Past Dissertations and Theses

PhD:  Geography and Environmental Systems

• Daniels, Benjamin.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2024. 31640858. Catchment-Scale Rain Garden Effectiveness and Its Spatiotemporal Factors: A Case Study in Columbia, Maryland (Yeakley, 2024).
• Chirico, Peter George.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2024. 31242788. Geomorphology of the Tropical Valley Bottom Landform System in the West African Savanna Landscape (Miller, 2024).
• Barrett, Jaime.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2024. 30991421. Negotiating Mastitis: Animal Health Assemblages, New Ways of Seeing Disease and Hidden Frictions to Changing Antimicrobial Use Practices (Lansing, 2024).
• Tabor, Karyn. Achieving Multiple Conservation Goals with Satellite-Based Monitoring and Alert Systems (Holland, 2023). Currently: Agroclimatology Advisor, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center.
• Pitas, JH. Waste infrastructure as strategy: constructing capitalism through waste in Baltimore (Biehler, 2023). Currently: Faculty at Howard Community College.
• Paris, Ohad. Ecological And Behavioral Effects On The Reproductive Success Of Urban Northern Cardinals (Studds, 2023). Currently: Visiting Faculty at Goucher College.
• Argañaraz, Melisa. Care To Belong: Constructing, Negotiating, And Disrupting Latin American (Im)Migrant Youth (Un)Deservingness In A Welcoming City.
• Shcheglovitova, Mariya. Dead Wood: Growing, Wasting, and Harvesting Baltimore’s Urban Forest (Biehler & Lansing, 2020). Currently: Researcher, US Housing and Urban Development.
• Dixon, Adam. Linking avian diversity with farms in the Iowa Corn Belt using remote sensing, collaborative passive acoustic monitoring, and farmer-habitat relationships (Ellis, 2021).
• Riddering, Laura. The Care Squeeze: An Institutional Ethnography of a Nonprofit to Investigate the Diverse Labors Undertaken “To Fight for Better” in Coffee Markets (Lansing, 2020).
• Diop, Moustapha. To Formalize or Not: Investigating Drivers of Landholders’ Decisions for Land Formalization in Rural Sub-Saharan Africa, The case of Senegal (Holland, 2020).
• Borowy, Dorothy Ann. Urban Metacommunities: The role of local and regional factors on plant community assembly and functional trait patterns in urban vacant land (Swan, 2020).
• Voelker, Nicole. The Role of Spatial Variation in Habitat Quality and Dispersal in Maintaining Diversity and Ecosystem Function Across Spatial Scales in the Urban Hydroscape of the Baltimore Metropolitan Region (Swan, 2019).
• Dupre, Sam. Coffee Leaf Rust and Smallholder Farmers in Guatemala: Livelihood Impacts, Migration, and Coping Strategies (Holland, 2018). Currently: Survey Statistician, U.S. Census Bureau.
• Margulies, Jared. Unruly Animals: multispecies politics and the governing of wildlife space (Ellis, 2017). Currently: Jared is currently Faculty at the University of Alabama.
• St. Pe, Alexandra, Adjusting the Sails: Science and Policy Opportunities to Improve Offshore Wind Power Performance (Halverson, 2017)
• Van Appledorn, Molly. Evaluating the nature and strength of environmental control on floodplain forest communities. (Baker 2016)
• Johnson, Anna. The ecology of urban vacant lands: human-mediated local versus regional control on plant community assembly. (Swan 2015)
• Dandois, Jonathan. Remote Sensing of Vegetation Structure Using Computer Vision. (Ellis, 2014). Currently: GIS Manager, Johns Hopkins University.
• Lindner, Garth.  Controls on Reach Scale Hydrologic Response in Urban Streams and Implications for Restoration Design:  A Case Study (Miller, 2014)
• Merner, L Delta.  Power and Knowledge: Flood Hazard in the Coalfields of Southern West Virginia. (Miller, 2014) Currently: Lead Scientist, Science Hub for Climate Litigation.
• Voglozin, Nohemi. Eco-geographic Patterns of Genetic Diversity of African rice, Oryza glaberrima, in Benin (West Africa). (Parker and Lewis, 2013)
• Williams, Yvette. The Socio-Ecological System of Vacant Lot Management for Southwestern Baltimore Neighborhoods. (Biehler, 2013)
• Magliocca, Nicholas. Using Agent-based Models as Virtual Laboratories for Exploring Human-Environment Interactions in Land-Use Systems. (Ellis, 2012). Currently: Nicholas is currently faculty at the University of Alabama.

PhD:  Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences (MEES)

• Prosser, Diann, Wild Birds and Emerging Diseases: Modeling Avian Influenza Transmission Risk Between Domestic and Wild Birds in China. (Ellis, 2012).
• Harrison, Melanie, Biogeochemical Hotspots of Nitrogen Removal in Urban Streams and Riparian Wetlands.  (Groffman and Miller, 2011)
• Van Meter, Robin, Road Salt Runoff: The Relative Contribution of Direct and Indirect Effects in Pond Food Webs. (Swan, 2011)

Masters of Science: Geography and Environmental Systems

• Wernoch, Rylee Catherine.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2024. 31242853. Improving Institutional Partnerships for Science & Stewardship: A Case Study Between the Smithsonian & Black Churches in Baltimore, Maryland (Biehler, 2024)
• Powell, Autumn M.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2024. 31244126. A State that Leaves No One Behind? Erasure of Native Peoples in Maryland & How This Limits Inclusive Environmental & Climate Action (Holland, 2024)
• Finch, Meredith Molly G. S.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2024. 31244143. Planting Money. Exploring the Implications of Federal & State Environmental Justice Policy in Relation to Funding for Green Space Projects in Baltimore Neighborhoods (Holland, 2024)
• Powell, Drew.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2023. 30687235. Use of Trees as Biomonitors to Detect Spatial Patterns in Metal Air Pollution (Baker, 2023)
• Pasion, Valerie Navarro.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2023. 30814356. Beyond Formalization: Legal Empowerment Strategies for Strengthening Indigenous and Afro-Descendant Land Tenure in Ecuador (Holland, 2023)
• Gibson, Selenea Deianira.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2023. 30695809. Economic and Racial Disparities in Air Quality Monitors in Baltimore City, Maryland, and Other Major Metropolitan Cities in the United States (Mahmoudi, 2023)
• Bodman, Mackenzie G.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2023. 30814473. The Trifecta of Environmental Challenges on College Campuses: Waste, Climate Change and Environmental Justice (Holland, 2023)
• Blume, Christopher Phillip.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2023. 30485027. Chiroptera as Biomonitors of Heavy Metal Distribution in Baltimore City (Biehler, 2023)
• Barnhart, Katheryn.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2023. 30991582. Black Duck Habitat Occupancy Trends in the Chesapeake Bay (Studds, 2023)
• Chase, Jason Hamilton.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2023. 30631578. Assessing the Role of Culvert Sediment Storage in an Urbanized Watershed (Miller, 2023)
• Plofkin, Rhonda. Warning Reception, Organizational Trust, and Risk Perception of Vulnerable Populations in the Midwest and Southeast During Tornado Warning Events (Halverson, 2023).
• Icaza, Gabriela. Interactive effects of consumer exclusion and leaf litter composition on patterns of litter decomposition in a stream ecosystem (Swan, 2023)
• Gilligan, Emma. Informing Policy: Baltimore City, MD Community Perspectives on Using Tree Shade to Reduce Neighborhood Heat (Holland, 2023)
• Sabatino, Alicia. Complex Collaborations: Situating the rise of nonprofit prison labor within Maryland’s institutional landscape (Mahmoudi, 2023). Currently: Web GIS Specialist and Cartographer, Chesapeake Conservancy.
• Figueredo, Natalia. Baltimore City’s Participation in the Zero Waste Movement: Who knows what about it and who has access to it? (Holland, 2023)
• Torres Vargas, Laura. Gender structured representations of the migrant Venezuelan women in Colombian and Venezuelan Newspapers during 2015-2020 (Aufseeser, 2022)
• Rastegar, Nava. Using Spiderwebs to Detect Spatial Differences in Metal Air Pollution (Mahmoudi & Hawn, 2021).
• McDonald, Lauren. The Role Of Road Salt Deicer And Resource Biodiversity On Aquatic Consumer Feeding Dynamics. (Swan, 2021)
• Holman, Julian. Sentiment Analysis of Human-Arthropod Interactions (Swan, 2021)
• Shobe, Beatriz. The Impact Of Urban Forest Corridors On The Richness Of Urban Bird Populations In Baltimore Forest Patches (Studds, 2021)
• Rowlands, D.W. A Nation of Neighborhoods: A Quantitative Understanding of US Neighborhoods and Metropolitan Areas (Mahmoudi, 2021)
• Oakland, Hayley. Studying Water from the Air: Using new measures of aquatic habitat to assess stream restoration outcomes (Baker, 2020)
• Everton, Erin. Photosynthetic Plant Stress in Urban Vacant Lots (Swan, 2020)
• Maffei, Clare. Relationships between vegetation and pollinator communities in established meadows in agricultural landscape (Swan, 2019)
• Baker, Joel Robert.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2019. 13866095. Community Engagement in Mosquito Abatement (Biehler, 2019)
• Cunningham, Daniel.  University of Maryland, Baltimore County ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2019. 13879813. Evaulating Forest Cover and Fragmentation in Costa Rica With a Corrected Global Forest Map (Fagan, 2019)
• Metes, Marina. A lidar-based approach to measure channel incision in headwater streams in an urbanizing landscape (Miller, 2018).
• Jepsen, Rikke. Patterns of detrital biofilm metabolism in urban and nonurban stream environments when exposed to selected pharmaceuticals (Swan, 2018)
• Clifton, Zach. Using detailed topographic analysis to understand spatiotemporal patterns of floodplain hydraulics and sediment deposition (Baker, 2018)
• Binau, John Brooks. Urban Farms in Baltimore City: A foodshed and foodscape analysis.  (Holland, 2017)
• Chang, Jason.  Spatial Relationships between Block Parks and Crime in Baltimore City (Ellis, 2017)
• Connell, Eileen. Migratory Connectivity of a Songbird: Population Genetics Reveal the Wintering Locations of the American Redstart (Studds, 2017)
• Ralston, Katherine. Baltimore forest stewards and the urban forest. (Baker, 2017)
• Miller, Katelyn. Latin@ Immigrant Influence on an Urban Foodscape. (Holland, 2015)
• Mayo, Jennifer. An Analysis of the Housing Market Typology in Baltimore City. (Holland, 2015)
• Gordon, Lindsey.  Globalizing a Classic Study of Agricultural Intensification: Turner et al. (1977) Revisited (Ellis 2015)
• Branum, Tiffany. Bringing Public Back: Exploring Problems and Possibilities in Public Market Redevelopment at Union Terminal Market. (Biehler, 2014)
• Donovan, Mitchell, Quantifying Remobilization of Legacy Sediment from Maryland Piedmont Floodplains. (Miller and Baker, 2014)
• Schall, Daniel, The Chickens’ Grain: Understanding Contestations around Land-Use Best Practices on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. (Lansing, 2014)
• Shamer, Sierra, The Outcomes of Translating Neoliberal Environmental Theory: A Critical Analysis of Payments for Ecosystem Services. (Holland and Lansing, 2014)
• Bieberich, Joe, The Independent and Interactive Roles of Spatial Variation and Dispersal on Zooplankton Metacommunity Structure. (Swan, 2013)
• Jones, Dan, Examining Development Induced Geomorphic Change through time using Multi-temporal LIDAR-derived Digital Elevation Models. (Baker and Miller, 2013)
• Newton, Meridel, Perceptions of Wind Power, Community, and Renewable Energy Landscapes. (Biehler and Lansing, 2013)
• St. Pe, Alexandra, Examining Multidecadal Relationships between the Saharan Air Layer and Large Scale Atlantic Hurricane Environment. (Halverson, 2013)
• Martin, Haley. Effects of Disturbance and a Dominant Consumer on Stream Community Assembly: Experimental and Observational Evidence. (Baker and Swan, 2012)
• Panunto, Matthew. Effects of River Valley Segment Sequencing on Floodplain Hydroperiods. (Baker, 2012)
• Simini, Christina. (Baker 2012)
• Thomas, Janel, A Multi-Scale Observational Analysis of Factors leading to Hurricane Earl’s Rapid Intensification. (Halverson, 2012)
• Antill, Erica. A Biogeographical Study of the American Chestnut: An Evaluation of Intentional Introgression and a Spatial Analysis of Chestnut Habitat in Maryland. (Lewis, 2011)
• Li, Jennifer.  The Role of Elevated Dissolved versus Foliar Nitrogen on Leaf Litter Processing in Stream Ecosystems. (Swan, 2011)
• Krieg, Judith. M.S. in Geography & Environmental Systems, (Miller 2011)

Masters of Science:  Marine-Estuarine-Environmental Sciences (MEES)

• DePalma, Carrie. The Influence of Eastern Hemlock Decline on Organic Matter Processing, Invertebrate Community Structure and Consumer-Resource Interactions in Streams (Swan, 2008)
• Jones, Josh. Interactions between Riparian Forest Restoration and Tree Biodiversity on Litter Breakdown in Stream Ecosystems (Swan, 2008).