Members of the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences are involved in conducting world class research funded by national and international granting agencies.
Research activities include laboratory and fieldwork based projects in addition to theoretical and high performance computing focused studies. The training of highly qualified physical scientists is a key mission within the department and interested graduate school applicants are encouraged to contact appropriate departmental faculty members.
Departmental research activities focus on chemistry, environmental science, environmental study and planetary physics.
Chemistry Research Faculty:
| J. Donaldson | Atmospheric and Physical Chemistry |
| A. Izmaylov | Theoretical Physical Chemistry |
| K. Kerman | Analytical and Biological Chemistry |
| B. Kraatz | Bioinorganic and Biological Chemistry, Electrochemistry, Bioanalytical Chemistry, & Water Contamination |
| A. Simpson | Analytical environmental chemistry |
| M. Simpson | Molecular Biogeochemistry, Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Metabolomics |
| R. Sullan | Biophysical Chemistry; Mechano-microbiology |
| O. Voznyy | Developing new materials for Li-ion batteries, hydrogen storage, CO2 capture, and photovoltaics |
| F. Wania | Environmental organic chemistry |
| X.A. Zhang | Biological, organic and bioinorganic chemistry; molecular imaging |
Environmental Science Research Faculty:
| G. Arhonditsis | Aquatic biogeochemical modelling & plankton ecology |
| M. Dittrich | Microorganism-Mineral Interactions, Geomicrobiology, Biogeochemistry |
| N. Eyles | The last 4 billion years; Earth’s glacial history |
| W. Gough | Climate change, meterology and ocean modelling |
| P. Heron | Supercontinents, Mantle Lithosphere, Data Science, Plate Tectonics, Catastrophe modelling, Science communication, Arctic dynamics, Climate modelling, Numerical modelling |
| K. Howard | Groundwater research |
| M. Isaac | Agroecology; Plant-soil interactions; Biogeochemical cycling; Environment and Development |
| A. Martin | Agriculture and climate change; agroecology; plant ecology; plant functional traits |
| C. Mitchell | l Hydrology, biogeochemistry, mercury and metals cycling |
| M. Simpson | Molecular Biogeochemistry, Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Metabolomics |
| M. Wells | Environmental fluid dynamics |
Environmental Studies Research Faculty:
| N. Klenk | Environmental governance and science in society |
| N. Latulippe | Indigenous geographies and systems of knowledge, environmental governance, and law |
| L.Tozer | The governance of energy and urban sustainability transitions |
Physics & Astrophysics Research Faculty:
| P. Artymowicz | Origin and evolution of planetary systems |
| A. Izmaylov | Theoretical Physical Chemistry |
| J.Lowman | Mantle convection and planetary interior dynamics |
| K. Menou | Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics: accretion flows, stars and planets; Extrasolar Planets: atmospheres, habitability and orbital dynamics |
| H. Rein | Planet formation, stochastic processes, planet migration, celestial mechanics, Saturn's rings, N-body codes, hydrodynamics, code development and high performance computing |
| D. Valencia | The characterisation of the low-mass planets: super-Earths and mini-Neptunes |
