Dr. Richard F. Helm is an Associate Professor at the Department of Biochemistry, Virginia
Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA. He completed his Ph.D. studies in Forestry at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison, in 1987. He has been at Virginia Tech since 1992, establishing the Mass Spectrometry facility in 2008. He also teaches analytical biochemistry at the undergraduate level. His research focuses on applying mass spectrometry to research questions in the life sciences.
Dr. Amy Pruden, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the Department of
Civil & Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA. She
completed her Ph.D. studies in Environmental Science at the University of
Cincinnati in 2002. Her research seeks to advance water engineering and
agricultural practices through a deeper understanding of the microbial
communities inhabiting these systems. Her team applies a combination of
next-generation DNA sequencing and bioinformatic tools to track targets of
interest, including opportunistic pathogens, antibiotic-resistance genes, and
various functional groups of bacteria. She teaches Environmental Engineering
Microbiology, Introduction to Environmental Engineering, and Introduction to
Civil and Environmental Engineering courses. She is a member of the
International Water Association (2020). She won the ReciPharm International
Environmental Award in 2020. She was awarded the University Distinguished
Professor at Virginia Tech in 2021.
Dr. Marc A. Edwards has been employed at Virginia Tech since 1997, where he obtained the University Distinguished Professor position in 2017. He completed his Ph.D. studies in Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington in 1991. From 1991 to 1992, he was a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Washington. He obtained the Hoover Medal (for great, unselfish acts advancing the well-being of humanity) in 2019. His research interests are opportunistic pathogens, water treatment, corrosion, arsenic removal, and applied aquatic chemistry.
