Principal Investigator (PI)
Jessica Ray joined the University of Washington Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering as an Assistant Professor in January 2019. Previously, Dr. Ray was a Miller Institute Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of California, Berkeley investigating low-cost engineered adsorbents for removal of trace contaminants in urban stormwater. Jessica received her B.S. (Chemical Engineering, 2009) and Ph.D. (Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, 2015) from Washington University in St. Louis. As a graduate student, Dr. Ray’s research examined the fate and transport of nanomaterials by employing advanced surface chemistry analytical techniques for which she received the Environmental Protection Agency Students to Achieve Results (STAR) Graduate Fellowship to support her research. At the University of Washington, Jessica plans to design, characterize and apply low-cost engineered adsorbents for selective removal of contaminants in stormwater and wastewater. In the future, Dr. Ray plans to expand the portfolio of composite adsorbents to investigate ways to recover nutrients and other valuable materials from wastewater. In her free time, Jessica loves to cook and bake, and go hiking with her dog, Lucy.
Graduate Students
Kaylyn is a first-year PhD student and GEM Fellow in Environmental Engineering. She graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) in Spring 2024 with her B.S. in Chemistry. During her undergrad, Kaylyn conducted research on nutrient recovery, and the transport of PFAS, across ion-exchange membranes. Her current research in the Ray lab entails modifying adsorbents for more selective removal of short and (ultra)short chain PFAS. In her free time, Kaylyn loves exploring Seattle + the food, attending cultural and art events, and baking cookies.
Aparna is a PhD student in Materials Science and Engineering. She completed her undergraduate degree in Chemical Engineering in 2021 at the University of Colorado. As an undergraduate, she studied ice recrystallization inhibition of biomimetic polymers to mitigate freeze-thaw damage. In her graduate research, she characterized and developed a method for selective separation of synthetic microplastic fibers from laundry wastewater. Her research within the AIMS lab will explore the interactions between microplastics and PFAS in water. Aparna enjoys skiing, biking, plants, coffee, and watching football with her friends and cats.
Priya is a PhD student in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She completed her B.S. in Environmental Science at Western Washington University in 2020 and her M.S. in Nanoengineering at UC San Diego in 2022. She is interested in developing low-cost, accessible technologies to expand access to clean water and improve human and environmental health. Priya’s previous research experience includes investigating patterns of metal accumulation in snow algae and understanding the mechanical role of blood flow on the formation of congenital heart defects. Priya joined the AIMS group in the Fall of 2024. Her current research focuses on developing novel wastewater treatment solutions.
Kovas is a Master’s student in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He completed dual B.A. degrees in Physics and Geology at Macalester College in 2016. His undergraduate research focused on producing and evaluating ZnO thin-films for application in photovoltaic cells; and investigating the depositional setting of the circa 2.9 billion-year-old Quetico (geologic) subprovince in northern Minnesota using U/Pb isotope dating of zircon mineral grain (Detrital Zircon Geochronology). In 2017, Kovas completed an AmeriCorps service term with EarthCorps – executing fieldwork for forest and native habitat restoration in urban parks, riparian corridors, wetlands, and shorelines. In the following 5 years, he worked for Seattle-based environmental consultants contributing to habitat restoration, environmental site assessments, investigating soil and groundwater contamination, and field oversight of remediation implementation. Kovas’ current research is focused on evaluating commercially available adsorbent media for their capacity to remove a variety of legacy and emerging PFAS compounds from municipal wastewater treatment plant effluent. In his free time Kovas enjoys soccer, gardening, getting out in nature, learning about history, exploring new places, and caring for his dog, Lula.
Alanna is a Ph.D. student in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Alanna completed her B.S. (2020) in Chemistry at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. In her undergraduate research, Alanna developed methodology for novel column reactions to investigate the reduction of 4-chloronitrobenzene at the surface of hematite nanoparticles and the oxidation of iron onto the surface of the nanoparticles. She is interested in researching the fate and transport of emerging organic contaminants as well as developing materials to treat emerging organic contaminants. In her free time, Alanna enjoys gardening, hiking, biking, soccer, cooking, and listening to podcasts.
Jen Hooper is a PhD student in in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She competed a BS in Biological Systems Engineering with a minor in Mathematics from the University of Idaho in 2004 and an MS in Environmental Engineering and minor in Risk Analysis, Assessment and Communications from Cornell University in 2006. Since that time she has been a professional engineer in consulting and is currently serving as a Principal at CDM Smith. Her consulting work has focused on chemical and biological treatment processes for remediation, drinking water, wastewater and water reuse, including over a dozen R&D projects for the Water Research Foundation and the Department of Defense’s Environmental Security Technology Certification Program. She is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. Her PhD research is investigating degradation of recalcitrant halogenated organic compounds, by hydrated electron generating photosensitizers. She enjoys going for bike rides, hiking, yoga and quality time with her family.
Reagan is a PhD student in the Molecular Engineering program and earned a B.S. Chemistry in 2022 at the University of California San Diego. As an undergraduate, she immobilized catalysts on porous silicon nanoparticles to degrade photosensitizer dyes and chemical nerve agents. She also spent a summer interning at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) where she researched corrosion of metal alloys in liquid desiccants to help construct an energy efficient HVAC system. For her graduate research, she is interested in employing vanadium carbide MXenes for reductive and selective PFAS degradation in water. In her spare time, Reagan likes to cook, dance, try new food, go on hikes, and spend time with family and friends.
Undergraduate Students
Finn is an undergraduate student in the Environmental Engineering program at UW and joined the lab in June of 2025. He currently works with Alanna monitoring 6PPD-Q concentrations in stormwater from turf fields on UW campus, along with testing other compounds as alternate infills. In his spare time he enjoys biking, running, and hiking in the PNW.
Evan is an undergraduate student in the Environmental Engineering program at UW. He joined the lab in February of 2025, and is currently working with Kovas to analyze different commercial adsorbent media and their effectiveness in the removal of a variety of PFAS compounds. In his free time, he enjoys skiing, fishing, biking, and exploring the great outdoors.
Kiana is a student in the Environmental Engineering program at the University of Washington. She joined the lab in January of 2024, where she worked under Amy to identify the effects of fungus and biochar on plant growth and stormwater remediation. Currently, she is working with Alanna on her research studying 6PPD-quinone in stormwater from turf runoff. Outside of lab and schoolwork, she likes to cook and spend time outdoors.
Former Postdocs
Katya completed her B.S. in Environmental Sciences (2012) and PhD in Environmental Engineering (2017) at the University of California, Berkeley. During her doctoral research, Katya developed an inexpensive process to remediate fluoride-contaminated groundwater by using bauxite, an aluminum-rich ore that is widely available in resource-constrained regions affected by endemic skeletal fluorosis. Currently, Katya is a UW Commercialization Postdoctoral Fellow and the Founder/CEO of her nonprofit, Global Water Labs. Katya aims to scale up and deploy the groundwater defluoridation process in the East African Rift Valley in conjunction with field partners. Katya is also conducting research to treat industrial wastewater containing heavy metals (e.g., Cu, Pb, Zn) at Cascade Designs, Inc. Her overarching research interests are to leverage inexpensive natural composite ores to remediate persistent inorganic groundwater contaminants, to evaluate the efficiency of different reactor configurations, and to develop novel methods for addressing solid waste produced during water treatment by adsorption. In her spare time, Katya loves throwing pottery at the studio, cooking vegetarian meals, playing strategy-based board games, bouldering, playing soccer, and exploring new waterfalls and rivers.
Yuemei completed her Ph. D in the chemistry department in Tongji University in China (2017). During her Ph.D. study, she was focused on the functional polymetric hydrogel synthesis and their applications. Then she worked on functional porous materials design for selective adsorption and desorption of toxic pollutants in water during her postdoctoral research in the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the School of freshwater center. Her research projects were supported by the A.O. Smith Corporation. and SSI Corporation. Currently, Yuemei is a UW Postdoctoral Fellow, she has background on both material science and water treatment research, she is focusing on developing useful and green materials or methods for drinking water and wastewater treatment. She desires to become a professional female scientist, working on environmental applications. In her spare time, Yuemei loves walking outside, enjoy the sunshine, reading books, cooking Chinese food, swimming and exploring the city.
Former Graduate Students
Amy is a graduate student in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Physics at Wellesley College. Her senior research project explored the power-conversion efficiency and stability of solution-processed triple halide perovskite solar cells to understand their performance as a more accessible and cost-effective solar panel semiconductor. Prior to this, she supported graduate research in the Watershed Hydrology Lab at UC Santa Cruz, which aimed to study the impacts of agricultural runoff on abiotic factors at the Elkhorn Slough Reserve. Her research within the AIMS Lab will investigate how biochar influences soil microbiomes and how these microbial communities can be enhanced to improve stormwater remediation. She enjoys hiking, reading, crocheting, and spending time with her niece and nephew.
Fanny is PhD recipient in the department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Fanny completed her A.S (2013) in Mathematics at Minneapolis College, then her B.S (2015) and M.Eng (2016) in Environmental Engineering at Cornell University. She is interested in the fate and transport of contaminants in environmental matrices and in developing remediation techniques for these contaminants. For her M.Eng study, Fanny investigated the mechanisms governing the trapping of fluoroquinolone antibiotics in montmorillonite clay. Her research at the University of Washington focused on developing new media for stormwater treatment. Fanny hopes to develop effective materials and techniques to be used in the remediation of a broad spectrum of contaminants. In her free time, Fanny enjoys hiking, discovering new places, discovering and listening to new podcasts and watching stand-up comedy.
Jessica Steigerwald completed her B.S. in Environmental Engineering at Oregon State University in 2018. Her undergraduate research focused on removal of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, and Zn) from stormwater using locally sourced biochar materials. After graduating Jessica began working with Arcadis, a global design and consultancy firm, in Clifton Park, New York as an entry level Environmental Engineer. Her work at Arcadis has focused on remediation of PCBs and organic solvents in soil, groundwater, and surface waters. Jessica is a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. Her research interests lie in fate and transport, and treatment of aquatic contaminants. In her free time Jessica enjoys running, reading, drawing, traveling, and spending time outdoors.
Nikki is a graduate student in the department of Civil & Environmental Engineering. Nikki completed her B.S. (2019) in Civil Engineering at Saint Louis University (SLU). At SLU, Nikki’s research investigated the potential for arsenic removal in drinking water with porous iron-coated clay pots. Nikki joined the AIMS Lab as part of the Campus Sustainability Fund during the Spring 2020 quarter and is involved in evaluating spent coffee ground biochar as a filter media. Her research interests include removal of trace organic contaminants in urban stormwater and employing strategies to improve the overall sustainability of cities. In her spare time, Nikki loves doing outdoor activities including biking, running, hiking, bouldering and ultimate frisbee. She also loves board games, reading and crossword puzzles.
Former Undergraduate Students
Bao is an undergraduate student in the Chemical Engineering Department at UW. He joined the lab in the fall of 2023 and worked with Amy to study the biochar-fungus phytoremediation system for organic pollutant removal. Right now, he focuses on stabilizing 2D vanadium carbide nanosheets with environmentally benign salts with Reagan. Outside of research, he likes playing soccer and fishing.
Caroline is an undergraduate student in the Department of Psychology at the University of Washington. She collaborates with Alanna and her team to facilitate stakeholder outreach in campus athletics, recreation, and other communities involved in the 6-PPD Quinone turf investigation. Caroline is particularly interested in sustainability in sports and entertainment. Outside of research, Caroline enjoys hosting her college radio show, cheering on husky sports, and spending time outdoors.
Rose Martin is an Environmental Engineering student at the University of Washington. She joined the AIMS lab in June 2024, initially working under Alanna to study 6PPD leaching from turf infill. Currently, she is conducting research through the Mary Gates Research Scholarship, investigating how different solvent types influence the leached concentrations of PPDs from crumb rubber, as well as examining their sorption behavior.
Theo graduated with his B.S in Chemical Engineering at the University of Washington in 2024. He joined the AIMS Lab in 2022 and worked under Alanna to help investigate 6PPD and 6PPD-quinone, and their interactions with different treatment media. He also worked on testing the feasibility of pyrolyzing tire crumb rubber to use as activated carbon for the removal of contaminants from water. In his free time, he enjoys reading, baking, eating, and sleeping.
Reyna recently graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering. She joined the lab in the Spring of 2023. She assisted Jess (Steigerwald) and Fanny in their research on the removal of PFAS through biochar and studied the efficiency of Fanny’s ferrate-coated sand to remove phenol moieties and trace metals, respectively. In her senior year, under the guidance of Fanny, she investigated the effect of effluent organic matter (EfOM) on ferrate’s degradation of phenol. In the future, she wants to get involved in policy regarding the management of wastewater and sanitation.
Joshua is pursuing a B.S. in Chemical Engineering and learned about water treatment from an Environmental Engineering class taught by Dr. Ray and Fanny. He joined the lab under Nikki in early 2021, helping her test biochar made from spent coffee grounds as a filter media. When Nikki graduated, he continued the coffee ground biochar experiments and coded in Python as a side project to help with data analysis. In his free time, Joshua enjoys drawing, dancing, performing music, and playing video games with his friends. Though his work involves coffee grounds, his favorite beverage is water.
Joseph (Joe) joined Dr. Ray’s lab during summer 2021 and pursued a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Data Science. Working under Fanny, his time was focused on the synthesis of ferrate coated sand and testing its efficacy as a means of water treatment. After graduation, Joe hopes to continue his education in a data related area of study, in the meantime, and while he’s not busy with school, he can be found playing D&D or watching tv.
Shawnie is a graduate of the Chemical Engineering undergraduate program. She developed a strong interest in the AIMS Lab after discovering research, projects, and goals of the lab. Shawnie joined the lab in Fall of 2021, and is assisting Jess Steigerwald’s research on the removal of PFAS in stormwater using biochar. In her free time, Shawnie enjoys traveling, roller skating, and trying new foods and restaurants.
Vivian graduated with her B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2021. She joined the AIMS lab in the summer of 2020, assisting Dr. Yuemei Ye with the characterization of a nano-material for PFAS degradation. During her senior year, Vivian completed an independent honors research project to investigate molecularly imprinted polymers for selective removal of long and short chain PFAS from water. Outside of the lab, she enjoys spending time in the kitchen, as well as getting outdoors to hiking and backpack. Ultimately, Vivian is looking to pursue a career in science to promote sustainability and combat today’s pressing environmental concerns.
Hojeong completed her B.S. degree in Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington in 2020. She joined the AIMS Lab as an Undergraduate Research Assistant in Fall 2019, where she worked under Dr. Yuemei Ye to assist in the experiments to optimize a new composite material used to degrade toxic organic contaminants in wastewater. In her free time, Hojeong enjoys practicing yoga and trying out new restaurants.
Max Steiner transferred from Seattle Central College to the University of Washington in 2017, where he pursued a B.S. in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Applied Mathematics. He joined the AIMS lab as part of a Mary Gates sponsored internship during Summer quarter 2019, and worked under the guidance of Dr. Katya Cherukumilli on investigating the performance of filter columns for the removal of fluoride from contaminated groundwater in resource-constrained areas. He is also hoping to learn about the surface characteristics of the active media used in the columns, in order to understand some of the mechanisms driving the filtration process. Whenever possible, Max enjoys drinking coffee, practicing drums, clearing his mind on walks, and learning new gymnastic skills.
Daaniya completed her B.S. in Bioresource Science and Engineering (2019) at the University of Washington and is a CoMotion Mary Gates Innovation Scholar working with Global Water Labs. Her previous undergraduate research interests centered around the renewable energy field. Daaniya has worked on producing cellulosic ethanol from hybrid-poplar feedstock, yielding crude hydrocarbons from a fast pyrolysis reactor, evaluating hazard mitigation protocols for each county in Washington, and growing algae for biodiesel conversion. Daaniya first became interested in water treatment while working on a wastewater remediation project as a process engineering intern at Sonoco. Her desire to focus on water treatment applications led to her application to the Global Water Labs, and she looks forward to applying research concepts in a scalable commercial setting. She hopes to gain valuable experience as well as knowledge from her mentors in the AIMS lab over the summer. Daaniya enjoys playing badminton, perusing food blogs, attempting to play the drums, climbing stairs, and writing in her free time.
Kaylie Dennehy
Kaylie was an undergraduate student at UW in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering. During the summer of 2019, Kaylie was working with Yuemei investigating PFAS degradation.