Jill Schrlau has been working as a Research Assistant since June 2009 in the lab of Dr. Staci Massey Simonich. She is now going back to school to be able to change careers from analytical chemistry to environmental engineering with a specific interest in remediation.

Jill  has two Bachelor degrees under her belt, and will soon have two Master’s degree.

BS in Chemistry from Florida International University (2004)
BS in Environmental Studies from Florida International University (2004)
MS in Chemistry from Oregon State University (2007)

Jill’s current MS research is on the degradation of PAHs in contaminated soil using four different cultures of aerobic microbial cultures.

Identification of degradation production products and their potential toxicity compared to the parent PAHs will fill knowledge gaps in the field of bioremediation of PAHs.

This project is a collaboration between Dr. Staci Massey Simonich in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology and Dr. Lewis Semprini in the Department of Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering at Oregon State University.

Besides science, Jill enjoys gardening, ballroom/swing dancing, and traveling.

Hi, my name is Tod (with one “d”) Harper Jr, and I am recent transplant to Corvallis from Galveston, Texas.

While in Texas I earned a B.S. in Marine Biology from Texas A&M University @ Galveston and a PhD. in Pharmacology & Toxicology from The University of Texas Medical Branch. My dissertation project in the laboratory of Dr. Cornelis Elferink focused on identifying physiological functions of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor.

As a postdoctoral fellow at Oregon State University in Dr. David William’s laboratory (Project 1),  I am investigating the early mechanisms involved in cancer initiation after in utero exposure to the environmental contaminants. In addition, I am investigating how maternal consumption of dietary phytochemicals can protect the developing fetus from environmental insults in the womb.

When I am not in the laboratory I can most likely be found camping, trail running, eating oysters by the dozen, and/or enjoying one of Oregon’s fine craft brews!