Molly S. Costanza-Robinson
Anderson Chair in Environmental and Biosphere Studies
Professor of Environmental Studies and Chemistry & Biochemistry
I arrived at Middlebury in 2005, after completing undergraduate work in Chemistry and German Literature from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, a Ph.D. in Soil, Water & Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry at The University of Arizona, and postdoctoral work in Environmental Chemistry at Northern Arizona University. My work focuses on the fate and transport of chemical contaminants in natural and engineered systems.
In the Environmental Chemistry Lab, we conduct interdisciplinary collaborative research related to contaminants in natural and engineered environments, including the fate, transport, remediation, and biological impacts of chemical contamination.
My current projects focus on lead (Pb) in school drinking water — everything from presence and removal of Pb, to associated statewide policies — and on the chemistry of natural and human-impacted stream water and macroinvertebrates. I advise students majoring in Chemistry and Environmental Studies-Chemistry and welcome motivated students from many majors into my research group. Click around to learn more about our work!
When not working, I spend much of my time with family and friends exploring the Vermont and Adirondack landscapes while cycling, hiking, and skiing…or rehab-ing in the gym after some injury or another….