Website: Shiel Lab

Specialty

Heavy stable isotope geochemistry; geochemical tracer development; transport, transformations and environmental fate of metals/metalloids

Research Interests

My research interests lie in natural biogeochemical cycling of metals and assessing the importance of anthropogenic activities as metal sources. Metal emissions to the environment from anthropogenic sources may be much larger than those from natural sources. These anthropogenic inputs disturb the natural biogeochemical cycling of many elements. My research aims to characterize the isotopic variation among metal sources and to quantify the extent to which reactions (physical, chemical and biological) cause isotopic fractionation of heavy stable isotopes, with the goal of developing these isotope systems as tools for source and process identification. Ultimately, my research seeks to aid environmental monitoring and remediation efforts and improve our understanding of natural and disturbing biogeochemical cycles.

Education

2010: Ph.D. Oceanography, University of British Columbia, Vancouver

2003: B.S. Environmental Science, University of Arizona, Tucson

Courses

GEO 431/531 Environmental Geochemistry (taught Spring of even years)

GEO 666 Isotope Geochemistry (taught Spring of odd years)