Jennifer Jay
Professor
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
5732H Boelter Hall
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1593
310-267-5365
jjay@seas.ucla.edu
Education
B.S., (1991), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.S., (1993), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Ph.D., (1999), Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Selected Awards and Honors
Northrop Grumman Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2007
Carnegie Foundation Faculty Fellow for Service Learning for Political Engagement, 2007-2008
Presidential Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE), 2004
NSF Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, 2004-Present
Fellow of Martin Society for Global Sustainability, 1999
GE Graduate Research Fellowship, 1995
Member of Chi Epsilon, 1991
Parsons Fellowship, 1991
My research integrates field and laboratory approaches to better understand the geochemical and microbial processes that govern the fate of contaminants in the environment. Specific interests include the geochemical and microbial methylation of mercury by sulfate-reducing bacteria (the end-product of this reaction, methylmercury, is a potent neurotoxin with a very strong tendency to bioaccumulate), the mobilization of arsenic in groundwater, and the persistence of fecal indicator bacteria and pathogens in beach sediment. Understanding the cycling of contaminants in aquatic systems allows us to better assess and minimize hazards associated with environmental contamination, and to more accurately predict effects of environmental perturbations.
