria from deep-sea vents; Microbial resistance to mercury in geothermal environments
Andrew Reed
Ph.D. student, Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources Graduate Program, Rutgers University, 1998-2008, (Primary advisor: Richard Lutz)
Affiliation: Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences
M.S. Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee
B.S. Organismal and Systems Biology, University of Tennessee
James Voordeckers
Ph.D. student, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics Graduate Program, Rutgers University, 2001-2007
Affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology & Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences
B.S. Biotechnology, minor in Biochemistry
Research Interests: Thermophilic nitrate-reducing bacteria from hydrothermal vents
