The Ecobiogeochemistry Grouup
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Who are we?
Juliana D'Andrilli, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Dept. of Biological Sciences
University of North Texas
Phone: (940) 369-5707
Email: juliana.d'andrilli@unt.edu
ORCID: 0000-0002-3352-2564
Juliana D’Andrilli researches carbon cycling from the perspective of dissolved organic matter (DOM) evolution biogeochemistry in marine, freshwater, terrestrial, and cryosphere ecosystems by investigating its quality and quantity. Juliana obtained a B.S. in Chemistry in 2003 from Mary Washington College (Virginia), worked as a chemist at Estee Lauder's Research & Development Park for a year (New York), and then obtained a Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2009 from Florida State University (Florida, USA). She completed two postdoctoral appointments at Montana State University (Montana, USA) and was an Assistant Research Professor there for 5 years before joining the faculty as an Assistant Professor at LUMCON in 2019. In January of 2024, she joined the faculty as an Associate Professor in the Dept. of Biological Sciences at the University of North Texas. Research interests in organic carbon cycling and chemical measurements stem from Juliana's curiosity in learning how Earth's ecosystems function. Current projects include: 1) river restoration from legacy mining, 2) disentangling challenges of analytical chemistry techniques to measure organic carbon quality, 3) effects of climate and land use change on organic carbon and aquatic health for snowpack-fed waters, 4) global carbon cycling trends from the last 30,000 years from organic carbon signals in polar ice cores, 5) metal-organic matter complexation and anthropogenic imprints from chemical and biological measurements, 6) Arctic river and ocean carbon cycling, and 7) improving confidence with communication using improvisation exercises and techniques. Juliana is typically found singing and dancing wherever she is, thoroughly enjoys music, art, theatre, outdoor activities, and is an avid gymnast. Carbon cycling field research and gymnastics go surprisingly well together.
Kody Kuack
Undergraduate Research Student
Ecology for Environmental Science
University of North Texas
Email: KodyKuack@my.unt.edu
Kody Kuack is an undergraduate student at the University of North Texas working to complete his Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology for Environmental Science. He is currently an undergraduate research fellow working with Dr. D'Andrilli, where he contributes to two projects focused on freshwater aquatic ecosystems. One project examines non-agricultural anthropogenic sources of eutrophication in urban river systems spanning a Montana-to-Texas gradient, where he works collaboratively with a PhD student to survey the literature and identify knowledge gaps. The other involves collaborative work with a MS student to conduct fieldwork in Denton, TX, where he assists in collecting water samples to support a comparison of dissolved organic carbon and nutrient concentrations between low-impact and urbanized streams. Kody's passion for freshwater science has been shaped by a growing interest in hydrology and the ways water movement connects landscapes, ecosystems, and human communities. He is particularly drawn to understanding how human activity disrupts the delicate chemistry of freshwater systems and what that means for the ecosystems that depend on them. His next goal is to pursue an MS degree focused on anthropogenic changes in headwater stream metabolism, biological communities, and biogeochemical signals, and to one day mentor the next generation of young researchers. In his free time, Kody enjoys fishing and wildlife photography, both of which have deepened his appreciation for the natural environments he studies while in the field.
Owen Rodriguez
Undergraduate Research Scholar
Chemistry
University of North Texas
Email: OwenRodriguezMercado@my.unt.edu
Blurb coming soon
Emily Coronado
M.S. Graduate Student
Environmental Science
University of North Texas
Email: EmilyCoronado2@my.unt.edu
ORCID: 0009-0001-4418-2753
Emily Coronado is a graduate student at UNT working to get her MS degree in environmental science. She is working with Dr. D’Andrilli to evaluate the health of the Upper Clark Fork River in western Montana after major river restoration from legacy mining, building on the work she completed as an undergraduate research fellow. Emily is mastering her skills in analyzing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) composition at the bulk level using absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy. She hopes to build relationships with the fundamental building blocks of our world, namely the DOC pool, to further tackle environmental issues. Throughout her education, she plans to gain a deeper understanding of many different fields of environmental science and the connections among them. In her free time, Emily enjoys reading all manner of books and spending time with her family, including her wonderful four-legged friends.
Arya Mohanan
Ph.D. Candidate Graduate Student
Environmental Science
Dept. Biological Sciences and AERI
University of North Texas
Email: AryaMohanan@my.unt.edu
ORCID: 0009-0009-7670-6994
Arya Mohanan is a Ph.D. candidate in Environmental Science UNT, working with Dr. D'Andrilli. She began her doctoral journey in Fall 2024, following the completion of her M.S. in Environmental Science at UNT in June 2024. Originally from India, Arya holds a B.Sc. in Zoology from Sacred Heart College, Thevara, Kerala, where she was actively involved in research on avian diversity. During her Master’s work, Arya’s research focused on ecological diversity, with her thesis titled "Diversity Patterns of Chilean Tardigrades: Exploring Alpha and Beta Diversities at Multiple Spatial Scales." Her interest in understanding biodiversity led her to investigate tardigrade communities across Chile. Building on her previous expertise and eager for a new research direction, Arya transitioned to environmental chemistry for her Ph.D. Now, she is focused on measurements of water quality and dissolved organic
matter by optical properties and plans to couple findings with ecological data to better understand carbon cycling patterns in a metal-contaminated river undergoing restoration in western Montana. Outside the academic career, Arya is a trained Indian classical dancer, specialized in Bharathanatyam. She also enjoys cooking, traveling, and taking on adventurous activities like skydiving.
Ishani Mahawaththa
Ph.D. Graduate Student
Biology
Dept. Biological Sciences and AERI
University of North Texas
Email: IshaniMahawaththa@my.unt.edu
ORCID: 0009-0006-3725-6108
Ishani Mahawaththa is an international graduate student who came to the US all the way from Sri Lanka. She obtained a BS in Environmental Conservation and Management degree from the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka in 2022, and an MS in Environmental Science from UNT in 2024. Her undergraduate research project title was "An Assessment of Potential Land for Mangrove Restoration in the North-Western Province Sri Lanka to Climate Change Mitigation." Due to the influence of watching nature documentaries by David Attenborough, reading books by Desmond Morris, and Richard Dawkins, and learning behavioral ecology, she had an urge to learn more about ecology and biogeography. Her MS thesis title was "Diversity Patterns of Tardigrade Assemblages in Forested Landscapes in Chile." Soon after obtaining her MS degree, she joined Dr. D'Andrilli’s lab at UNT to follow her new brain wave about environmental chemistry. Specifically, her research focuses on the effects of climate change and anthropogenic activity on montane freshwater streams using dissolved organic matter markers from optical property measurements. Here are some fun facts about Ishani, she is a movie buff and loves dancing, mountains, and Shawn Mendes and Enrique Iglesia’s music. But a controversial fact about her is she does not like sushi.
Dr. Bilal Aftab
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dept. Biological Sciences and AERI
University of North Texas
Email: Bilal.Aftab@unt.edu
ORCID: 0000-0002-9500-9686
Dr. Bilal Aftab is an environmental scientist with a strong research background in the advanced characterization of dissolved organic matter (DOM). His research expertise includes fluorescence spectroscopy (EEM-PARAFAC), molecular weight distribution (LC-OCD, SEC-FLD), and molecular-level analysis (FTICR-MS), with a focus on understanding the transformation and behavior of DOM in engineered and natural systems. Bilal completed his Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering at Sejong University, South Korea, where he investigated the fate of landfill leachate organic matter in membrane-based treatment processes. Later, he served as a Lecturer at Sejong University, and subsequently worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the
Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech), China, where he focused on membrane technologies and DOM-related fouling mechanisms. Bilal was excited to come to UNT, work in the Department of Biological Sciences and AERI with a renewed passion to explore DOM dynamics in marine environments. His research aims to identify key DOM fractions that can enhance the performance of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) deployed in the ocean to generate on-site electricity for remote applications. With over 11 first-author publications in leading journals, Aftab brings both experience and enthusiasm to this innovative frontier of ocean-based energy and environmental science.
Dr. Archana Dayal
Postdoctoral Research Associate
Dept. Biological Sciences and AERI
University of North Texas
Email: archana.dayal@unt.edu
@snowecology | Google Scholar | ORCID: 0000-0001-5457-8842
Dr. Archana Dayal is a polar microbial biogeochemist with a deep passion for understanding ecosystems across the cryosphere. Her research spans snowpack biogeochemistry in Svalbard, methane emissions from Arctic glacier debris, and biogeochemical study of Antarctic blue ice and cryoconite holes. She loves polar fieldwork and has completed over 13 months in Svalbard and Antarctica. She also featured in a short documentary, ‘Ice Alive’, that highlights the importance of microbial habitats on Greenland. Archana earned her Ph.D. in 2021 on snowpack biogeochemistry and microbial ecology at the University of Sheffield, UK, funded by the prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship. In 2022, she took up the position of a postdoctoral researcher at Aberystwyth University (UK) that focused on methane fluxes from Arctic glacier surface debris. She is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (AFHEA, UK), with teaching, mentoring, and group fieldwork experience across institutions in the UK, Poland, Norway, Korea, India and the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS). Archana was chosen as the inaugural Fellow of the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC)–Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation Fellowship (FPA2). She holds a Master’s in Climate Science & Policy (TERI University, India) and a B.Sc. (Hons) in Biological Sciences (Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi). In 2025, Archana earned a Seal of Excellence for her Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships (MSCA-PF) research proposal, scoring 89.9%; evaluated outstanding by the Horizon Europe – European Commission but could not be funded due to budgetary constraints. As part of the Ecobiogeochemistry group at UNT, Archana will expand her analytical skills by learning about Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FTICR-MS), to investigate dissolved organic matter and carbon cycling in the Arctic Ocean. Her growing expertise reflects a broader interdisciplinary approach vital to understanding cryosphere–ocean interactions in a changing climate. Beyond science, Archana loves to travel and explore new places with her mother. She loves to read, watch movies, listen to music, cross-stitch, is an avid jigsaw puzzler and would like to get back into bouldering, an activity she picked up during her Ph.D. in Sheffield, UK.
Tessa Crouch
UNT Collaborator
LUMCON REU 2022 and 2023 Research Fellow
Email: tcrouch@ucsd.edu
Tessa Crouch recently graduated with her B.S degree from the University of California San Diego. Before she began her appointment at LUMCON, she held a research position at the Sea Otter Savvy in Monterey, California, working with sea otters and learning their behavior. At LUMCON, Tessa designed a 90-day biological degradation experiment to test the microbial responses and organic carbon character from various nutrient concentrations and temperatures using polar cryosphere, temperate freshwater, and marine carbon sources. She relished in learning about microbial growth and carbon degradation, and quickly mastered skills in analytical chemistry techniques and laboratory management. She had very ambitious goals, was intrigued by laboratory and field work challenges, and developed a strong connection to making a difference in this world through her research contributions. Tessa is keen to learn about biogeochemistry, biological oceanography, geophysical fluid dynamics, and atmospheric physics, which clearly made her a perfect researcher to join the LUMCON family and the Lab D'Andrilli. She is now collaborating with D'Andrilli's group at UNT. Outside of her academic career, she enjoys volunteering for beach cleanup, rehabilitating animals, painting, and all outdoor activities. Tessa impressed many at LUMCON with her artistic skills as she is already an accomplished graphics designer. See some of her work on the Current Projects tab.