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, 3rd Year

Juyong Bak is a third-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, 6th Year

Savannah Finley is a 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, including on trace rare earth element recovery from coal fly ash, and is investigating on a sequential extraction method for heterogeneous carbonate bedrock material.

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, M.S. (they/he)
Ph.D. Student, 1st Year

Logan Goulette is a first-year PhD student specializing in contaminant hydrogeology. Their work spans geogenic heavy metals, such as arsenic, and anthropogenic contaminants, including nitrate and coliform bacteria. To investigate these systems, Logan employs a diverse methodological toolkit, including field sampling, membrane filtration, ion chromatography, and ICP-MS. Currently, Logan utilizes machine learning to investigate difficult-to-measure thioarsenic species that are highly mobile in groundwater environments.

Additionally, Logan leads a community-based research project in Richland County, Wisconsin, providing water sampling for private well owners concerned with nitrate and E. coli. They hold a B.S. in Environmental Systems (Earth Science focus) from UC San Diego and an M.S. in Geosciences from UW-Madison. Outside of academia, Logan enjoys multimedia collage, live music, video games, YouTube, and podcasts.

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

Clara Kieschnick-Llamas, M.S. (she/her)
Ph.D. Student, 1st Year

Clara Kieschnick-Llamas is a first-year PhD student specializing in the geochemistry and hydrology of metals and trace elements in aquifer systems. Her current research focus is on molybdenum and arsenic contamination. She is applying techniques such as XAS, ICP-MS, and groundwater modeling to understand how these elements can enter drinking water. 

Clara holds a B.S. in Biology (ecology and evolution) and a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Stanford University. She has also completed an M.S. in Soil Science from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU). In her free time, Clara is an avid reader and movie watcher. She also enjoys spending time in nature, especially looking at plants and soils.

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

Fall 2026
Mary Carol Dougherty (UW Madison), Fall 2026, Undergraduate Chemistry Research

Summer 2026
Julianna Vang (UW Madison), Summer 2026, Letters & Science Summer of Excellence in Research (LASER) Program
Daniel Kwong (Texas A&M University), Summer 2026, Freshwater@UW Summer Research Opportunities Program

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

Summer 2025
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