Graduate

Amirhossein Rezaei Adaryani

Amirhossein Rezaei Adaryani

Amirhossein is a Ph.D. student in Infrastructure and Environmental Systems (INES). He has a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and a Master’s degree in environmental engineering, both from Azad university, Iran. For a few years, he was working for consulting engineering companies as a process engineer, and also had the opportunity to collaborate with Environment Research Center (ENVRC) at Isfahan University of Medical Sciences as a part-time researcher on various projects.

His research is focused on landfill leachate treatment utilizing white-rot fungi; this process also known as mycoremediation. In 2016, he was awarded EREF scholarship for the project “Biodegradation of Contaminants of Emerging Concern by White-rot Fungi in Municipal Leachate”.

In his free time he enjoys traveling, hiking and listening to Persian classic music.

Xueying Wang

Xueying Wang

Xueying Wang is a University of North Carolina graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology.  She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering  concurrently with a PhD Degree in Infrastructure and Environmental Systems.  Her PhD research is focused on the role of environmental buffers in potable water reuse.

She has worked as a research assistant in the UNCC Ecology and Biogeochemistry of Watersheds lab for the past three years as the resident aquatic entomologist.  During her time at UNCC, Xueying has earned multiple awards, including the Atkins Library Freshman Writing Award, the UNCC Undergraduate Research Conference Departmental Award, and the Atkins Library Research Writing Award.

Her personal interests include cooking, playing the piano, and outdoor activities.

Nicole Kennedy

Nicole Kennedy

Nicole received her Bachelor’s degree from Florida State University in Biological Sciences with a minor in Chemistry. She then attended Eastern Kentucky University obtaining her Master’s in Public Health degree with a concentration in Environmental Health and Industrial Hygiene. Her current research focuses on contaminants of emerging concern in environmental systems.

She has been inducted into Phi Kappa Phi academic honors society, Torch Bearers student leaders, and received the JumpStart education award for commitment to serving underdeveloped communities.

Nicole studied abroad for a semester in Iquitos, Peru where she worked in a rural health setting and conducted ecological research on the orthongo (large tiger) and deforestation in the Amazon Rain Forest. She also performed community-building service work in Grois Morne, Haiti where she worked on a major project reconstructing a schoolhouse.

She loves to travel, bake, and is an avid runner.