People
Principal Investigator
Margaret Anne G. Hinkle, Ph.D.
Earth & Environmental Geoscience Department
W&L University
204 W Washington Street
Lexington, VA 24450
email: hinklem at wlu dot edu
phone: +1-540-458-8271
the twitter: twitter.com/madgeochem
Assistant Professor of Earth & Environmental Geoscience,
W&L (2017-present)
Affiliate Faculty Member in Environmental Studies, W&L
(2018-present)
Research Associate Mineral Sciences, NMNH, Smithsonian
Institution (2018-2021)
Peter Buck Postdoctoral Fellow Mineral Sciences, NMNH,
Smithsonian Institution (2015-2017), working with Dr.
Jeffrey Post and Dr. Cara Santelli
Ph.D. in Earth & Planetary Sciences, Washington University
in St. Louis, 2015, Advisor: Jeffrey G. Catalano
B.S. in Chemistry, Sewanee, 2009, Advisor: Robert E.
Bachman
CV
Google Scholar Profile
Current Members
Jorge Gomez
C’25, Earth and Environmental Geoscience Major
Working in Hinkle Lab on his honors thesis: (topic: microbial Mn oxidation and its role in Mn oxide production in Virginia caves)
Kylie Therrien
C’25, Earth and Environmental Geoscience Major
Working in Hinkle Lab on her thesis* (topic: metals and microplastics in corals)
*Thesis is co-advised by Dr. Lisa Greer
James Edwards
C’25, Earth and Environmental Geoscience Major
Worked/working in Hinkle Lab as Independent Research & as a Summer Research Scholar, researching bioremediation of manganese from coal mine drainage by fungi.
James presented a poster at GSA in 2023 and will be presenting another at GSA in 2024!
Riley Mitchelson
C’28, Environmental Studies Major
Working in Hinkle Lab as NSF undergraduate student researcher, studying the potential for hydrous Mn oxides (byproducts of coal mine drainage remediation) to be used to concentrate REEs
Emma Marvelli
C’28, Earth and Environmental Geoscience Major
Working in Hinkle Lab* as Summer Research Scholar and Independent Study, comparing carbon sequestration potential of Icelandic basalt and Virginia metabasalt
Read more about Emma’s project here!
*Note: this project is primarily advised by Dr. Karena Gill (ASU), with Dr. David Harbor assisting with sample collection and Hinkle providing ongoing support and assistance as Emma’s on-campus advisor
Environmental Geochem Lab Alumni
Organized by Class Year, Major, and then Alphabetically by Last Name
Dr. Madhumita Chakraborty
Earth and Environmental Geoscience Department Postdoctoral Fellow in the Hinkle lab
Learn more about Madhumita’s research here!
Madhumita has now joined the EEG Department as tenure track faculty in the 2024-2025 school year!
Nicolas Angustia
C’29
Worked in Hinkle Lab as an Advanced Immersion and Mentoring (AIM) Scholar (2024)
Note: Nicolas is not a series of microcentrifuge tubes, this image is just a placeholder till we get a better one!
Aden Boyd
C’27, Earth and Environmental Geoscience Major
Worked in Hinkle Lab as a Summer Research Scholar (2024) on passive bioremediation of coal mine drainage.
Aden’s group will be presenting a poster at GSA 2024! He plans to present a poster on his work at SE GSA in 2025
Kassandra Loera
C’28, Earth and Environmental Geoscience Major
Worked in Hinkle Lab as a Summer Research Scholar (2024) on passive bioremediation of coal mine drainage.
Will be presenting a poster at GSA 2024!
Ngoc (Alicia) Nguyen
C’24, Earth & Environmental Geoscience Major
Thesis title: Comparative advantage of incorporating natural mined zeolites, washed zeolites, and synthetic zeolites in improving passive CMD Mn(II) bioremediation systems
Prior to thesis, Alicia worked in our lab through Independent Research & as a Summer Research Scholar, researching bioremediation of manganese by fungi.
Recent presentation:
*‡Edwards J., *‡Nguyen P.M.N., Teagle S.G., Hinkle M.A.G. (2023) “Improving a novel “mycozeo” passive manganese bioremediation system: Comparative efficacy of coal mine drainage remediation by mind, washed, and synthetic zeolites.” Poster presentation by students Edwards and Nguyen at the Geological Society of America Conference, Pittsburg, PA, Oct. 2023.
Ella Dorman
C’24, Chemistry Major
Worked in Hinkle Lab as Summer Research Scholar (2022), researching bioremediation of manganese by fungi.
Ella co-presented a poster at GSA in 2022!
Giang Nguyen
C’24, ENVS Major
Worked in Hinkle Lab as Summer Research Scholar (2021)
Recent National Presentation:
Teagle S., Nguyen G., Harrison S.C., Hinkle M.A.G. “Liner rock geochemistry impacts manganese remediation from coal mine drainage: Toward developing a rapid and long term solution combining fungal oxidative precipitation with zeolite adsorption” Poster presentation by Teagle at the 263rd American Geochemical Society National Meeting, March 2022.
Sarah Teagle
C’23, Chemistry Major, with honors
Currently: Graduate Student at North Carolina State University in the Water Quality and Treatment Research Group with Dr. Knappe
Thesis Title: Improving coal mine drainage passive remediation methods to more effectively remediate manganese
Worked in Hinkle Lab as Summer Research Scholar (2021), Independent Study, and as Chemistry Honors Thesis student (2022-2023)
Sarah’s Linked In
Most recent Hinkle Lab Research Presentation:
Teagle S., Harrison S.C., Nguyen G., Hinkle M.A.G. (2022) “Improving coal mine drainage remediation methods to more rapidly and effectively remediate manganese with a dual 'myco-zeo' system” Oral presentation (selected for a session lightning talk) and poster presentation by Teagle at the 2022 Goldschmidt Conference, July 2022.
Ani Croy
C’22, Geology and Theater Major
Costumer Extraordinaire! Check out her portfolio here
Worked in Hinkle Lab as thesis student through Keck Geology Consortium, 2021-2022.
Thesis Title: Analyzing the relationships between aqueous manganese and environmental and geochemical factors in groundwater in the Shenandoah Valley, VA
Recent Hinkle Lab Research Presentation:
Croy A., Culbertson H., Goldmann C., Willis N., Roquemore M.G., Lyon E., Hinkle M.A.G. (2021) “Assessing manganese concentrations in spring and groundwater across the Shenandoah Valley, VA.” Poster presentation by all students at the 2021 Geological Society of America National Meeting, Oct 2021.
doi: 10.1130/abs/2021AM-370401
Haley Culbertson
C’22 Geology Major, with honors
Worked in Hinkle lab as Independent Study (Spring 2021), Johnson Opportunity Grant (Summer 2021), Honors Thesis (2021-2022)
Currently: Johnson Program Coordinator at Washington and Lee University
Honors Thesis Title: Investigating Manganese Sorption and Redox Behaviors in Soils Associated with Contaminated Springs Throughout the Shenandoah Valley
Recent Hinkle Lab Research Presentation:
Croy A., Culbertson H., Goldmann C., Willis N., Roquemore M.G., Lyon E., Hinkle M.A.G. (2021) “Assessing manganese concentrations in spring and groundwater across the Shenandoah Valley, VA.” Poster presentation by all students at the 2021 Geological Society of America National Meeting, Oct 2021.
doi: 10.1130/abs/2021AM-370401
Briyana (Bri) Mondesir
C’22 Environmental Studies & Spanish Major
Currently: Grant Writer at Spark Point Fundraising and Co-Founder and Deputy Director of Students for Educational Justice
Worked in Hinkle lab as Advanced Research Cohort Scholar 2018.
Bri’s Linked In.
Phillip Hall
C’21, Geology Major and ENVS Major
Worked in Hinkle Lab as W&L Environmental Studies Summer Researcher, 2020.
Currently: Installation Foreman: Change of Greenery, Florida Native Landscapes. Linked In.
Javier Peralta
C’21, Geology Major
Worked in Hinkle Lab as Summer Research Scholar 2018.
Currently: Geophysicist at Ramboll
Previously: Graduate student, Stanford University Earth, Energy, & Environmental Sciences. Linked In.
Recent Hinkle Lab Research Presentations: Peralta J., Santelli C.M., Hinkle M.A.G. (2021) “Is there really a “Good” buffer?: Identifying nonreactive pH buffers for fungal manganese oxide research.” Poster presentation by Peralta at the 261st American Chemical Society National Meeting, April 2021.
Grace Roquemore
C’21, Geology Major
Worked in Hinkle Lab as R. Preston Hawkins IV Award, Summer and Independent Research 2020-2021.
Currently: Environmental Manager at Southeastern Public Service Authority. Linked In.
Recent Hinkle Lab Research Presentation: Roquemore, G., Hinkle M.A.G. (2021) “Identifying Predictive Trends of Manganese Contamination of Groundwater in the Shenandoah Valley, VA.” Poster presentation by Hinkle at the 261st American Chemical Society National Meeting, April 2021.
KT Hensler
C’21, Environmental Studies Major
Worked in Hinkle Lab as Summer Research Scholar 2020.
Currently: Graduate Student at Marine Research Institute, Spanish Research Council (CSIC), Universidad Catolica de Valencia San Vicente Martir
Previously: a Fulbright Scholar in Valencia, Spain researching mollusks. Linked In.
Samantha Armstrong
C’21, Cognitive and Behavioral Science Major
Worked in Hinkle Lab as Summer Research Scholar 2020.
Currently: head assistant for Frostburg State University's upward-bound Regional Math/Science Center. Linked In.
Chris Messerich
C’20 Geology Major
Worked in Hinkle Lab as Independent Study 2020 on Lithium in Oil Field Brines.
Currently: GIS Analyst at Blue Raster. Linked In.
Sam Womack
C’20 Geology Major and Theater Major
Worked in Hinkle Lab (co-advised with Prof. Robert Humston) as Chesapeake Bay Research Intern 2018.
Currently: Contract Geologist at Rangefront Mining Services. Linked In.
Liz Todd
C’19, Geology Major and ENVS Major
Worked in Hinkle Lab as ENVS Honors Thesis 2018-2019.
Thesis Title: Modelling water conservation prioritization in the Henry's Fork Watershed.
Currently: Product manager at National Geographic Society. Linked In.
Kurt Waibel
C’19, Geology Major
Worked in Hinkle Lab as R. Preston Hawkins IV Award, Independent Study 2018-2019.
Currently: Hydrogeologist with GHD. Linked In.
Sarah Cate Harrison
C’19, Environmental Studies Major
Worked in Hinkle Lab as Summer Research Scholar 2018.
Currently: Law student at University of Florida. Linked In.
Recent Hinkle Lab Research Presentation:
Teagle S., Nguyen G., Harrison S.C., Hinkle M.A.G. “Liner rock geochemistry impacts manganese remediation from coal mine drainage: Toward developing a rapid and long term solution combining fungal oxidative precipitation with zeolite adsorption” Poster presentation by Teagle at the 263rd American Geochemical Society National Meeting, March 2022.