Hannah Wudke (2024 – ) Hannah received her undergraduate degree in Geology from Miami University (Oxford, OH), as well as an Environmental Science Co-major and Social Justice Studies minor. At Miami, she used electron microscopy to conduct mineralogical and geochemical investigations of talc-derived consumer products, such as baby powder and cosmetics, in the context of asbestos and/or heavy metal contamination. At Duke, she will pursue environmental geochemistry research with environmental health applications. Hannah.Wudke@duke.edu

Robert Hill (2021 – ) Robert is interested in the diverse applications of isotope geochemistry. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where he double-majored in geology and earth, society, & environmental sustainability. While at Illinois, he used isotope geochemistry to characterize coal ash leachate and to investigate the extent of environmental impact of coal ash ponds in Illinois. Post-undergrad, he worked as an environmental geologist for SCST before joining the Vengosh Lab at Duke University. His current research focuses on the isotope geochemistry of phosphate rocks and fertilizers, for reconstructing paleo-ocean conditions of phosphate rock formation and as potential tracers of trace metals associated with fertilizer application. Robert.Hill@duke.edu

Gordon Williams (2020 – ) Gordon received his undergraduate degree in Earth Science focusing on geohydrology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. While at UCSB he developed a passion for geochemistry and the diverse applications of isotopes. Post graduation he worked in a rock physics lab at Stanford investigating the chemistry and structure of Roman marine concrete. At Duke, he merges his interests in geochemistry with those of water quality and applies this to investigating the potential environmental impacts of lithium mining. His current research looks at the trace metals associated with lithium mining and deposits and uses isotopes to fingerprint the origin of these metals in natural waters. gordon.williams@duke.edu

Grace Hall (2023 – ) Grace is an undergraduate student (class of 2025) with a major in Earth and Climate Sciences and a minor in Chemistry. She is interested in mineralogy and environmental chemistry and is currently working on a thesis project evaluating the potential of environmental contaminants associated with mining of critical raw materials ores and associated tailings materials. 

Paz Nativ (2025 – ) Paz is a dedicated environmental engineer specializing in the development of advanced water and wastewater treatment technologies. Paz earned his Ph.D. from the Faculty of Environmental Engineering at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, where he also completed his Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees. His research focuses on sustainable resource recovery through a combination of physico-chemical and electrochemical processes. One of his favorite projects involves improving the short-distance transportation of live crabs and seafood using an innovative ammonium adsorption composite material. Paz holds multiple patents in this field, and two start-up companies have launched operations based on his work. He was previously an associate researcher at the Technion R&D foundation in the lab of Prof. Ori Lahav, within the faculty of Environmental Engineering and teaches “Water Chemistry” and “Introduction to PHREEQC” at the Technion. He loves teaching and enjoys building automation devices for lab and home use, with Arduino controllers and lots of Lego. He and his wife, Tamar, have four children, a cat, and are hoping to adopt a dog soon. paz.nativ@duke.edu

Jiyoung Park (2024 – ) Jiyoung Park graduated with a Master of Environmental Management from the Nicholas School in 2024. Her research focuses on life cycle analysis (LCA) of electric vehicles (EVs) and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, with a focus on assessing the water and carbon footprints from critical mineral extraction to road use. Her work aims to evaluate the environmental impacts of transitioning to electric mobility.