People

Athena Nghiem, Ph.D. (she/her)
Assistant Professor, Department of Geoscience
Affiliated faculty, Environmental Chemistry & Technology Program, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Athena Nghiem is the principal investigator of the Water and Trace Element Research (WATER) Lab. Her research explores environmental variability in hydrology and redox processes affecting critical water resources such as groundwater, and the drivers for the release, fate, and transport of trace elements and contaminants across different reservoirs in the environment.

Before her arrival at UW-Madison, she held an ETH Fellowship at ETH Zürich with a guest appointment at Eawag, the Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, in Switzerland. She completed her PhD, M.Phil. and M.A. in Earth and Environmental Sciences at Columbia University and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and her B.A. in Geophysics and Statistics at University of California-Berkeley.

Contact Information:
Email: anghiem (at) wisc.edu

AnnaBeth Thomas, Ph.D. (she/her)
Post-doc

With a Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry and Technology, AnnaBeth contributes research expertise in various analytical chemistry techniques such as HPLC-ICP-MS, ICP-OES, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy. In addition to her research applying synchrotron radiation approaches to understanding arsenic mobility in riverine aquifer sediments, AnnaBeth’s role in the WATER lab includes developing and performing robust trace element analyses that incorporate inductively-coupled plasma instrumentation. She also contributes expertise in science education and community-centered scientific engagement. As of Fall 2025, AnnaBeth is a WISCIENCE Teaching Fellow and holds an instructor of record position in General Chemistry at Madison Area Technical College.

AnnaBeth received her B.A. in Chemistry and Environmental Studies from Austin College in Sherman, TX in 2019. Outside of research and teaching, she enjoys spending time with her two goofy cats, cooking, creating visual art (mosaics and paintings), and horseback riding.

Contact Information:
Email: athomas39 (at) wisc.edu

Juyong Bak, M.S. (he/him)
Ph.D. Student, 2nd Year

Juyong Bak is a second-year Ph.D. student specializing in environmental geochemistry and hydrogeology, where he applies advanced analytical techniques to understand contaminant transport and groundwater processes. He uses x-ray synchrotron techniques (XAS) to investigate sediment mineralogy, and modeling tools such as MODFLOW and PHT3D to model the groundwater flow and reactive transport processes.

Juyong holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from Korea University and an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Seoul National University. Outside of his studies, Juyong enjoys playing ping pong and piano. Recently, he has developed an interest in local coffee roasters, indoor climbing, and cooking.

Contact Information:
Email: juyong.bak (at) wisc.edu
LinkedIn

Savannah Finley (she/her)
Ph.D. Candidate, 5th Year

Savannah Finley is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate whose research investigates the cycling of trace elements in hydrologic systems, with a focus on potential risks to drinking water and public health. Her expertise includes GIS, ICP-MS, and various wet lab techniques, such as leaching and sorption experiments, mixed acid digestion, XRF, and XRD.

Savannah holds a B.S. in Chemistry with a minor in mathematics from Michigan State University. She is an NSF GRFP Fellow, a GERS Fellow, and a Gil Gabanski Scholar with the Minnesota Groundwater Association. Savannah has contributed to peer-reviewed publications and has a manuscript under review on trace rare earth element recovery from coal fly ash.

Beyond her research, Savannah enjoys rock climbing, volleyball, trivia, and pilates. An avid outdoors enthusiast, she is also involved in Madison’s sports scene and appreciates a good horror movie.

Contact Information:
Email: sefinley (at) wisc.edu
LinkedIn

Logan Goulette (they/he)
M.S. Student, 2nd Year

Logan Goulette is a second-year M.S. student with a keen interest in contaminant hydrogeology, particularly environmental changes to groundwater chemistry that impact drinking water quality and public health. Their research centers on identifying and mitigating pollutants, with expertise in field sampling, analytical aqueous geochemistry, and statistical modeling.

Logan earned a B.S. in Environmental Systems (Earth science focus) from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). They have already made a mark in their field, presenting their research at the American Geophysical Union (AGU) conference in 2022.

In addition to their academic pursuits, Logan enjoys multimedia collage, attending live music events, watching YouTube, and listening to podcasts. They are passionate about blending environmental justice with scientific inquiry and are enthusiastic about contributing to safe, sustainable water solutions.

Contact Information:
Email: lbgoulette (at) wisc.edu
LinkedIn

Julia Votava (UW Madison), Fall 2025, Water@UW-Madison Community-Based Water Research (Richland County)

Malinda Batassa (UW Parkside), Summer 2025, Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities Program
Fernanda Saavedra-Alonso (UW Madison), Summer 2025, Letters & Science Summer of Excellence in Research (LASER) Program
Mohamed-Kheyr Ahmed (UW Madison), Summer 2025, Letters & Science Summer of Excellence in Research (LASER) Program