Principal Investigator
Dr. Justin B. Richardson
Assistant Professor
University of Virginia – Department of Environmental Sciences 2023 – Present
Experience:
University of Massachusetts Amherst – Department of Geosciences 2018 – 2023
Education: Bachelors of Science, Environmental Science – Soil Science focus
University of California Riverside (2010)
Doctorate of Philosophy, Earth Sciences
Dartmouth College (2015)
Hometown: Temecula, California USA
Email: Justin.Richardson(at)Virginia.edu
(Be sure to change (at) to @ symbol)
Graduate Student Researchers
Minh (Robin) Tri Truong
PhD student – Department of Environmental Sciences
Hometown: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Education: BS Analytical Chemistry – Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
MS Department of Atmospheric Sciences
National Central University, Taiwan.
Masters Thesis: Long-term atmospheric mercury wet deposition measurements at urban and suburban sites in Taiwan in 2009-2018
Research interests: Toxic metals, atmospheric deposition, analytical methodology
Nischal Acharya
MS student – Department of Environmental Sciences – Fall 2024
Hometown: Sindhuli, Nepal
Education: Bachelors in Science (Honours) in Agriculture, Purbanchal University, Nepal
Research Interest: Soil fertility, Soil Nutrient Management, Soil Biogeochemistry, Carbon Sequestration
Project: Rock dust and biochar application to study soil properties and growth of loblolly pine and soybean
Undergraduate Researchers
Karinna G.S. Fuglie
Hometown: Falls Church, VA
Degree: B.S. Environmental Science 2026
Research Interest: plants-soil feedbacks, soil biogeochemistry, carbon sequestration
Project: Geochemical controls on Soil organic Carbon and nutrient storage across land-use and geomorphic position at a Piedmont post-agrarian landscape.
Chattan Haselden
Hometown: NOVA
Degree: B.S. Environmental Science 2026
Research Interest: Metal pollution, environmental justice, environmental toxicology
Project: Urban dust and soil pollution across mid-sized cities of the southeastern US
Christopher Houdesell
Hometown: Ledyard, Connecticut
Degree: Earth and Environmental Science with minors in English and environmental studies – UMaine Farmington
Research Interests: Impacts of human land-use on soil and aquatic systems
Project: Impacts of Tree Genus and Land-Usage on Soil Nutrients and Carbon Storage at Blandy Experimental Farm
Samuel Wright
Hometown: Annandale, VA
Degree: Environmental Science BS
Research Interest: Soil biogeochemistry, Microbial Ecology, Biogeochemical modeling
Project: Modeling soil nutrient stocks’ response to differing timber harvesting regimes across a nutrient gradient in three Northeastern U.S. forests
Undergraduates and prospective graduate students please email me if interested.
Lab Alumni
Alexandrea Rice
Hometown: Rockland, Pennsylvania
Education: BS Environmental Science 2017
Allegheny College
MS 2020- Ecosystems and Ecology in Forest and Natural Resources Management
SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry
University of Virginia
Doctorate of Philosophy 2025 – Environmental Sciences
Dissertation title: Mineralogical and Geochemical Controls on Nutrient Dynamics and Forest Productivity in Managed Northeastern U.S. Forests
Successfully defended April 9 2025!
Robert Kohlhaas
Hometown: Fredericksburg, VA
Education: BS Environmental Science 2025
Degree: B.S. Environmental Science and Minor in Urban + Environmental Planning
Completed year of stream water and suspended sediment sampling and conducted field bottom sediment campaign across Lake Anna watershed.
Kohlhaas RT., Schroeder SE., Richardson JB, Dobson AM. Effects of climate, nutritional-role, or soil properties governing element pools and residence times in temperate deciduous forests across the northeastern US. Accepted for publication in Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Sophia Schroeder
Hometown: Falls Church
Degree: B.S. Environmental Science Spring 2026
Research interest: Mineralogy, Metals, Geomorphology
Project: Examining the soil health of former mine sites around Lake Anna, VA
Conducted field work sampling mine tailings and laboratory column experiments with biochar and lime to reduce/cease acid mine drainage.
Schroeder SE, Kohlhaas R, Richardson JB, “Survey of Mining Waste at Abandoned Mine Sites and Potential Remediation with Lime and Biochar Amendments” Geological Society of America – Southeastern section meeting. Harrisonburg VA March 21st 2025.
Kohlhaas RT., Schroeder SE., Richardson JB, Dobson AM. Effects of climate, nutritional-role, or soil properties governing element pools and residence times in temperate deciduous forests across the northeastern US. Accepted for publication in Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Emily A. Wu
Hometown: Maryland
Degree: B.S. Biology and Statistics 2025
Research Interest: Ecology, Plant dynamics, Stream Ecology, Biogeochemistry
Conducted tree sampling, tree ID, soil sampling, soil analyses and presented work at the Southeastern Geological Society of America meeting:
Wu EA., Rice AM., Richardson JB, “The Influence of Rock and Soil Nutrients on the Foliar Nutrient Resorption Efficiency: A Comparison between New England and Virginia” Geological Society of America – Southeastern section meeting. Harrisonburg VA March 21st 2025.
Ryan Faddis
Hometown: Fairfax VA
Completed large spatial soil sampling and processing. Work presented at SSSA Fall meeting:
Faddis RJ, Lerdau MT, Chinn AN, Irvine AK, Himmel OO, Barnard JA, Richardson JB. “Soil organic carbon along nested soil catenas and across land-uses on the Piedmont Virginia, USA”. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting. San Antonio Texas. November 13th 2024.
Rhea Negrón
Hometown: Worcester, MA, USA
Degree: B.S. of Environmental Sciences, Spring 2024
Worked in research group helping/conducting forest soil sampling, lysimeter water collection, batch reactor weathering experiment.
PhD student at Penn State
Owen Porterfield
Hometown: Martha’s Vineyard, MA, USA
Degree: B.S. of Environmental Sciences and Minor in Resource Economics, Spring 2023
Thesis completed: “Assessing Changes in Lead and Mercury Distributions and Cycling Dynamics in Undisturbed Forests of the Northeastern United States Between 2011 and 2021“
Works professionally in Martha Vineyard Great Point Foundation
Marissa Hanley
Hometown: Bedford, MA, USA
Degree: B.S. of Environmental Sciences, Spring 2022
Thesis completed: “Analyzing the Uptake of Toxic and Nutrient elements in Foraged Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms throughout New England’s Connecticut River Valley”.
Hanley ML, Vukicevich E , Rice AM, Richardson JB, Uptake of Toxic and Nutrient Elements by Foraged Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms Throughout Connecticut River Valley, New England, USA. Submitted to Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Now a MS-PhD student at UMass Amherst
LeAnn Zuñiga
Hometown: Duarte, California
Education:
BS Geology – Focus on Environmental Geoscience in 2019 from Cal State LA
MS Geoscience Thesis: “Sourcing and Transport transport of Manganese in Groundwater in Western Massachusetts”.
Works completed:
NSF-GRFP Honorable Mention
Richardson JB, Zuñiga LX. 2021 Quantifying aluminosilicate manganese release and dissolution rates across organic ligand treatments from rocks, minerals, and soils. Acta Geochimica. 40, 484–497
Zuñiga LX, Boutt DF, Richardson JB, 2021 “Manganese Sourcing and Transport in Massachusetts Groundwater: Understanding Dissolution Mechanisms and Creating a Temporally Variant Database” Northeastern Geological Society of America 2021.
Richardson JB, Zuñiga LX “Manganese Dissolution in the Critical Zone – Effects of Minerals, Organic Ligands, and pH”. Soil Science Society of America November 2020.
William Caston
Research Technician
Education: B.S. Biology – State University of New York Cortland
Did not complete duties and tasks.
Bailee Street
Hometown: North Attleboro, MA, USA
Degree: B.S. of Environmental Sciences and Minor in Chemistry, Spring 2022
Works Completed:
Senior Thesis: Effects of organic horizons on enhanced macro and micronutrient dissolution across northeastern US forest soils
Northeastern Geological Society of America 2021
Street BB., Richardson JB, “Nutrient and Trace Metal Dissolution from Forest Soils across a Climate Gradient Under Forest Floor and Microbial Treatments”
Street, B.B., Rice, A.M. and Richardson, J.B., 2023. Forest floor and Na azide effect on elements in leachate from contrasting New Hampshire and Virginia forest soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal.
Environmental Chemist with the state of Maine – Health and Environmental Testing Laboratory
Stephanie Thrasher
Degree: B.S. Geology Spring 2022
Works completed:
Senior thesis: Trace metal release from sulfidic schist weathering from field observations and laboratory experiments.
Richardson JB, Thrasher SA, Saccardi B, Clark EV. Sulfidic schist release of As, Cu, and Pb in laboratory experiments and across eleven watersheds in central Massachusetts, USA. Submitted to Environmental Geochemistry and Health.
Dr. Guranda Avkopashvili
Fulbright Scholar
Hometown: Tblisi, Georgia
Education: Tblisi State University
Institute of Physics Ivane Javajhishvili
PhD in Chemistry (Application for Ecology)
Doctoral thesis of focused on Phytomitigation of heavy metals in soils polluted regions of Georgia (Bolnisi, Dmanisi, Chiatura and others).
Objectives completed during her Fulbright:
1. Field study of heavy metals in Georgia’s soil and common herbs.
2. Laboratory study of trace metal (As, Cd, Pb) phytoaccumulation by six common spice plants.
Eric Sirkovich
Hometown: Lexington, MA, USA
Degree: Environmental Sciences 2021
Works presented:
Sirkovich EC***, Perdrial NS, Richardson JB “Contributions to PXRF measurement error for trace metals in urban soils across properties and conditions”. Geological Society of America October 2020. Virtual
Works Completed
Senior Honors Thesis: Influence of Variable Soil properties on pXRF Analyses of Trace element Concentrations in Urban Soils
Walser SL, Sirkovich EC, Richardson JB, McStay AE, Perdrial NJ. 2022 Moisture, organic matter, and large particle correction for accurate Pb portable X-ray fluorescence assessment in urban soils. X-Ray Spectrometry 52(2):72-82 1-11 DOI: 10.1002/xrs.3321
Now works professionally as a consultant in Boston
Ivan Cobie Mischenko
2021 Mischenko IC***, Richardson JB “Assessing Lead Bioavailability and Uptake in Forests and Their Soils Across New England, Hints at Modern and Historical Lead Cycling”. Northeastern Geological Society, March15 2021. Virtual talk
2020 Mischenko IC***, Mackowiak, TJ***, Richardson JB “Geologic and Anthropogenic Controls on the Regional Scale Variability of Nutrients in Forest Soils across Southern New England”. Soil Science Society of America November 2020. Virtual
Richardson JB, Mischenko IC***, Mackowiak TJ***, Perdrial N. 2021 Release of trace metals and metalloids from gray shale weathering profiles along a climate gradient and in laboratory incubations – with emphasis on Ga/Al ratios. Geoderma
Mistikawy J.A., Mackowiak T., Butler M.J., Mischenko I.C., Cernack R.S., Richardson J.B. 2020 “Chromium, Manganese, Nickel, and Cobalt mobility and bioavailability from mafic-to-ultramafic mine spoil weathering in western Massachusetts, USA”. Environmental Geochemistry and Health.
Now works in financial sector as an Associate Analyst.
Ainsley McStay
Hometown: Franklin, MA
Degree: Environmental Science and Sustainable Food and Farming
Research interest: Soil science, plant biology, and urban agriculture
Study published:
McStay AE, Walser SL, Sirkovich EC, Perdrial NJ, Richardson JB. 2022 Macronutrients micronutrients, and toxic elements in soils measured by pXRF and ICP-based methods and assessment of plant tissue concentrations across ten urban community garden soils. Journal of Environmental Quality.
Jahziel Chase
Hometown: Plano, TX, USA
Degree: Associates in Life Science: Biology, Associates in Liberal Art: Math and Science Mass Transfer
Biochemistry – UMass Amherst in the spring of 2021
Study published:
Richardson JB, Chase JK, 2021 Transfer of major nutrients, micronutrient, and toxic elements from soil to grapes to white wines in uncontaminated vineyards. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 18(24), 13271
Completed his PhD from Northeastern University in Boston
Corey Palmer
Hometown: Marcellus, New York
Degree Completed: M.S. Geoscience Fall 2020
Masters Thesis: INVESTIGATING GALLIUM INCLUSION IN ALUMINUM AND IRON OXY-HYDROXIDES
Work presented at Soil Science Society of America 2019 Fall Meeting
Palmer CA, Richardson JB, Derry LA “Greater gallium sorption rates due to intense chemical weathering: variations across four CZOs in the United States”. Soil Science Society of America Meeting, San Diego CA. January 8th, 2019.
Assistant Professor in upstate New York
Mark Butler
Hometown: Sturbridge MA, USA
Degree: Environmental Science, Graduation Date: Fall 2020
Works Completed:
Honors Thesis: Riparian soil retention and sediment and dissolved transport of toxic metals in the Thames River Watershed, Connecticut
Butler MJ, Yellen BC, Oyewumi O., Richardson JB “Accumulation and transport of nutrient and pollutant elements in riparian soils, sediments, and river waters across the Thames River Watershed, Connecticut, USA” Science of the Total Environment 165630.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165630
Works professionally in consulting.
Trevor Mackowiak
Hometown: Grafton, MA, USA
Degree: Environmental Science, Graduation Date: Spring 2020
Currently pursuing an M.S. at the University of Vermont
Works completed:
Honors Thesis: An Analysis of Trace Metals in Southern California Soils Across Lithologies and an Urban, Climatic Gradient
Mackowiak TJ, Mischenko IC, Butler MJ, Richardson JB. 2021 Accumulation of Trace Metals in Soils and Foliage across Lithologies, Ecosystems, and Development Intensities in Southern California. Journal of Soils and Sediments
Mistikawy J.A., Mackowiak T., Butler M.J., Mischenko I.C., Cernack R.S., Richardson J.B. 2020 “Chromium, Manganese, Nickel, and Cobalt mobility and bioavailability from mafic-to-ultramafic mine spoil weathering in western Massachusetts, USA”. Environmental Geochemistry and Health.
Works professionally in environmental consulting.
Leon Moore
Hometown: Northampton MA
Work Completed: Developed protocol for Cesium 137 measurement using gamma counter. Collected subsamples from USDA-NRCS subaqeous soil coring. Analyzed hundreds of samples for Hg concentrations.
Work completed:
Richardson J.B., Leon M.S, “A tale of three cities: mercury in urban deciduous trees and soils across land-uses in Poughkeepsie NY, Hartford CT, and Springfield MA USA”. Submitted to Science of the Total Environment.
Now Regional Systems Manager in Somerville MA
Rudy Marek
Hometown: Palmer, MA, USA
Degree: Geology BS 2019
Work completed:
Marek R.S., Richardson J.B., 2020 “Investigating surficial geologic controls on soil properties and inorganic nutrient uptake in Western Massachusetts, USA”. Journal of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition.
Honors College Senior Thesis “Investigating geologic controls on ecophysiology and nutrient cycling in the Forests of New England”.
Works presented:
Marek R, Richardson JB, “Investigating Geologic Controls on Ecophysiology and Nutrient Cycling in the Forest of New England”. Northeastern Section – Geological Society of America Meeting Portland Maine. March 18th, 2019.
Works professionally as an arborist.
Brendan Braithwaite
Hometown: Orange, MA USA
Degree: Environmental Science, Graduation Date: May 2019
Work presented:
Braithwaite B, Richardson JB, “Retention of Trace Metals in Urban Forests and Soils Near Municipal Waste Incinerators Facilities in the Northeastern United States”. Northeastern Section – Geological Society of America Meeting Portland Maine. March 18th, 2019.
Works completed:
Senior Thesis: “Retention of trace metals in urban forests and soils near municipal waste incineration facilities in northeastern U.S.”
Jonah Jordan
Hometown: Houston, TX, USA
Degree: Environmental Studies – Geoscience 2019 – College of Idaho
Work completed:
Jordan J.D., Cernak R., Richardson J.B. (2019) “Exploring the role of soil geochemistry on Mn and Mn/Ca uptake on 75-year-old mine spoils in western Massachusetts, USA” Environmental Geochemistry and Health.