Joel Singley, Ph.D. (he/him)

Assistant Professor of Environmental Science

I am an interdisciplinary critical zone scientist and educator who works on:

• interactions between hydrologic variability and the biogeochemical function of ecosystems

• factors governing ecosystem resilience and connectivity along terrestrial-aquatic and urban-rural gradients

• improving science and data literacy, especially quantitative systems thinking and coding

Since 2022, I have been an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at Roger Williams University. I completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Colorado School of Mines with the Singha Lab and the Bedrock Critical Zone Network. Before that, I earned an MS and PhD from the University of Colorado Boulder working with the Gooseff Lab and the Environmental Biogeochemistry Group studying surface water-groundwater interactions and nitrogen cycling in Antarctic streams with the McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER project.

Email Me | Curriculum Vitae | Google Scholar | ORCID ID: 0000-0002-7906-8491

Mandi Greenhalgh

B.S. Environmental Science, Roger Williams University

Mandi joined the lab in 2023 through an internship supported by the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program to study the water quality and ecohydrologic consequences of a coastal dam removal motivated by rising sea levels. She is involved in field instrument installation, maintenance, and data analysis.

Rachel Rodrigues

B.A. Environmental Science, Roger Williams University

Rachel joined the lab to continue a project she began for ENVS 279 – Environmental Data Science. In this work, she leverages her skills in coding to examine 20+ years of stream gage data from Southern New England and assess watershed attributes that influence coupled responses of streamflow and water quality to drought. Beyond research with our lab, she is building a brackish aquaponics system on campus and enjoys spending time outside.

Amanda Paulhus

B.S. Environmental Science, Roger Williams University

Amanda brings her combined interest in environmental science and mathematics to our lab. She is currently collaboratively working to assess watershed attributes that influence coupled responses of streamflow and water quality to drought. Outside of school, Amanda enjoys photography and helps run her family’s farm.

Alex Smith

B.A. Environmental Science, Roger Williams University

Alex joined the lab to investigate the temporal dynamics of water quality in a multi-impoundment reservoir experiencing salinization due to sea level rise. His work makes use of both citizen-collected, low-frequency water quality observations and high-frequency sensor data. In his free time, Alex enjoys rock climbing and hiking.

Sean Costello

B.A. Environmental Science, Roger Williams University

Sean joined our team to gain field research experience as we launch a new project using tree cores and hydrologic data to assess the response of various tree species to active land management and hydroclimatic events along marsh–upland gradients in Rhode Island. Outside of classes, Sean enjoys hiking, geography, and just being in nature.

Sophia Gioioso

B.S. Environmental Science, Roger Williams University

Sophia is working to establish a new meteorological station near our research sites and compare the resulting data with concurrent measurements from two nearby stations. This work will help inform site selection and data processing for future studies by fellow RWU students. Sophia enjoys cooking, going on walks, and spending time with her cats.

Elsie Siris

B.A. Environmental Science, Roger Williams University

Elsie will join our lab as a SURF student for Summer 2024. Her research will combine fieldwork and numerical modeling to assess the impacts of climate change on thermal dynamics in relatively shallow lakes and ponds. Elsie is a gardener and runner who also loves to travel.