Water Experts

Lecturer, Department of Chemistry

• Contact: manza.atkinson@sonoma.edu
• Areas of Expertise: development of solid-state organic materials, applications of magnetic levitation
• Water-Related Research: He has established a collaboration to investigate microplastic contaminants in the waterways of Sonoma County with the help of the students, the Russian River Keepers, Santa Rosa Junior College, and a mini grant from the Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Program (RSCAP) here at Sonoma State University; Magnetic Levitation (MagLev) to Isolate and Evaluate Micron-sized Particles In the Russian River

Assistant Professor, Department of Communications & Media Studies; KSUN Advisor

• Contact Information: 707-664-2149; baleria@sonoma.edu
• Area of Expertise: Journalism, Media Writing, Radio & Podcasting, Digital Media
• Water-Related Community Connections: Dr. Baleria works on a project with students as part of the Rising Waters Initiative to develop plans and products for a media campaign to demystify the misconceptions about persons experiencing homelessness while also highlighting environmental concerns

Associate Professor, Department of Biology

• Contact Information: (707) 664-2918; lisa.bentley@sonoma.edu
• Area of Water Expertise: Plant Ecophysiology, Plant Physiology, Community and Ecosystem Ecology, Tropical Ecology
• Water-Related Research: 

Assistant Professor, Department of Philosophy; Advisor for Social Justice Concentration & the PHIL Clubs

• Contact Information: (707) 664-3148; burkemeg@sonoma.edu, website
• Area of Expertise: 20th century continental philosophy, feminist philosophy, LGBTQ studies, phenomenology, philosophy of race, social and political philosophy
• Water-Related Community Connections: Dr. Burke worked on a project with students as part of the Rising Waters Initiative on aligning the universe on homelessness and water quality in Sonoma County, developing a knowledge map by considering existing community resources and values.

Professor, Department of Geography, Environment and Planning; Director of Center for Interdisciplinary Geospatial Analysis (CIGA)

• Contact: (707) 664-2558: matthew.clark@sonoma.edu; websites: CIGA; Clark
• Area of Water Expertise: Techniques, Remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), biogeography
• Water-Related Courses Taught: Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GEOG 387), Advanced GIS (GEOG 487), Remote Sensing and Image Processing (GEOG 380), Environmental GIS (GEOG 483)
• Water-Related Research: I am interested in the conservation of earth's biological diversity in a time of increasing economic activity and global climate change. I apply GIS to applications in terrestrial ecology, conservation science, and land-use change. My recent research focuses on regional- to continental-scale mapping and analysis of land change in Latin America and the Caribbean. For this project, I developed a mapping methodology that estimates land change at municipality scales over the last decade. We use these land-cover maps to investigate the underlying drivers of change, such as economic globalization, human migration and interactions with climate and landform. My other research interest involves using hyperspectral and lidar (laser scanning) sensors to map properties of natural vegetation, such as species composition and biomass, over broad spatial scales.
• Water-Related Community Connections: CIGA undertakes a variety of projects, generally on a contract basis, with local agencies and organizations.

Professor, Department of Biology

• Contact: (707) 664-3413; cohenm@sonoma.edu; website
• Area of Water Expertise: Water Quality and Technology, Environmental microbiology, constructed wetlands, bioremediation, anaerobic digestion of aquatic weeds. 
• Water-Related Courses Taught: Bacteriology (BIOL 340), Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology (BIOL 338)
• Water-Related Research: A Fuel from Aquatic Biomass (FAB) research program conducted in collaboration with the City of Santa Rosa Laguna Treatment Plant from 2007 to 2012 explored three primary lines of investigation: 
• (1) utilization of native aquatic vegetation to ‘polish’ treated wastewater by removing nutrients and man-made pollutants;
• (2) biofuel production via anaerobic digestion of harvested aquatic vegetation in combination with agricultural waste; and
• (3) application of spent digestate as a soil amendment to promote plant growth and suppress root disease.
• Water-Related Community Connections: I have worked for many years with City of Santa Rosa on water treatment.

Education Manager, Center for Environmental Inquiry

• Contact: (707) 795-5069; decourse@sonoma.edu; website
• Area of Water Expertise: Restoration and Ecology, Environmental education, outreach, restoration
• Water-Related Responsibilities: I train docents in natural history, ecosystem processes and pedagogy which allows them to lead educational tours of the Fairfield Osborn Preserve. I also supervise SSU undergraduates to undertake restoration projects in the Copeland Creek watershed. I supervise and collaborate with SSU Facilities on SSU's participation in the Sonoma County Youth Ecology Corps program. During the summer we work with disadvantaged youth to remove invasive species removal on Copeland Creek at the Fairfield Osborn Preserve and on the SSU campus.
• Water-Related Community Connections: In pursuing water related responsibilities, I interact with elementary schools across the county, the Sonoma County Water Agency, Youth Ecology Corps, and Sonoma County Adult Youth Development.

Professor, Department of History

• Contact: Phone: (707) 664-2424; steve.estes@sonoma.edu; website 
• Area of Expertise: Culture and Policy, Historical Methods
• Water-Related Courses Taught: HIST 500 Historical Methods
• Water-Related Community Connections: Since 2011 I have worked with the Center for Environmental Inquiry to incorporate historical questions about environmental processes into my HIST 500 class. In our most recent project, we interviewed local community members near each of the SSU preserves to find out more about landscape changes in local watersheds.

Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Environment & Planning; Director, Center for Sustainable Communities (CSC)

• Contact Information: 707-664-3144; fangk@sonoma.edu
• Area of Expertise: geography of cities, sustainable transportation, “micromobility” transportation
• Water-Related Research: Correlations with Residential Water Usage: A Look at the Built Environment and More

Associate Professor, Department of Engineering Science

• Contact: (707) 664-3491; farid.farahmand@sonoma.edu; website
• Area of Water Expertise: Techniques, sensor development, data networking, remote water and power monitoring
• Water-Related Courses Taught: Engineering Science Senior Design Project (ES 491 and ES 492)
• Water-Related Research: In my lab, Advanced Internet Technology for the Interest of Society, we develop remote-monitoring technology solutions for environmental and health care problems. My research includes study and implementation of vehicular delay tolerant networks (VDTN) and their applications in areas where no communications infrastructure exists. In particular, we focus on utilizing VDTN technology to interconnect diverse sensor platforms to monitor water related needs such as water quality, and meteorology, in remote areas. 

•  Water-Related Community Connections: I work with the Center for Environmental Inquiry and SSU Faculty to create specialized sensors (solar power, hydrology, meteorology, plant physiology) and environmental sensors networks needed to automate data collection and distribution. I have also worked with UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory to develop a mobile climate pod for tracking local climatic conditions.

Professor, Department of Mathematics and Statistics

• Contact: Phone: (707) 664-2472; ben.ford@sonoma.edu; website 
• Area of Water Expertise: Techniques, mathematical and statistical applications to water-related issues
• Water-Related Courses Taught: Mathematical Modeling (MATH 470); Mathematics Colloquium (MATH 175/375) Mathematics Colloquium
• Water-Related Research: I am interested in applications of Mathematics in a diversity of fields, and have given expository talks on the Mathematics of protein folding, traffic jams, and language.
• Water-Related Community Connections: Many of my community activities have direct or indirect connections to water issues. These include my activities as a member steering group for the Sonoma County Time Bank; Treasurer for the Northern California Earth Institute; member Cotati Planning Commission. In the past, I have also served as Fellow of the Leadership Institute for Ecology and the Economy, member and president of the Board of Pathways Charter School, and member of the steering group for Transition Cotati and the City of Cotati’s Design Review Committee.

Professor, Department of Biology

• Contact: (707) 664-3056; nick.geist@sonoma.edu; website
• Area of Water Expertise: Restoration and Ecology, aquatic amphibians and reptlies
• Water-Related Courses Taught: Herpetology (BIO 463)
• Water-Related Research: My research focuses on fundamental aspects of the reproductive and conservation biology western pond turtle biology, especially mechanisms of temperature dependent sex determination, nesting behavior, population dynamics, and conservation. Current research includes CA DFG-approved head-starting in collaboration with the San Francisco and Oakland zoos.
• Water-Related Community Connections: Collaborations with the Nature Conservancy, Presidio Trust, Sonoma County Water Agency, Lake County Land Trust, and California Department of Fish and Game.

Professor, Department of Biology

• Contact Information: (707) 664-3055; girman@sonoma.edu; website
• Area of Water Expertise: Restoration and Ecology, ecology and conservation of fishes, salamanders, and other vertebrates within and among watersheds
• Water-Related Courses Taught: Vertebrate Biology (BIOL 327); Conservation Genetics (BIOL 511)
• Water-Related Research: Conservation genetics (fishes, salamanders, seabirds); speciation mechanisms in local salamanders; watershed impacts;leading to;salamander deformities; endangered Tiger Salamander conservation.
• Water-Related Community Connections: Collaborative research with the Sonoma County Water Agency, Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge. Collaborative education with NOAA Fisheries, Army Corps of Engineers, UC Extension, California Department of Fish & Game, Golden Gate Raptor Observatory, Kern National Wildlife Refuge, and Point Reyes Bird Observatory

Associate Professor, Department of Geography, Environment and Planning

• Contact: (707) 664-2314; goman@sonoma.edu; website
• Area of Water Expertise: Hydrology, reconstructing prehistoric environmental change; paleoclimatic change; wetland ecology and paleoecology
• Water-Related Courses Taught: Global Environmental Systems (Geog 204); Lab Methods in Physical Geography (Geog 317); Geomorphology (Geog 360); Global Climate Change; Past, Present and Future (Geog 372; Natural Hazards (Geog 375).
• Water-Related Research: I study the causes and impacts of environmental change during the last 10,000 years by working with biological and non-biological materials preserved in lake and wetland sediments.   For instance, in the San Francisco Bay my research has focused upon understanding variations in river discharge as caused by climate change.  This has direct relevance to how we manage the freshwater supply that feeds the Delta and Bay
• Water-Related Community Connections: My students work on various projects with SCWA including erosion monitoring on Copeland Creek. I am a member of the Baylands Habitat Goals Transition Zone Workgroup

Associate Professor, Department of Computer Science

• Contact Information: (707) 664-3854; gondree@sonoma.edu, website
• Area of Expertise: CS education, security pedagogy, applied cryptography, efficient secure computation, delegating work securely to untrusted participants, provable security, electronic privacy, trusted component minimization, and the science of building secure systems.
• Water-Related Community Connections: Dr. Gondree advised a student project as part of the Rising Waters Initiative to further develop a prototype water resource mapping tool (restrooms, showers, drinking fountains).

Lecturer, Department of Geography, Environment, and Planning

• Contact: (717) 350-4936; guilforj@sonoma.edu
• Area of Water Expertise: Water Quality and Technology
• Water-Related Courses Taught: Sustainable Water Technology and Toxicology (ENSP 450); CEI Watershed Research Internship Program
• Water-Related Research: Studied nutrient loading in Copeland Creek and the Laguna de Santa Rosa; Researching water quality and homelessness as part of Rising Waters
• Water-Related Community Connections: Sonoma County Water Agency, City of Santa Rosa Laguna Treatment Plant

Nature!Tech Program Lead, Center for Environmental Inquiry

• Contact: (707) 536-8914; halle@sonoma.edu
• Area of Water Expertise: Hydrology, Meteorology, oceanography, sensor and communications development, environmental data interpretation and display, understanding uncertainty.
• Water-Related Courses Taught: ES 314 Advanced Programming Model/Simulation (Technical Computing).
• Water-Related Research: I have been working on various aspects of earth observing systems for the last 30 years.  My interests include quantifying “typical” and “extreme” environmental conditions, scientific computer programming, and environmental description.  I am particularly interested by challenges that arise at the interfaces between the often distinct disciplines of “traditional” science, programming, data management, and integration of observations obtained from disparate platforms.  I am also interested in quantifying uncertainty, particularly as it relates to risk management.  I currently serve as the Nature!Tech Lead for the Center for Environmental Inquiry, where I help to develop collaborations between collaborating organizations (businesses, agencies, non-profits) and Sonoma State faculty and students.
• Water-Related Community Connections: City of Rohnert Park, Sonoma County Water Agency, UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab

Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Environment & Planning; Director, Climate Research Center

• Contact Information: (707) 664-3834, hernan27@sonoma.edu
• Area of Expertise: Hydroclimatology , extreme weather and climate, climate and society, the Caribbean and Latin America 
• Water-Related Research: Climatology of extreme rainfall, flood and drought events and how they are connected to climate variability and climate change; the connection between socioeconomic activities and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events associated with human induced climate change.

Lecturer, Department of Geography, Environment, and Planning

• Contact Information: heidi.herrmann@sonoma.edu
• Area of Water Expertise: Restoration and Ecology, plant propagation, restoration
• Water-Related Courses Taught: Plant Propagation
• Water-Related Community Connections: My students and I grow plants for the SSU Copeland Creek restoration project and other restoration areas. I also work in coordination with the Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation.

Lecturer, Department of Geography, Environment, and Planning; Interim Director of the Center for Sustainable Communities

• Contact: (415 669-7230); hindsa@sonoma.edu; website
• Area of Water Expertise: Culture and Policy, sustainability planning, climate change, smart growth and water friendly development strategies
• Water-Related Courses Taught: Sustainability and Green Building: What You Need to Know (ENSP800 3962); Mainstreaming Sustainability: Plans, Codes and Urban Design ENSP800 3963; Preparing and Enacting Climate Action and Energy Plans (ENSP800 3965); Act Now: Funding and Implementing Sustainable Community Strategies (ENSP800 3967)
• Water-Related Research: My colleagues and I at SSU's Center for Sustainable Communities consist of "recycled" public sector professionals, faculty and students who assist communities in the development of sustainable strategies. We are currently working for the California Department of Water Resources in the development of an integrated water management - land use tool that calculates the costs and benefits of water friendly development practices.
• Water-Related Community Connections: I have directed California planning, building and environmental health departments for over 24 years in Marin, San Luis Obispo, and Lake Counties. My legacy project was completion of Marin County's highly regarded general plan and sustainability programs which received numerous state and national awards. I was a founding member of Green Cities of California, past president of the California Planning Foundation and the California County Planning Directors Association. I am currently a member of the California Planning Roundtable and an international director for the American Planning Association's Northern California Section.

Professor, Department of Environmental Studies and Planning, Director Institute for Community Planning Assistance, Interim Director SSU’s Sustainable Communities Program

• Contact: (707) 664-3145; tom.jacobson@sonoma.edu; website
• Area of Water Expertise: Culture and Policy, sustainable development, environmental regulation
• Water-Related Courses Taught:  ENSP 308 - Environmental Literature, ENSP 310 - Introduction to Planning, ENSP 315 - Environmental Impact Reporting, ENSP 404 - Environmental Law, ENSP 415 - Land Use Law, ENSP 416 - Environmental Planning, ENSP 418 - Planning for Sustainable Communities
• Water-Related Research: My research and professional interests are planning and regulation for sustainable development, growth management, property rights and environmental regulation, and development “impact” fees. 
• Water-Related Community Connections: The Institute for Community Planning Assistance (ICPA) is a non-profit research center sponsored by the Department of Environmental Studies and Planning at Sonoma State University. The main purposes of ICPA are:
• To engage in community service by making needed services available to local agencies at low-cost
• To provide a mechanism for faculty and student research in the areas of community and environmental planning
• To further the education and professional development of planning students by complementing their classroom and internship experience
• To provide financial assistance in the form of wages to student employees who are hired on an as-needed basis to fill various research and support roles.
• Studies undertaken by ICPA are directed by University faculty who often donate the majority of their services. Student Assistants are carefully screened in order to match skills and interests with the unique needs of each project. The Institute has been extremely busy in the last few years, employing ten students while handling almost $250,000 in contracts with local non-profits and governments. Sample projects include the Keller Canyon Property Valuation Study (Contra Costa County), Design Guidelines for Crow Canyon Area (City of San Ramon), a Petaluma Tree Inventory, and a Napa County Sign Inventory.

Adjunct Professor, Department of Engineering Science; Faculty Fellow for Immersive Learning; Director for Women in Tech

• Contact Information: (707) 664-2030; sara.kassis@sonoma.edu
• Area of Water Expertise:
• Water-Related Courses Taught: 
• Water-Related Research: 
• Water-Related Community Connections: 

Assistant Professor, Hutchins School of Liberal Studies

• Contact: (707) 664-3853; lawj@sonoma.edu
• Area of Water Expertise: Restoration and Ecology, I am a human-environment geographer with an overarching interest in the politics of natural resource management. My research focuses on the ecological management practices of rural communities—particularly those in forested regions of North America. My other research and teaching interests include: political ecology, climate change, conservation, novel ecology, and science studies.
• Water-Related Courses Taught: Political Ecology (LIBS 320B), Climate Change and Society (LIBS 320B), The Human Enigma (LIBS 101), Challenge of Response in the Modern World (LIBS 202)

Director for Environmental Health and Safety; Chair, Chemical Safety Committee

• Contact Information: (707) 664-3583, ruth.leblanc@sonoma.edu
• Area of Expertise: Safety program management and implementation, environmental program management and implementation
• Water-Related Responsibilities: Storm water permitting; improving storm water quality and keeping trash out of water systems on campus; getting students involved in running campus facilities and caring about the environment 

Director Center for Environmental Inquiry

• Contact: 707-536-8915; claudia.luke@sonoma.edu; website
• Area of Water Expertise: Regulation, management-academic collaborations (habitat connectivity, fire management, coastal grassland restoration), environmental permitting, place-based education, protected lands management
• Water-Related Responsibilities: As Director of the Center for Environmental Inquiry, I develop programs that encourage research and educational activities in watersheds surrounding our Preserves: Fairfield Osborn Preserve - Laguna de Santa Rosa Watershed; Los Guilicos Preserve - Sonoma Creek Watershed, and Galbreath Wildlands Preserve - Navarro River Watershed.
• Water-Related Community Connections: WATERS Collaborative Coordinator, Board Member Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation, Founding Member of SEEC (Sonoma Environmental Education Collaborative), Participant North Bay Climate Adaptation Initiative

Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry

• Contact: 707 664-2157; negru@sonoma.edu
• Areas of Expertise: nanotechnology, Raman spectroscopies, and chemical education
• Water-Related Research: Educational Chemistry projects such as Water Acidification with Cabbage Juice and Carbon Dioxide, Boiling Water in a Paper Cup, and Osmosis Demonstration

Associate Professor, Management, School of Business and Economics

• Contact Information: (707) 664-2854; parekhn@sonoma.edu
• Area of Expertise: entrepreneurship & Financing Issues, sustainability of microfinance models, crowdfunding technologies & cross-cultural issues, impact investment & social finance, inclusive finance business models & policies, spirituality in inclusive business designs
• Water-Related Community Connections: Dr. Parekh worked with students as part of the Rising Waters Initiative to investigate the "wicked problem" of homelessness and water quality and how businesses can contribute to solutions.

Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry

• Contact: (707) 664-2440; mark.perri@sonoma.edu; no website
• Area of Water Expertise: Water Quality and Technology, atmospheric chemistry; water quality
• Water-Related Courses Taught: General Chemistry with Quantitative Analysis (CHEM 125B)
• Water-Related Research: We study chemistry that takes place in our atmosphere, as well as anthropogenic influences on our local watershed, e.g. nitrate, phosphate, dissolved oxygen, and hydrocarbons.

Professor, Department of Biology

• Contact: (707) 664-3053; rank@sonoma.edu; website
• Area of Water Expertise: Restoration and Ecology, Riparian entomology, water-borne plant pathogen Phytophthora ramorum (Sudden Oak Death)
• Water-Related Courses Taught: A Watershed Year FYE (SCI 120); Entomology (BIOL 323)
• Water-Related Research: I study ecological interactions among plants, herbivores and pathogens; the adaptive significance of genetic variation in natural populations of insects; and effects of invasive species on native ecological communities. Ongoing work focuses on the invasive pathogenPhytophthera ramorum, which has spread through Sonoma County woodlands since 2000.
• Water-Related Community Connections: I am working with Goldridge, Southern Sonoma, and Sotoyome RCDs to engage Science 120/121 students in water-related projects.

Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science

• Contact: (707) 664-2731 emily.ray@sonoma.edu
• Area of Water Expertise: Culture and Policy, Environmental Politics, Environmental Political Theory, Natural Resource and Land-use Conflicts, Environmental Movements; Public Policy
• Water-Related Courses Taught: POLS 302: Social Science Research Methods
• Water-Related Research: Her research centers on natural resource disputes, the political economy of resource use, and how to build a theory of collective environmental responsibility.
• Water-Related Community Connections:

Professor of Spanish/Advisor & Department Chair, Department of Modern Languages Literature; Spanish Program Coordinator; Chair of the Senate

• Contact Information: (707) 664-4268; jeffrey.reeder@sonoma.edu, website
• Area of Expertise: Curricular and programmatic development in language education
• Water-Related Research: Dr. Reeder advised student work on a project called "The Home of the Native Americans - American Canyon Wetlands" on tribes living in the Napa Valley and along the lower Napa River who relied on hunting ducks, geese, and waterfowl, and whose way of life was changed by the arrival of Spanish and Mexican explorers in the late 1700s.