Warning: This page gives you the CREEPS

(Cunningham Researchers for Environmental Engineering, Processes, and Science)

Head CREEP

Prof Jeff Cunningham joined the University of South Florida in 2005. He oversees a group of research students with diverse research interests under the broad umbrella of Environmental Engineering. Jeff’s own research passion is the development and application of mathematical and computational models to describe the behavior of environmental systems. This includes the modeling of contaminant fate and transport processes, groundwater flow, water and wastewater treatment plants and treatment processes, and pore-scale multi-phase flow through porous media, to name a few. Mathematical modeling is useful not only as a prediction tool, but also to test if our theoretical understanding and conceptualizations of the relevant processes are supported by collected data. Jeff has authored or co-authored about 60 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals. When Jeff is not at work, he enjoys reading fiction (or anything written by Nick Hornby), spending time with his family, watching sports (particularly baseball, tennis, and soccer), and playing tennis (if/when his aging body cooperates).

Current Research Team

	Dr Erica Dasi is a 2022 ASEE eFellows Engineering Post-doctoral Fellow investigating autotrophic denitrification (supported by sulfur-containing minerals) for groundwater remediation and domestic wastewater treatment. Erica is passionate about teaching. As a research mentor and instructor, she fosters a safe, collaborative, and inclusive space for students to learn about -- and to help minimize -- common water-quality challenges.
	Christopher Nenninger is a PhD candidate in the Environmental Engineering program. He is co-advised by Prof James Mihelcic. Christopher’s research aims to improve the siting of latrines in low- and middle-income countries where latrines are used as a technology for sanitation. Christopher will quantify what constitutes a “safe” distance between a latrine and a downgradient drinking-water source such as a shallow groundwater well.
	Majid Torof is a PhD student in the Environmental Engineering program. Majid’s research will help an electric utility deploy carbon capture and storage (CCS) at a fossil-fuel-fired power station. Majid enjoys playing soccer and tennis. On the weekends, he likes to watch his favourite soccer team, Manchester United, play in the Premier League.
	Uzoma Ajugwe is a Master’s degree student in the Environmental Engineering program. He is building computer simulations of CO2 sequestration in subsurface geological formations. His hobbies include playing chess and coaching grassroot soccer teams. Uzoma also enjoys discussing his Igbo cultural heritage.

Recent Graduates and Alumni

	Lauren Judah completed her Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering in 2022, with concentrations in both Engineering for International Development and Water Resources Engineering. She became interested in global development while serving as the Design Lead for Engineers Without Borders during her undergraduate studies at the University of Florida. Lauren was co-advised by Prof Jim Mihelcic. Lauren traveled to Madagascar during Summer 2022 (see photo at left!) to conduct her thesis research on bacterial contamination of household water storage containers in the community of Tamatave, Madagascar. In 2024, she will depart for Peru to serve as a Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Educator in the Peace Corps. Lauren views water as a route to equality and is eager to pursue a career that contributes to solving water-quantity and water-quality issues in marginalized communities.
	Ian Grabo completed his Master of Science in Environmental Engineering in May 2022. Ian investigated the formation of trihalomethanes (THMs) during chlorination of municipal wastewater at a centralized treatment facility located in Pinellas County, Florida. By elucidating the operational conditions that lead to higher or lower THM formation, Ian can help the treatment facility remain in compliance with Florida regulations.
	Dr Helene Kassouf completed her PhD in Environmental Engineering in December 2021. The overall objective of Helene’s dissertation research is to find sustainable and efficient processes to treat municipal wastewater while maximizing the recovery of resources (clean water, energy, and nutrients). Specific objectives of Helene’s research include (1) Evaluating the performance of currently employed wastewater treatment processes by quantifying the fluxes of nitrogen and phosphorus through mainstream treatment and sludge-handling operations at a local water reclamation facility, (2) Building and assessing a microbial fuel cell, an innovative technology that can generate electricity while simultaneously removing carbon and nitrogen from wastewater streams, and (3) Evaluating phosphorus removal from wastewater using a newly proposed method of “sidestream enhanced biological phosphorus removal” (S2EBPR).
	Hania Hawasli completed her Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering in December 2021. Hania investigated the cause(s) of arsenic mobilization in groundwater during aquifer and storage recovery (ASR) processes in Florida. In particular, she is interested in the effects of nitrate on arsenopyrite dissolution and arsenic mobilization when partially treated wastewater is used as a source water for ASR.
	Dr Fizza Zahid completed her PhD in Environmental Engineering in May 2021. Fizza’s PhD research focused on the pore-scale modeling of multi-phase fluid flow (e.g., oil and water) in porous media. Specifically, Fizza investigated the impact of grain morphology on the development of fluid-fluid interfaces. Fizza employed lattice Boltzmann modeling (color gradient method) to accomplish the multi-phase flow modeling. The goal of the work was to understand the physics of pore-scale multi-phase flow in porous media, with a view towards improving engineering solutions involving multi-phase fluids (e.g., soil remediation, carbon dioxide sequestration).
	Murat Kayabas completed his MS in Civil Engineering in May 2021. Murat built and characterized a laboratory-scale confined aquifer system that was able to simulate injection and withdrawal conditions of aquifer storage and recovery (ASR).
	Dr Ram Kumar completed his PhD in Chemical Engineering in December 2019. He was co-advised by Prof Scott Campbell. Ram’s research interests and expertise include computational fluid dynamics, hydrogeology & geochemistry, groundwater modeling, geological carbon storage, and modeling of indoor air quality. As of July 2021, Ram is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Energy Geosciences Division at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
	Dr Kevin Orner completed his PhD in Environmental Engineering in May 2019. At USF, Kevin focused on the management of nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) from wastewater streams at different scales (e.g., individual buildings, city sewersheds) and in different contexts (e.g., urban and agricultural). He was co-advised by Prof Jim Mihelcic. In fall of 2021, Kevin began a faculty position as an Assistant Professor in the Wadsworth Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at West Virginia University. The overall goal of his research group is to improve human and environmental health locally and globally through the safe and sustainable recovery of resources (nutrients, energy, and water) from concentrated waste streams.
	Aldo Lobos completed his MS degree under the joint supervision of Jeff Cunningham and Prof Jody Harwood from the Department of Integrative Biology. Following the completion of his MS degree, Aldo began his PhD program in Integrative Biology under Prof Harwood’s direction. Aldo is now exploring the reduction of microbial source-tracking markers through advanced wastewater treatment techniques and the influence of stormwater runoff and aging infrastructure on concentrations of genes associated with pathogens and antibiotic resistance in impaired surface waters.