Joel Singley, Ph.D. (he/him)

Assistant Professor of Environmental Science

I am an interdisciplinary critical zone scientist and educator who studies variations in water availability and quality across a wide range of ecosystems and work to advance equitable, inclusive, and emancipatory education in the geosciences. Since 2022, I have been an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science at Roger Williams University. I completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Colorado School of Mines with the Singha Lab and the Bedrock Critical Zone Network. Before that, I earned an MS and PhD from the University of Colorado Boulder working with the Gooseff Lab and the Environmental Biogeochemistry Group studying surface water-groundwater interactions and nitrogen cycling in Antarctic streams with the McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER project.

Email Me | Curriculum Vitae | Google Scholar | ORCID ID: 0000-0002-7906-8491

Mandi Greenhalgh

B.S. Environmental Science, RWU

Mandi joined the lab in 2023 through an internship supported by the Narragansett Bay Estuary Program to study the water quality and ecohydrologic consequences of a coastal dam removal motivated by rising sea levels. She is involved in field instrument installation, maintenance, and data analysis.

Sarah Strzegowski

B.S. Environmental Science, RWU

Sarah joined the lab in Fall 2025 to pursue work on greenhouse gas emission dynamics from a continuum of natural and constructed landscape features that experience variable inundation. Sarah enjoys reading, hiking, and riding horses.

Abbey Brenner

B.S. Marine Biology, RWU

Abbey joined the lab in Fall 2024 to study the hydrology and metabolic resilience of headwater systems. Her research will draw on sensor data and manual measurements from a catchment near campus. Outside of school Abbey loves to travel, play guitar, and write music. She recently learned to surf!

Olivia Sorrell

B.S. Environmental Science, RWU

Olivia joined the lab in her first year at RWU. She is working on a project in collaboration with staff from the city of New Bedford (MA) and Groundwork Southcoast to assist with analysis of air quality data collected continuously from a network of 20 sensors. Her work will help distill data to answer important questions raised by the city and community members about air quality trends, patterns, and disparities across the city. Olivia also enjoys crocheting, singing, doing puzzles, and listening to 80s rock.

Ashlee Roache

B.S. Environmental Science, RWU

Ashlee began her research with our lab as a first-year student at RWU. She is currently working on a collaborative project using sensors to study seasonal variations in aquatic metabolism of freshwater ponds on campus, including during periods when ice cover is present. She will also be studying soil moisture dynamics along a forested hillslope. Ashlee is from New Hampshire, loves to spend her time outdoors doing things like swimming, paddle boarding, and rock climbing.

Sydney Zobel

B.A. Sustainability Studies, RWU

Sydney joined the lab in her senior year to assist with a variety of field research projects and provide support with our research equipment. In her free time, Sydney loves reading and enjoys playing pickleball.

Elsie Siris

B.A. Environmental Science, RWU (2025)

Research: Simulating climate change impacts on lake and pond thermal dynamics in Rhode Island
After Graduation: M.S. in Public Health, Boston University

Alex Smith

B.A. Environmental Science, RWU (2025)

Research: Hydrologic and thermal fluxes to the Scituate Reservoir
After Graduation: Deck Hand, Bar Harbor Oyster Company

Sean Costello

B.S. Environmental Science, RWU (2025)

Research: Tree growth variability along a hillslope gradient
After Graduation: Permaculture Intern, Lost Valley Educational Center, Oregon

Jack Bielawa

B.S. Applied Mathematics, RWU (2025)

Research: Deep learning models to forecast stream temperature

Rachel Rodrigues

B.A. Environmental Science, RWU (2024)

Research: Differential impact of drought on water quality across Rhode Island

Amanda Paulhus

B.S. Environmental Science, RWU (2024)

Research: Differential impact of drought on water quality across Rhode Island
After Graduation: Water Monitoring Field Intern, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management

Sophia Gioioso

B.S. Environmental Science, RWU (2024)

Research: Assessing suitability of data gap-filling among local meteorological stations
After Graduation: Plant Health Intern, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management