Radioecology Research

Emily Caffrey is originally from Santa Rosa, CA. She came to Oregon State to pursue her B.S. in Nuclear Engineering. After graduation, she continued her studies as a graduate research assistant in radiation health physics. She successfully completed her M.S. degree, and is now working towards her PhD. She is interested in radionuclide transport in plant ecosystems, and the effects of high LET radiation on plant seedling growth dynamics.

Delvan Neville is from Prescott Valley, Arizona. He started his undergraduate degree at Arizona State University in Computer Systems Engineering, but transferred to Oregon State University to study Engineering Physics. He soon realized that radiation health physics was his true calling, and graduated with his B.S. in 2011. He is currently working towards his PhD. He is interested in dynamic ocean modeling, and remediation techniques using radio-trophic fungi.

Jon Napier is from Richland, Washington. He earned his B.S. degree in environmental science at Washington State University. He came to Oregon State to pursue his M.S. degree in radiation health physics, which he obtained in 2012. He decided to continue on towards a PhD. His interests are in carbon movement and quantification in wetland ecosystems.

Mary is a native of New Mexico. She completed her undergraduate studies in chemistry and biology at New Mexico State University in Las Cruces, NM. She has worked in government and industry as an analytical chemist, and is currently pursuing her PhD in chemistry at Oregon State. She became interested in the ecological issues associated with nuclear power after volunteering for the Arizona Radiation Response Agency in Phoenix, AZ. Her primary focus is on the movement of radioactive isotopes through the environment. She is developing innovative materials for sequestering and/or removing radioactive contaminants found in sediment, soil, and water.

Liu is originally from China. He obtained his B.E. in Nuclear Engineering and Technology from Chengdu University of Technology, and his M.E. in Radiation Protection and Environmental Protection from the Chinese Institute of Atomic Energy. He is currently working on his PhD in radiation health physics. His current interests are in microdosimetry, and coupling radiation biology and ecology. 

Michelle Comolli is originally from McLouth, Kansas and came to Oregon after serving in the U.S. Air Force.  She is a M.S. student in radiation health physics at Oregon State University where she also received her B.S. degree in radiation health physics in 2012. Her research interests include radioactive transport, emergency response, and radioactive sensitivity in flora and fauna. Previous research focus has been in biological remediation.

Jesse Whitlow is from Portland, Oregon. She is currently an M.S. student in radiation health physics. She received her B.S. in radiation health physics in 2012, also from Oregon State University. Her current research interests are in environmental remediation using biological agents.

Mario Enrique Gómez Fernández is a native of Guatemala City and has lived in Corvallis, Oregon since 2009. Before he came to the USA, he spent a year in Germany as an exchange student, where he learned some nuclear physics. In 2008, Mario was awarded the International Cultural Service Program Scholarship, which allowed him to come to Oregon State University and pursue a degree in Nuclear Engineering. During his undergraduate program, he was part of International Students of Oregon State University, where he participated in many cultural events and worked for Habitat for Humanity as a volunteer to help build houses for the community. Mario received his B.S. in June 2013 and will begin his M.S. program in radiation health physics in the Fall of 2013.

Junwei is originally from China. Due to industrialization and population growth in the last few decades in China, the air quality has lost its purity and has become a threat to the health of humans and the environment. Since he came to the United States, he realized the difference between here and his hometown environment. Junwei would like to become an environmental engineer and apply his knowledge to help the environment. In his senior year, he learned how radioactive substances interact with nature and realized that this type of research is what he wanted to focus on in the future. To gain more experience, he became an undergraduate intern in Dr. Higley’s radioecology lab. While working in the lab, he had the opportunity to do the research using an HPGe detector on snail samples from Chalk River, in order to find an acceptable dose for wildlife. Throughout his coursework and internship, he realized that he wanted to pursue his M.S. degree in radiation health physics with a focus on the environment. He received his B.S. in Radiation Health Physics from Oregon State University in 2013, and starts his M.S. program at OSU in the Fall of 2013.

Caitlin Condon is from Boulder, CO. She graduated from Colorado State University with a B.S. degree in Environmental Health with a minor in Food Science and Safety. She will be starting her M.S. program in radiation health physics in the Fall of 2013.