Annette Summers Engel
Donald H. Jones Professor of Aqueous Geochemistry
University of Tennessee at Knoxville
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Engel Research Group
Teamwork and collaboration are important to scientific research. The Engel Lab is comprised of a diverse group of graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral researchers and visiting scholars, and staff. At the University of Tennessee, in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, and in my research group, we recognize and celebrate diversity, inclusion, and equality as important intellectual, educational, occupational, and societal values. We work diligently to promote diversity of people, ideas, and cultures, and to increase opportunities that enhance diversity, inclusion, and equality in our research, in the classroom, on campus, and in the broader geoscience community. My group, and our Departemnt, are happily committed to the policies and laws adopted by the University of Tennessee regarding non-discrimination and equal opportunity; for more details, see the Office of Equity and Diversity website. 

Principal
Investigator

  1. Annette Summers Engel
    Donald H. Jones Professor of Aqueous Geochemistry Specialization: Geobiology, Water-Rock Interactions, Microbial Ecology
    2016 - Donald H. Jones Professor of Aqueous Geochemistry, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee 2011 - 2016 Donald H. Jones Associate Professor of Aqueous Geochemistry, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee 2004-2011 Assistant & Associate Professor of Geomicrobiology, Depts Geology & Geophysics & Biological Sciences, Louisiana State Univ. (dual appointment) 2004 Ph.D. Geological Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin 1999 M.S. Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Ohio 1997 M.S. Geology, University of Cincinnati, Ohio 1995 B.A. Geology, Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio
  2. Audrey T. Paterson
    Laboratory Manager
    2012 - present Laboratory Manager, Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee 2012 M.S. Department of Geology & Geophysics Louisiana State University 2009 B.S. Department of Geology & Geophysics Louisiana State University 2009 B.S. Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University
  3. Dr. Susan Pfiffner
    Research Associate Professor University of Tennessee, Department of Microbiology
    Main interests include microbial ecology and geochemistry of subsurface environments, microbial physiology, and metabolic and degradative capabilities in sediments and groundwater
  4. Abigail Harmon
    Research Coordinator
    2017 - present Research Coordinator 2016 - 2017 Research Associate III 2016 B.S. Geology & Environmental Studies Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Tennessee
  5. Vickie Frazier
    PhD Student, Geomicrobiology
    B.S. Microbiology, USF 2018
  6. University of Tennessee B.S. Students
    These students worked in the laboratory, helped graduate students on their projects, and conducted their own independent research projects while at UTK.
    1) Thomas Powers (January 2012 – December 2012); 2) Joshua Cox (January 2012 – May 2012); 3) Alissa Phillips (January 2012 – December 2013); 4) Edith Ross Larson (August 2012 – May 2013); 5) Scott Beeler (September 2012 – May 2014); 6) Dalia Harmon (March 2013 – May 2014); 7) Hassie Stooksbury (March 2013- August 2013); 8) Thomas “Walt” Doty (May 2013 – Dec. 2013); 9) Sara Mills (August 2013 – December 2014); 10) Lena Vishni (August 2013 – August 2014); 11) Aaron Stubblefield (Dec. 2013 – December 2014); 12) Lauren Parker (Jan. 2014 – December 2014); 13) Caleb Ward (August 2014 – December 2014; Caleb worked as a staff member, Research Associate III, in the lab from Jan. 2015 - Sept 2015); 14) Chaz Lee (2014-2015); 15) Paxton Parker (2015-2016, from Animal Science); 15) Hunter Johnson (2013 - 2016); 16) Hannah Teffeteller (2015-2016); 17) Katherine Hutchins (2016, from Soils); 18) Zakary Payne (2016-2017, Microbiology); 19) Sam Scheffler (2017), 20) Amber Tran (207 - present); 21) Holly Nichols (2018) REU Student, GA Tech; 22) Julie Coulombe (2018)
  7. Julie Coulombe
    Undergraduate student research assistant, Geology
  8. Univ. Tennessee Former Graduate Students & Scholars
    These graduate students completed their theses or dissertations in my laboratory at UTK, and these research scholars (visiting scientists, postdoctoral research associated) spent from 6 months to several years in the group.
    Brandon Bagley, M.S. (2017) http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/4720/ Terri Brown, Ph.D. (2017) http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/4389/ Kathleen Brannen-Donnelly, Ph.D. (2015) http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/3543/ T. Walters Doty, M.S. (2015) http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/3548/ A. Goemann, M.S. (2015) http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/3549/ Sarah W. Keenan, Ph.D. (2014) http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/2767/ Brendan Headd, Ph.D. (2013) http://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_graddiss/2433/ Yuan Yun, visiting Ph.D. student (2017-2018) Dr. Xiaoben Jiang, postdoctoral researcher (2016-2018) Dr. Qiufang He, visiting associate professor (2016-2017) Dr. Thomas Nickles, postdoctoral researcher (2012)
  9. Louisiana State Univ. Graduate Students & Scholars
    These students completed M.S. degrees in the Department of Geology & Geophysics with me a LSU. Links to their theses are provided.
    1) Audrey Paterson, 2010-2012 (http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04232012-160428/) 2) Axita Gupta, 2010-2012 (http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04222012-100629/) 3) Dr. Janez Mulec, 2008-2009 (Karst Research Institute, Slovenia) 4) Chang Liu, 2009-2011 (http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-11102011-122352/) 5) Cassie Gray, 2008-2010 (unavailable in ETD) 6) Lindsey Johnson, 2008-2010 (unavailable in ETD) 7) Eric Prokocki, co-supervised with Mike Blum, 2008-2010 (unavailable in ETD) 8) Matt Garvin, co-supervised by Mike Blum, 2008 (http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-10032008-173527/) 9) Dr. Justin Birdwell, 2007-2009 (USGS, Colorado) 10) Dr. Megan Porter, 2007-2010 (University of Hawaii-Manoa) 11) Angela Green-García, 2005-2008 (http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04042008-093335/) 12) Kelli D. Willson Randall, 2004-2006 (http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04052006-172605/)
  10. Louisiana State University B.S. Students
    These students worked in the laboratory, helped graduate students on their projects, and conducted their own independent research projects while at LSU. Some of the students were advisees in the Communication Across the Curriculum (noted with CxC) program.
    1) Lindsey Johnson, student research (Jan 2005 - Dec 2006); 2) Kathleen Brannen, research (Aug 2006 - May 2011); 3) Maureen Thiessen, lab worker (May 2007 - Jan 2008); 4) Brendan Donnelly, lab worker (Aug 2007 - May 2010); 5) Kelley Gwin, lab worker and CxC student (Oct 2007 - May 2009); 6) Christopher Graham, lab worker (Jan 2008 - May 2008); 7) Audrey Paterson, researcher (Jan 2009 - Dec 2010); 8) Philip Bergeron, CxC student; 9) Skylar White, lab worker (Aug 2008 - May 2010); 10) Erin Anderson, researcher (Aug 2010 - May 2011); 11) Madison Kymes, worker (Aug 2010 - May 2011); 12) Shane Cone, researcher (Aug 2010 - May 2011)
Brief  Bio
Abbreviated CV

Staff

Current Students

Former 
Students 
& Scholars

Geochemistry. Geomicrobiology. Geology. Ecology.

Interdisciplinary Research at the University of Tennessee