Our team

Matthew Scarborough, P.E., Ph.D., Assistant Professor

Matt was born and raised in rural western Pennsylvania, north of Pittsburgh. He graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering (Environmental Option) from the University of Wyoming where he worked with Dr. David Bagely on production of hydrogen gas with mixed microbial communities. Matt then worked for a large environmental engineering consulting firm for 7 years where he studied, modeled, designed, and constructed wastewater treatment facilities. He also dabbled in stream restoration, drinking water treatment, and conveyance. Matt earned his PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of Wisconsin- Madison in 2019 where he was advised by Dr. Daniel Noguera and Dr. Timothy Donohue at the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center. Matt has been a licensed Professional Engineer (Civil Engineering) since 2013. 

Lucy Toppen,  Ph.D. Student

Lucy grew up in West Michigan and graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Engineering from Michigan Technological University in Spring of 2022. Lucy joins the EMERG team as Ph.D. student and GAANN fellow working on medium-chain carboxylic acid production from waste products via amino acid fermentation. Lucy’s undergraduate research focused on applying environmental engineering tools for the health of the public including Sars-CoV-2 virus detection in on-campus wastewater and open-source toxicity analysis for alternative food sources. Lucy is excited to expand her computational skills to uncover ways waste can benefit human populations.  

Mona Davoudimehr,  Ph.D. Student

Mona's research is focused on the production of propane from agricultural waste, particularly cow manure. She is originally from Iran, where she pursued her undergraduate studies in Civil Engineering at Khayyam University and earned her master’s degree in civil and environmental Engineering from Shahrood University of Technology. During her master's program, she conducted research on the impact of micro-nano bubble technology on wastewater treatment. Additionally, Mona is interested in data visualization and incorporates data science techniques into her research. 

Silas Decker, Ph.D. Student

Silas grew up in Newtown CT and fostered a deep love for nature in the wildernesses of southern VT. He studied biomedical engineering at The University of Connecticut and spent the last couple years as a research engineer working on creating next generation methods of spatially mapping epigenetic and transcriptomic data for medical research. His passions involve soil, biodiversity, ecosystem health, and eco-focused agriculture. For his graduate research he hopes to utilize and modulate microbiomes in order to remediate soils, valorize waste streams, and work with rural partners to implement best practices to help farming communities and the environment as a whole.

Robert (RJ) Jones, Ph.D. Student

RJ spent his childhood in Arizona digging holes in sandboxes to either find dinosaur fossils or make it to the Center of the Earth (which, according to Jules Verne, was also filled with dinosaurs). Growing up from that, he’s always had a passion for soil and terrestrial media so much so that he graduated with a B.S. in Soil Science from the University of Arizona. After undergrad he became involved in permafrost research and despite being an Arizona boy, he grew to love the cold and Earth’s cold regions sparking him to move to New Hampshire and work as a research scientist for the Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) in 2014. Working at CRREL he tried on as many research hats as could possibly fit on his head and studied a multitude of things from the metagenomics of permafrost communities, to electricity generating microorganisms, to interactions between electricity and fungi. As part of the EMERG Lab he is excited to combine his research interests and study how microbial processes in a reactor setting can be used to drive carbon-dense media like permafrost to societally useful products. Outside of research he loves to cook and eat vegetarian and vegan, bake, run, and play video games.

Joy Onuh, Ph.D. Student

Joy earned her BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Nigeria, where her undergraduate research focused on assessing the contamination levels in water supply systems. Her MSc research at the same university utilizes GIS technology for flood risk mapping. Joy has worked closely with rural communities to implement Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) projects across Nigeria. She is a licensed engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and a member of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE). Additionally, she is affiliated with the Association of Professional Women Engineers in Nigeria (APWEN). Joy’s current research at the EMERG lab explores the feasibility of using recycled glass as a substitute for sand in wastewater treatment processes. Her work aims to reduce the environmental impact of glass waste through sustainable repurposing, contributing to resource conservation and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. Beyond her academic and professional pursuits, Joy is passionate about music, cooking, and entrepreneurship.

Amelia McClure, M.S. Student

Amelia is a Civil and Environmental Engineering Master’s student interested in optimizing biological phosphorous removal from municipal wastewater treatment processes. She will be investigating this process at the Burlington Main Wastewater Treatment Plant, where she works as a wastewater operator. She holds an undergraduate degree in Biology and Environmental Science from Wellesley College, where she completed research on plant associated microbial communities in a permafrost thaw zone. Outside of work and school, she enjoys swimming in the Winooski River watershed and playing in Burlington's Brazilian samba drumming band. 

Hannah Kuleba, M.S. Student

Hannah is from Mullica Hill, NJ and is studying Environmental Engineering at the University of Vermont. She is currently pursuing an Accelerated Masters in Civil and Environmental Engineering and her research will focus on how copper concentrations impact methane oxidation and how concentrations of all nitrogen species change during methane oxidation in landfill cover soil. She interned with the Dam Safety Program during summer of 2023 in Montpelier, VT where she went on dam inspections, wrote inspection reports, and experienced the July 10 flood impacts firsthand. Outside of work and school, she enjoys playing soccer, skiing, traveling, singing, songwriting and playing piano. 

Maura Duval, M.S. Student

Maura is from Underhill, VT and is currently pursuing an Accelerated Masters in Civil and Environmental Engineering. Her research will focus on biochar made from spent mushroom substrate. Maura’s major interest is in researching fungi based environmental remediation methods. In her free time Maura enjoys traveling, hiking, and sailing.

Jacob McCoy

Jacob grew up in East Montpelier, Vermont and is studying Environmental Engineering at the University of Vermont. He is studying the fermentation of amino acids and their effectiveness in producing Medium Chain Fatty Acids. Jacob is interested in renewable energy and sustainable development. In his free time, he enjoys sports such as basketball, ultimate frisbee, and rock climbing.

Lauren Santanen

Lauren is from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania and is studying Environmental Engineering with a minor in English. She spent a semester abroad at the University of Leeds, which allowed for a deeper understanding of the ways engineered systems are adapted to best fit the needs of the community. She is interested in sustainable design and in her free time likes to read, take pictures, and play with her dog. 

Ilana Schneck

Ilana is from Highland Park, Illinois and is studying Environmental Engineering with minors in Biology and Chemistry.  Ilana is interested in combining her knowledge of Biology and Chemistry to explore research in Environmental Engineering.  Outside of school, she enjoys skiing, hiking, and swimming in lakes.