People

Gloria Ambrowiak is a joint PhD student in environmental chemistry & technology and soil science, working with Matt Ginder-Vogel and Francisco Arriaga. She is originally from Kenosha, WI and did her BS at UW-Madison with a major in soil science and a certificate in environmental studies. She did her MS at Oregon State University in soil science with a minor in water resources. She worked as the manager of the OSU Crop and Soil Science Central Analytical Laboratory before coming back to the UW to do her PhD focusing on phosphorus speciation and bioavailability. She has too sweet old lady cats named Olivia and Turtle, and recently joined a hockey league.

Carl Betz is a Ph.D. student in the Ginder-Vogel group who is coadvised by Francisco Arriaga in the department of soil science. Carl’s current research focuses on neonicotinoid insecticide leaching in agricultural soils. Coming from the East coast, Carl completed a B.S. in environmental sciences with a minor in chemistry at the University of Vermont before starting graduate school at UW madison. Outside of his graduate studies, Carl enjoys mountain biking, playing guitar, and hanging out with his cat Luna.

Prof. Matt Ginder-Vogel is an Associate professor in the Environmental Chemistry and Technology program at the University of Wisconsin – Madison. Prior to joining the Madison faculty, Dr. Ginder-Vogel was the manager of process and analytical chemistry at Calera Corporation. At Calera he led teams responsible for production of cemetitious materials derived from industrial CO2 sources. Previously he worked at the Delaware Environmental Institute at the University of Delaware. He received his Ph.D. in soil and environmental biogeochemistry from Stanford University.

Juliet Ramey-Lariviere was raised in New York City and went to Smith College where she majored in Environmental Geoscience with a minor in Applied Statistics. She briefly worked in environmental consulting before continuing on to graduate school. She joined the EC&T program in the fall of 2023 as a master’s student studying geogenic contaminants in an aquifer in Wisconsin. In her free time she likes to make origami, play card games like Set and Dutch Blitz and video games like Stardew Valley and Breath of the Wild.

I am a sixth-year PhD candidate in Environment and Resources with a minor in Molecular and Environmental Toxicology. My research interests lie at the intersection of land use law, water regulation, and public health; particularly, the ecological and environmental justice implications of prison location, siting, and operation on individuals who are incarcerated and the surrounding communities—both human and non-human.

Jenna Swenson (she/her) received a B.S. in both Chemistry and Biochemistry in 2020 from the University of Minnesota Duluth and is an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. She is now a doctoral student in the Environmental Chemistry and Technology program co-advised by Christy Remucal and Matt Ginder-Vogel. Jenna is currently studying the chemical interactions between dissolved organic matter, organic contaminants, and manganese oxides in aquatic systems. In her free time Jenna enjoys reading, baking, spending time outside, and hanging out with her dog, Lola.

In 2019, I received a dual B.A. in Chemistry and Environmental Studies from Austin College in Sherman, TX. Currently, I am a Ph.D. candidate researching various spectroscopic methods of monitoring environmental arsenic transformation. I am also passionate about the intersection of social justice and environmental science education. Outside of research, I enjoy horseback riding, cooking, playing video games (Stardew Valley, Legend of Zelda, Eldin Ring), hiking, and painting.

Marco Vallejos (he/him, diasporic settler of color) is a joint graduate student at UW-Madison in the Department of Geography and Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies researching plastic movement in fluvial and lacustrine landscapes. Using transdisciplinary methodologies between geomorphology and waste theory, I aim to (dis)entangle the societal and geologic aspects of environmental plastic from micro to macro scales, applying an environmental justice lens when applicable. I ground my research and way of being in anti-colonial, feminist, and BIPOC scholarship and community. Growing up in south Florida, I completed my BA in Geosciences from Williams College with a concentration in Science and Technology Studies (STS). When not in old academic buildings, I enjoy playing volleyball, fishing, and coaxing a perfect shot of espresso from a finicky machine.