Environmental Chemistry Study Area

The Environmental Chemistry program at Hopkins is devoted towards understanding the chemical and biological reactions and mobility of contaminants in natural environments and engineered aquatic systems. Formal coursework, research laboratories, and computational facilities encourage students to critically evaluate available information, implement new research, and to apply results towards solving environmental problems. Research is focused upon (1) identifying chemical and biological constituents of aquatic environments that catalyze, inhibit, or react with organic and inorganic contaminants; (2) exploring how protonation, complex formation, sorption, and partitioning affect rates of contaminant transformation; (3) examining interconnections between physical, chemical, and biological phenomena affecting contaminants; and (4) developing structure-property and structure-reactivity relationships that provide a basis for predicting transformation and fate.

The Environmental Chemistry group is a part of the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering (DoGEE) at Hopkins. The highly interdisciplinary nature of this Department (which integrates science, engineering, and public policy) provides graduates an ability to solve environmental problems at a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Close ties exist to faculty in other departments (especially the Departments of Chemistry and Earth and Planetary Sciences) conducting research related to environmental chemistry.

Degree Programs

An M.S. degree in Environmental Science and a Ph.D. degree in Environmental Engineering and Chemistry are offered. Students with undergraduate degrees in any scientific or engineering discipline may be admitted. Considerable flexibility exists in the curriculum; students are encouraged to follow a sequence of coursework that complements and expands their undergraduate experience and career goals. Other degree options (such as an M.S.E. degree in Environmental Engineering) are also available within the Department.

During the 2000-2001 academic year, 32 graduate students enrolled in the Environmental Engineering and Chemistry program. Ten of these were in either the M.S. program in Environmental Science or the M.S.E. program in Environmental Engineering, and the remainder were working towards Ph.D. degrees in Environmental Engineering and Chemistry. Financial aid is available to qualified applicants in the form of fellowships, research assistantships and teaching assistantships.

Illustrative Courses within the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering

Aquasols
Aquatic Chemistry
Biogeochemistry Seminar
Chemical Modeling of Natural Waters
Chemistry of Environmental Issues
Colloid Chemistry
Environmental Inorganic Chemistry
Environmental Organic Chemistry
Experimental Methods in Environmental Engineering and Chemistry
Reaction Mechanisms in Environmental Organic Chemistry

Illustrative courses in other departments

Department of Chemistry

Advanced Mechanistic Organic Chemistry 
Organic Photochemistry 
Advanced Inorganic Chemistry
Computational Organic Chemistry
Electron Transfer Processes
Surface and Interface Chemistry

Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences

Aqueous Geochemistry 
Chemistry of the Earth System
Ozone Depletion
Geochemistry of Natural Waters
Global Climate Change: Introduction
Stable Isotope Biogeochemistry
Groundwater Contamination 
Chemical Processes in Sedimentary Environments 
Surface Geochemistry

Faculty

Charles R. O'Melia (omelia@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu). Professor, DoGEE. Environmental colloid chemistry; transport and fate of particles and particle-reactive pollutants in aquatic systems; conformation of macromolecules at solid-water interfaces with particular attention to natural organic substances and their effects on colloidal stability; physicochemical processes in water and wastewater treatment.

A. Lynn Roberts (lroberts@jhu.edu). Associate Professor, DoGEE. Environmental organic chemistry; mechanisms of organic contaminant transformation in groundwaters, wetlands, and estuaries; passive "permeable barrier" remediation systems for contaminated groundwater; development of quantitative structure-activity relationships for predicting organic contaminant reactivity.

Alan Stone (astone@jhu.edu). Professor, DoGEE. Chemical kinetics and mechanisms; reactions at surfaces; metal ion-organic interactions; abiotic transformation of natural and synthetic organic compounds; oxidation-reduction reactions; chemistry of soils, sediments, and aquifers.

William P. Ball (bball@jhu.edu). Professor, DoGEE. Physical/chemical processes in environmental engineering, contaminant fate and transport, contaminant phase distribution, mass transfer, and transport, as applied to natural and engineered systems.

Edward J. Bouwer (bouwer@jhu.edu). Professor, DoGEE. Environmental engineering, environmental microbiology, waste treatment.

Eugene D. Shchukin. (shchukin@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu).Research Professor, DoGEE. Colloid and surface science: disperse systems in nature, industry, environmental engineering; adsorption; surfactants applications and ecology; rheology; particle interactions and structure formation in colloidal dispersions.

D. Howard Fairbrother (howardf@jhunix.hcf.jhu.edu)Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry. Physical chemistry, chemistry of adhesives, environmental surface chemistry.

David Goldberg (dpg@jhu.edu). Assistant Professor, Department of Chemistry. Bioinorganic and synthetic inorganic chemistry, reductive/oxidative dehalogenation of organic substrates.

Kenneth D. Karlin (karlin@jhu.edu). Professor, Department of Chemistry. Bioinorganic chemistry, models for iron and/or copper metalloproteins processing O2, NOx.

Gerald Meyer (meyer@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu). Professor, Department of Chemistry. Photochemistry and electrochemistry of metal complexes and inorganic solids, artificial photosynthesis.

Grant Garven (garven@jhu.edu). Professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences. Groundwater, flow in permeable media.

A. Hope Jahren (jahren@jhu.edu). Assistant Professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences. Geobiology, paleobiology, stable isotope biogeochemistry; role of land plants in global climate change.

Dimitri Sverjensky (sver@jhu.edu). Professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences. Geochemistry and economic geology.

Facilities

Extensive research facilities are available, including approximately 6,200 sq. ft. of recently renovated laboratory space. Major equipment includes six capillary column GCs, a GC/MS, five HPLCs, a capillary electrophoresis system, an ion chromatograph, a scintillation counter, total organic carbon analyzers, two atomic absorption spectrophotometers, a potentiostat/electroanalytical system with hanging mercury electrode, a photon correlation spectrophotometer, three UV/vis spectrophotometers, and three high-speed centrifuges. Four environmental chambers exist for controlled-temperature research, and two controlled-atmosphere glove boxes for work under anoxic conditions. Departmental computer facilities, including 24 personal computers, two remote-access terminals, a three-node VaxCluster, a Sun Sparcstation, two Silicon Graphics workstations, and networked access to University facilities, are also available.

Admissions Information

Write to: Dr. Edward J. Bouwer,
Admissions Coordinator
Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering
The Johns Hopkins University,
3400 N. Charles Street
Baltimore, MD 21218-2686

or contact:
Debbie Race
Academic Program Coordinator
phone: (410) 516-5533
dogee@jhu.edu

Free online application is accessible through this web site.

The Johns Hopkins University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or veteran status in any student program or activity administered by the University or with regard to admission or employment. Defense Department discrimination in ROTC programs on the basis of sexual orientation conflicts with this University policy. The university is committed to encouraging a change in the Defense Department policy. Questions regarding Title VI, Title IX, and Section 504 should be referred to Yvonne M. Theodore, Affirmative Action Officer, 205 Garland Hall (410-516-8075).