Dr. Aleksandar Goranov | Analytical environmental chemistry | Best Researcher Award

Profile Summary

I am an analytical environmental chemist with expertise in applying a diverse suite of analytical techniques to investigate environmental questions. My research focuses on studying the composition and environmental fate of pyrogenic (fire-derived) organic matter (pyOM) and soil/aquatic natural organic matter (NOM). I employ ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS), various spectroscopies (e.g., fluorescence, NMR), liquid- and gas-chromatographic techniques, as well as stable isotopes to develop novel analytical methods.

Professional Profiles

Scholar profile

Orcid Profile

🔬Research Experience

Postdoctoral Researcher at Old Dominion University (ODU), focusing on various projects related to environmental degradation processes and characterization of organic matter. Postdoctoral Researcher at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), involved in characterizing organic matter in different environmental matrices. Graduate Research Assistant at ODU, investigating the fate and behavior of pyrogenic organic matter in the environment. Undergraduate Research Assistant at various institutions, exploring topics such as solvatochromism and marine ecology.

🎓Education

Ph.D. in Chemistry, Old Dominion University (ODU)
B.S. in Chemistry, Ramapo College of New Jersey (RCNJ)

Honors and awards

Young Investigator Award by the International Humic Substances Society (IHSS)
ACS CAS Top 100 Future Leader
Dominion Scholar Fellowship
Various other awards recognizing research and academic achievements.

👩‍🏫 Teaching Experience 👨‍🏫

In addition to my research endeavors, I have extensive experience in teaching and mentoring students in various analytical techniques and laboratory practices.

Highlights:

Developed and instructed an informal course on elemental analysis – isotope-ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS) in Fall 2021, aimed at training students in using EA-IRMS for analytical purposes. Served as a guest lecturer for the Environmental Measurements course (ERTH 4190) in Summer 2021, where I designed and delivered an interactive laboratory exercise on quantification of dissolved calcium in riverine waters using flame atomic absorption spectroscopy. Led numerous virtual workshops covering topics such as fluorescence spectroscopy, stable carbon isotopes analysis, FT-ICR-MS data processing, statistical analysis, and more, benefiting researchers across different labs. Previous teaching assistant roles include General Chemistry I Lab at ODU and various labs at RCNJ covering organic chemistry, analytical chemistry, and instrumental analysis. Provided tutoring support in general & organic chemistry as well as calculus.

Analytical Skills:

Proficient in a wide range of analytical techniques including UV-VIS, FT-IR, NMR spectroscopy (both liquid-state and solid-state), fluorescence spectroscopy, chromatography (HPLC, GCxGC-TOF-MS), elemental analysis (EA-IRMS, EA-TCD), and mass spectrometry (ESI-FT-ICR-MS). Familiarity with advanced data analysis techniques including isotopic corrections, multidimensional data analysis, exploratory statistics, and PARAFAC deconvolution. Proficient in MATLAB programming and ethical usage of ChatGPT, with beginner proficiency in R and Python programming languages.

📚Top Noted Publication

Title: Molecular heterogeneity in pyrogenic dissolved organic matter from a thermal series of oak and grass chars
Authors: AS Wozniak, AI Goranov, S Mitra, KW Bostick, AR Zimmerman
Journal: Organic Geochemistry
Year: 2020
Volume: 148
Pages: 104065
Citations: 45

Title: Photolability of pyrogenic dissolved organic matter from a thermal series of laboratory-prepared chars
Authors: KW Bostick, AR Zimmerman, AI Goranov, S Mitra, PG Hatcher
Journal: Science of the total environment
Year: 2020
Volume: 724
Pages: 138198
Citations: 42

Title: Biolability of fresh and photodegraded pyrogenic dissolved organic matter from laboratory‐prepared chars
Authors: KW Bostick, AR Zimmerman, AI Goranov, S Mitra, PG Hatcher
Journal: Journal of Geophysical Research: Biogeosciences
Year: 2021
Volume: 126
Issue: 5
Article number: e2020JG005981
Citations: 36

Title: Online quantification and compound‐specific stable isotopic analysis of black carbon in environmental matrices via liquid chromatography‐isotope ratio mass spectrometry
Authors: S Wagner, J Brandes, AI Goranov, TW Drake, RGM Spencer, A Stubbins
Journal: Limnology and Oceanography: Methods
Year: 2017
Volume: 15
Issue: 12
Pages: 995-1006
Citations: 32

Title: Photochemistry after fire: Structural transformations of pyrogenic dissolved organic matter elucidated by advanced analytical techniques
Authors: AI Goranov, AS Wozniak, KW Bostick, AR Zimmerman, S Mitra
Journal: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta
Year: 2020
Volume: 290
Pages: 271-292
Citations: 31

Title: Effects of environmental aging on wildfire particulate and dissolved pyrogenic organic matter characteristics
Authors: AS Wozniak, S Mitra, AI Goranov, AR Zimmerman, KW Bostick
Journal: ACS Earth and Space Chemistry
Year: 2024
Volume: 8
Issue: 1
Pages: 104-118
Citations: 1

Title: Biogeochemistry of dissolved organic matter and inorganic solutes in soil profiles of tropical pasturelands
Authors: JV dos Santos, AI Goranov, LR Bento, PPA Oliveira, JRM Pezzopane
Journal: Soil and Tillage Research
Year: 2024
Volume: 240
Pages: 1-15

Title: Using the benzenepolycarboxylic acid (BPCA) method to assess activated biochars and their PFAS sorption abilities
Authors: AI Goranov, E Sormo, N Hagemann, G Cornelissen, AR Zimmerman
Journal: Chemosphere
Year: 2024
Article number: 141750

Title: Stabilization of PFAS-contaminated soil with sewage sludge-and wood-based biochar sorbents
Authors: E Sørmo, CBM Lade, J Zhang, AG Asimakopoulos, GW Åsli, M Hubert
Journal: Science of The Total Environment
Year: 2024
Volume: 922
Pages: 1-12

Title: Carbon fate, iron dissolution, and molecular characterization of dissolved organic matter in thawed Yedoma permafrost under varying redox conditions
Authors: MS Carneiro Barreto, RP Wani, AI Goranov, TD Sowers, M Fischel
Journal: Environmental Science & Technology
Year: 2024
Volume: 58
Issue: 9
Pages: 4155-4166

Meichen Wang : Toxicology

Congratulations, Dr Meichen Wang, on winning the esteemed Young Scientist Award from Young scientist Awards! Your dedication, innovative research, and scholarly contributions have truly made a significant impact in your field. Your commitment to advancing knowledge and pushing the boundaries of research is commendable. Here’s to your continued success in shaping the future of academia and making invaluable contributions to your field. Well done!

Professional Profile

Education

Ph.D. in Toxicology 08/2016 – 12/2019
Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Dissertation Title: Development of broad-acting enterosorbents for the mitigation of toxin
exposures during disasters and emergencies.

M.S. in Toxicology 08/2014 – 08/2016
Department of Veterinary Physiology and Pharmacology, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas
Thesis Title: PXR-mediated resistance to infection by Salmonella and its mechanisms
B.S. in Pharmaceutical Engineering 09/2010 – 06/2014
College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
Thesis Title: Assessment of DNA methylation and miRNA expression in patients with lung cancer

Patent

Phillips, T.D. and Wang, M. Edible enterosorbents used to mitigate acute exposures to ingestible
environmental toxins following outbreaks, natural disasters and emergencies. A patent application
(PCT/US2019/047356 + Australia, Canada, Japan, Europe, Mexico, and Korea) has been issued and
published. An exclusive, worldwide license for commercial purposes of the technology has been granted
through Texas A&M University.

Publications:

Rivenbark, K.J., Wang, M., Lilly, K., Tamamis, P., Phillips, T.D. (2022). Development and
characterization of chlorophyll-amended montmorillonite clays for the adsorption and detoxification of
benzene. Water Research. PMID 35777320.
Wang, M., Phillips, T.D. (2022). Inclusion of montmorillonite clays in environmental barrier
formulations to reduce skin exposure to water-soluble chemicals from polluted water. ACS Applied
Materials & Interfaces. PMID 35536196.
Hearon, S.E., Orr, A.A., Moyer, H., Wang, M., Tamamis, P., Phillips, T.D. (2022). Reduction of
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) bioavailability from soil and translocation to plants with
montmorillonite clay-based sorbents. Environmental Research. PMID 34875259.
Martin, L.M.A., Sheng, J., Zimba, P.V., Zhu, L., Fadare, O.O., Haley, C., Wang, M., Phillips,
T.D., Conkle, J., Xu, W. (2022). Testing an iron oxide nanoparticle-based method for magnetic separation
of nanoplastics and microplastics from water. Nanomaterials (Basel). PMID 35889573.
Wang, M., Orr, A.A., Jakubowski, J.M., Bird, K.E., Casey, C.M., Hearon, S.E., Tamamis, T.,
Phillips, T.D. (2021). Enhanced adsorption of per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) by edible,
nutrient-amended montmorillonite clays. Water Research. PMID 33125992.
Wang, M., Chen, Z., Rusyn, I., Phillips, T.D. (2021). Testing the efficacy of broad-acting
sorbents for environmental mixtures using isothermal analysis, mammalian cells, and h. vulgaris. Journal
of Hazardous Materials. PMID 33162237.
Wang, M., Bera, G., Mitra, K., Wade, T.L., Knap, A.H., Phillips, T.D. (2021). Tight sorption of
arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead by edible activated carbon and acid-processed montmorillonite clay.
Environmental Science and Pollution Research. PMID 33009611.

Aleksandar Goranov | Analytical environmental chemistry | Best Researcher Award