Phone Number
607-431-4734 Department
Geology and Environmental Sciences Areas of Expertise
biogeochemistry of soil, sediment, and water, microbe-mineral-water interactions, biofilm processes, soil formation, watershed-based hydrochemistry, environmental health, and quality. Instrumental and analytical experience in environmental geochemistry (examples - atomic absorption spectroscopy, ion chromatography, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry, x-ray diffraction, x-ray fluorescence, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy).
Education
Ph.D., Washington State University Zsuzsanna Balogh-Brunstad
Professor of Geology & Coordinator of Environment, Sustainability & Society
Courses taught:
- GEOL 109 – Global Environment w/2 hr lab
- GEOL/ENSS 209 – Introduction to Soil w/2 hr lab
- GEOL/ENSS 212 – Climate Change
- GEOL 227 – Experiential Field Studies (study area changes yearly)
- GEOL 302 – Surficial Geology w/3 hr lab
- GEOL 305 – Groundwater Hydrology w/3 hr lab
- GEOL/ENCH 330 – Environmental Methods and Analysis
- GEOL 389 – Pre-Thesis Research
- GEOL 416 – Geochemistry
- GEOL 416L – Geochemistry Lab
- GEOL 490 – Senior Project
- ENCH 315 – Environmental Chemistry
- ENCH 315L – Environmental Chemistry Lab
- ENSS/PUBH 257 – Environmental Health Science
- ENSS 490 – Research Project
Recent Publications:
- Dohnalkova, A. C., Tfaily, M. M., Chu, R. K., Smith, A. P., Brislawn, C. J., Varga, T., Crump, A. R., Kovarik, L., Thomashow, L. S., Harsh, J. B., Keller, C. K., & Balogh-Brunstad, Z. (2022). Effects of Microbial-Mineral Interactions on Organic Carbon Stabilization in a Ponderosa Pine Root Zone: A Micro-Scale Approach. Frontiers in Earth Science, 10, https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.799694 – manuscript
- Dontsova, K., Balogh‐Brunstad, Z., and Le Roux, G. (2021), Evaluating the impact and reach of biogeochemical cycles, Eos, 102, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EO163024. Published on 20 September 2021. – manuscript
- Dontsova, K., Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Le Roux, G. (2020) Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impacts, Geophysical Monograph Series (Book 248), American Geophysical Union, 1st ed. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119413332 – book editor
Chapters within the book - Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Smart*, K. E., Dohnalkova, A. C., Saccone, L., Smits, M. M (2020) Micro- and nano-scale techniques to explore bacteria and fungi interactions with silicate minerals. Chapter 4, pp. 81-101, https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119413332.ch4 in:
Donstsova, K., Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Le Roux, G. (eds.) Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impacts, Geophysical Monograph Series (Book 248), American Geophysical Union, 1st ed. - Dontsova, K., Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Chorover, J. (2020) Plants as Drivers of Rock Weathering. Chapter 2, pp. 33-58, https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119413332.ch2 in: Donstsova, K., Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Le Roux, G. (eds.) Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impacts, Geophysical Monograph Series (Book 248), American Geophysical Union, 1st ed.
- Dontsova, K., Balogh‐Brunstad, Z., Le Roux, G. (2020). Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impacts of Biogeochemical Cycles: Challenges and Opportunities. Chapter 15, pp. 301-306, https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119413332.ch15 in:
- Donstsova, K., Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Le Roux, G. (eds.) Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impacts, Geophysical Monograph Series (Book 248), American Geophysical Union, 1st ed.
- Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Keller, C. K., Shi, Z., Wallander, H., & Stipp, S. L. (2017). Ectomycorrhizal Fungi and Mineral Interactions in the Rhizosphere of Scots and Red Pine Seedlings. Soils, 1(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/soils1010005 – manuscript
- Brantley, S. L., Eissenstat, D. M., Marshall, J. A., Godsey, S. E., Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Karwan, D. L., Papuga, S. A., Roering, J., Dawson, T. E., Evaristo, J., Chadwick, O., McDonnell, J. J., and Weathers, K. C. (2017). Reviews and syntheses: on the roles trees play in building and plumbing the critical zone, Biogeosciences, 14, 5115-5142, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5115-2017 – manuscript
Distinctions (Awards, Fellowships and Grants):
- AGU Collection COP26, 2021, selected our book “Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impacts”, Geophysical Monograph Series (Book 248) for the free virtual book showcase in support of the 2021 COP conferences in Milan and Glasgow. Each book publisher contributed four titles about climate change and sustainability. https://institutions.exacteditions.com/cop26
- AAP Prose Award Nomination in Environmental Sciences, 2020, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. for the “Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impacts”, Geophysical Monograph Series (Book 248).
Recently Funded Student Collaborative Research Grants:
Freedman Prize in Applied Geoscience
- Clay Cooking Pots – Material Science, Ella Van Engen (Art) and Megan Bryla (Art and ENSS), in collaboration with Stephanie Rozene, 2023-24
- Effect of Water and Nutrient Availability on Ectomycorrhizal Weathering of Minerals, Cass Markel (Geology), 2023-24
- Water Quality Assessment of the Whippany River near Morristown, New Jersey, Sebastian Stauss (Geology and ENSS), 2022-23
- Determine the Organic Carbon Content of Soils from the Ike Farm, Holton Ike (Geology), 2022-23
Research in Science & Health Fund Award
- Water Quality Assessment of the Whippany River, Sebastian Stauss (Geology and ENSS), 2022-23.