CLEAR trainees complete PhDs

Congratulations to CLEAR trainees Zoha Siddiqua (Middle-Left) and Brendan O'Leary (Right), who successfully defended their PhD dissertations this summer! 

Dr. Siddiqua (Dissertation Chair: Dr. David Pitts - pictured left) obtained a dual-title degree in Pharmaceutical Science and Urban Sustainability, and her dissertation was titled “Anthropogenic Stressors in Detroit: Influence of Chemical Contamination and Habitat Degradation.” She examined the toxic effects of endocrine disrupting chemicals and VOCs on aquatic animals with the aim of developing specialized bioassay systems for aquatic organisms. She is currently seeking a postdoctoral position in environmental toxicology and urban sustainability.

Dr. O’Leary (Dissertation Chair: Dr. Carol Miller - pictured middle-right) completed a dual titled Ph.D. program in Civil Engineering and Urban Sustainability in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. His dissertation, titled "Evaluating Volatile Organic Compound Exposure Pathways in Urban Landscapes – Detroit, MI," overlapped many CLEAR research topics. Currently, as a CLEAR postdoctotal fellow, he is developing field screening techniques and numerical modeling approaches to understand the subsurface transport of volatile organic compounds.