Sabbatical Activities

The Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory is hosting a second sabbatical faculty in a year.  After the outstanding visit by Dr. Dan Lundberg (Gallaudet University for the Deaf & Hearing Impaired, Washington, DC) in fall 2017, Dr. Tisha King-Heiden (University of Wisconsin, La Crosse) and her graduate student Logan Keding have been sharing laboratory space with us this summer.  Her research on the impacts of liver pathology on vitellogenin expression in fish matches well with our own investigations into the effects of contaminants of emerging concern, some of which may have hepatotoxic effects.

New Study on Stormwater Discharge

Urban stormwater drain into the Mississippi River

The Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund on the recommendation of the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources is funding a new study at the SCSU Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory to assess the presence of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) in urban stormwater runoff.  In addition to measuring CECs, the study will evaluate potential remediation technology (iron-enhanced sand filtration) and examine the impact of urban stormwater runoff across species that frequently are found in the vicinity of stormwater ponds. The study represents a collaboration between Drs. Schoenfuss and Kohno at St. Cloud State University and Dr. Richard Kiesling at the US Geological Survey.

Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory in Ghana, West Africa

The National Science Foundation funded a recent trip by Dr. Heiko Schoenfuss and Dr. Paige Novak (University of Minnesota) to visit faculty at the University of Ghana in Accra.  The goal of the meetings were to establish collaboration and assess potential field sites on the Lower Volta River.

Seminar participants at the University of Ghana, Accra in December 2017

Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory Graduate Students Receive Multiple Awards

Graduate students in the SCSU Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory received multiple awards!

Megan Cox

Nicholas Cipoletti

Megan Cox received an Academic Excellence Award from CSWEA.

Nicholas Cipoletti was a finalist for the Fenske Memorial Award (Fish and Wildlife Society) and received the Jeff Black Award at the meeting of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

Congratulations to both!

Lab Honors for Aquatic Tox Lab Graduate Students!
Lena Ivanova - Runner-up for "Best Poster Presentation", NA SETAC November 2015, Salt Lake City, UT
Lena Ivanova - "Best Oral Presentation", MW SETAC, March 2016, Madison, WI
Megan Cox - Animal Behavior Society Student Research Grant - Spring 2016
Congratulations !

Lab Honors !

Two honors were bestowed on the Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory this summer:

The Master's Thesis written by Daniel Rearick was awarded "Best Thesis" by St. Cloud State University.  In addition, Dr. Schoenfuss was named the first University Scholar in the Minnesota State College and University System.

EmCon 2014 Iowa City Iowa

The Aquatic Toxicology Laboratory was well presented at the 2014 Emerging Contaminants Meeting in Iowa City Iowa (August 2015).  Dr. Schoenfuss and three graduate students made the trip.  Presentations by Linnea Thomas, David Feifarek and Dr. Schoenfuss were well received as were four posters presented during the poster social.

(from left to right: Dr. Schoenfuss, David Feifarek, Linnea Thomas and Kyle Bird)

As an added bonus, we were able to invite Dr. Jianliang Zhao to come back with us to St. Cloud State University at the conclusion of the conference to visit the lab.

 (from left to right: Dr. Schoenfuss, Dr. Jianliang Zhao, Linnea Thomas, Cheetoh - the fathead minnow lab mascot and David Feifarek)