Dr. Zen He
Assistant Professor
Department of Civil Engineering and Mechanics
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

Zhen “Jason” He studies and develops microbial fuel-cell systems that generate electricity from wastewater.  His lab is currently trying to increase the scale of the fuel-cells, which are currently not large enough to develop significant amounts of energy.  If successful, the fuel-cells may also be able to purify water and power a separate desalination process.

Microbial fuel cells, biological wastewater treatment, bio-electrochemical removal of nitrogen, photosyntrophic bio-electricity production, environmental bioelectrochemistry and bio-electrochemical desalination.  His work includes, but is not limited to: bioelectricity generation using microbial fuel cells (MFCs), sustainable desalination technology, water treatment, biological nutrient removal, bio- electrochemical remediation, photosynthetic process, and microbial ecology in natural or engineered systems.

Student Filmmaker: Nick Eason

Project Director and Producer: Ryan Sarnowski
Producer: Jenny Plevin
Associate Producer: James Michaels

Post-Production Specialists: Travis Torok & Kyle Probst

Animations: Danny D’Acquisto

Associate Professor
UWM School of Freshwater Sciences

Dr. Bootsma’s research studies the role of quagga mussels in nutrient and energy cycling in Lake Michigan, specifically if mussels are responsible for the decreasing levels of plankton. He also studies the role of large lakes in the production and absorption of carbon dioxide, using specially-designed sensors to measure the CO2 in the air and water. To facilitate collection of data, one of these sensors is mounted on the Lake Express car ferry.

Student Filmmaker: Nathan Irish

Project Director and Producer: Ryan Sarnowski
Project Producer: Jenny Plevin
Associate Producer: James Michaels

Post Production Specialists: Travis Torok & Kyle Probst

Animation: Danny D’Acquisto

Dr. Robert Burlage
Health Sciences Department
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Dr. Robert Burlage investigates the capacity of pathogens to cause infection in humans as they exist in the environment.  By fusing known disease-causing microorganisms to bioindicator genes, Dr. Burlage studies when and where microorganisms prepare themselves for infection.  Using this knowledge, it may be possible to more effectively combat pathogens before they even enter water treatment systems.

Dr. Burlage studies microorganisms in their natural setting, as opposed to laboratory studies.  This facilitates a better understanding of the complex role of nature in the expression of specific bacterial genes, as well as the identification of specific bacterial species and specific chemicals in complex mixtures.

Made By:

Filmmaker: James Michaels

Project Director and Producer: Ryan Sarnowski
Project Producer: Jenny Plevin
Associate Producer: James Michaels

Post-Production Specialists: Travis Torok & Kyle Probst

Animations: Danny D’Acquisto

Dr. Michael Carvan
Shaw Associate Professor
School of Freshwater Science
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

In this video, Dr. Carvan describes his research on the effects of mercury ingestion on female zebra fish.  His data shows that mercury exposure at even unmeasurable levels negatively impacts neural development in their offspring, causing learning and memory issues as well as developmental abnormalities.

Research currently underway in the laboratory takes advantage of the power of the zebrafish genetic model system to explore the mechanism(s) by which xenobiotics (e.g. environmental chemicals, pesticides, pharmaceuticals) induce disease in both fish and humans, and to identify genes that influence sensitivity and resistance to chemical exposure.

Made By:
Student Filmmaker: Chris Elkendier

Project Director and Producer: Ryan Sarnowski
Producer: Jenny Plevin
Associate Producer: James Michaels

Post-Production Specialists: Travis Torok & Kyle Probst

Animations: Danny D’Acquisto

Dr. Junhong Chen
Associate Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
CEAS
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

This video discusses the use of nanomaterials to detect and remove organic pollutants from water by combining nanoparticles and carbon nanotube’s unique properties.  By shining light on titanium dioxide, for example, electron pairs are generated that convert organic pollutants to less-toxic forms.  Although research is still in early forms, it may eventually be used in removing toxins from industrial manufacturing processes.

Nanoparticle synthesis, assembly, and nanofabrication; Carbon nanotubes and hybrid nanomaterials; Nanostructure-based gas sensors and biosensors; Corona discharges and plasma reacting flows; Energy conversion and conservation; Pollution control, and nanomaterials-based water sensors.

Made By:
Filmmaker: Jim Michaels

Project Director and Producer: Ryan Sarnowski
Producer: Jenny Plevin
Associate Producer: James Michaels

Post-Production Specialists: Travis Torok & Kyle Probst

Animations: Danny D’Acquisto

Dr. Thomas Consi
Assistant Professor
School of Freshwater Science
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Dr. Consi’s interests lie with developing robotics for field research applications.  His work helps to develop tools to collect data in underwater environments.  Student involvement helps in the completion of the work and educates the students through hands-on learning.

Student Filmmaker: Quinn Hester

Project Director and Producer: Ryan Sarnowski
Producer: Jenny Plevin
Associate Producer: James Michaels

Post-Production Specialists: Travis Torok & Kyle Probst

Animations: Danny D’Acquisto

Dr. Frederick (Rick) W. Goetz
Shaw Senior Scientist
Professor, School of Freshwater Sciences
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Dr. Rick Gotez is working to develop a tambaqui fish brood stock for aquaculture.  He discusses a number of issues and techniques used in aquaculture activities and the characteristics of the tambaqui that make it a good candidate for commercial production.

The development of fish broodstocks for the aquaculture industry ,the evolution of pathogen recognition in animals, the basis for ecotypic diversity in fish, the biology of fish macrophages and bivalve hemocytes, the use and development of recombinant technologies to assess population structures and conditions in natural and commercialized animal stocks.

Student Filmmaker: Toby Staffanson

Project Director and Producer: Ryan Sarnowski
Producer: Jenny Plevin
Associate Producer: James Michaels

Post-Production Specialists: Travis Torok & Kyle Probst

Animations: Danny D’Acquisto

Dr. Bruce Eshelman
Associate Professor Biological Sciences
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Dr. Eshelman studies bio-accumulation of heavy metals in sturgeon.  These fish can live to be over 100 years old, providing insights into the overall health of the great lakes ecology.

Dr. Eshelman’s main research interests are in population and community ecology of mammals. He is particularly interested in aspects of population ecology (such as habitat selection, foraging preferences, and plant-animal interactions) which have a direct impact on life history characteristics, population structure, and resultant fitness of individuals and populations.

Student Filmmaker: Nathan Irish

Project Director and Producer: Ryan Sarnowski
Producer: Jenny Plevin
Associate Producer: James Michaels

Post-Production Specialists: Travis Torok & Kyle Probst

Animations: Danny D’Acquisto

Timothy J. Grundl
Professor
Geosciences Department and School of Freshwater Sciences
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Dr. Grundl studies the chemical dynamics of groundwater systems to increase the understanding of groundwater being used today.  By knowing how and when groundwater moves, improved models may find ways to reduce the unsustainable rate of groundwater consumption. In this video, Dr. Grundl discusses the issues surrounding sustainable water use.

Dr. Grundl’s work concerns: Groundwater depletion; contaminant fate and transport; aquifer recharge; development of probes for in-situ quantification of contamination in submerged sediments.

Student Filmmaker: Travis Torok

Project Director and Producer: Ryan Sarnowski
Producer: Jenny Plevin
Associate Producer: James Michaels

Post-Production Specialists: Travis Torok & Kyle Probst

Animations: Danny D’Acquisto

Dr. Elisabeth Harrahy
Assistant Professor of Biology
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater

Dr. Harrahy studies the effects of various contaminants, such as triclocarban, caffeine, acetaminophen, aspirin and ibuprofen on small crustaceans.  These arthropods are important indicators of stream health, as well as an important component of stream ecosystems and a food source for larger fish.  The concern is for the long term impact of exposure to these chemicals and their bioaccumulation in the food chain.

Dr. Harrahy has conducted research on the fate and effects of various contaminants (e.g., heavy metals, pesticides, ammonia, flame retardants) in aquatic ecosystems.  Her current research interests include the fate and discharge of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (e.g., caffeine, acetaminophen, triclocarban) received by wastewater treatment plants, the effects of these contaminants on aquatic organisms, and the occurrence and persistence of blue-green algal toxins in the aquatic environment.  She frequently uses aquatic invertebrates (such as water fleas and aquatic insects) in her studies because they are important indicators of stream health, and serve as food for fish and other organisms.

Student Filmmaker: Scott Rogers

Project Director and Producer: Ryan Sarnowski
Producer: Jenny Plevin
Associate Producer: James Michaels

Post-Production Specialists: Travis Torok & Kyle Probst

Animations: Danny D’Acquisto