PEREC is staffed by dedicated faculty, researchers, graduate students, field interpreters and volunteers. To keep up with our research, educational activities, and outreach, be sure to follow us on Facebook!
Our award-winning K-12 Watershed Education Programs are enthusiastically staffed by field interpreters – including undergraduates and graduate students from George Mason University, as well as local environmental experts.

R.Christian “Chris” Jones, PhD
Director, PEREC
Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy
Specialization: Freshwater Ecology, Water Quality, Plankton Ecology, Stream Bioassessment

Gregory D. Foster, PhD
Senior Fellow, PEREC
Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Specialization: Aquatic Chemistry and Geochemistry; Environmental Analytical Chemistry

T. Reid Nelson
Faculty Fellow, PEREC
Assistant Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy
Specialization: Fisheries ecology, applied aspects of fisheries, and aquatic resource management

Dann Sklarew, PhD
Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy
Specialization: Watershed Stewardship, Sustainability Science and Education, Symbiosis (Mutualism)

Randolph “Randy” A. McBride, PhD
Associate Professor of Geology
Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic and Earth Sciences

Amy Fowler
Faculty Fellow
Assistant Professor, Environmental Science and Policy
Ph.D. Auckland University

Cynthia “Cindy” Smith, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy
K12 Education & Outreach Director, PEREC
Specialization: Science Education and Outreach, Watershed Ecology and Stewardship

Jennifer Salerno, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy
Specialization: Environmental Microbiology, Marine Ecology, Microbial Symbioses, Marine Policy

Thomas B. Huff, PhD
Administrative Assistant Professor
Director, the Shared Research Instrumentation Facility
Specialization: Organic Pollutants in the Rivers, Mass Spectrometry, Chemical Ecology

Benoit Van Aken
Associate Professor
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Specialization: Plant molecular biology, molecular markers for pathogen detection Ecology

Scott Glaberman
Associate Professor
Department of Environmental Science and Policy
Specialization: Ecotoxicology, Ecological Risk Assessment, Stress Physiology, Conservation Genomics, Evolutionary Biology, Cancer & Aging

Laura M Birsa
MS in Marine Sciences
Lab and Field Technician, Department of Environmental Science and Policy (PEREC)

Chelsea Gray
MS in Environmental Science and Policy
PhD, Environmental Science and Policy
Web Master and Outreach Assistant.
Field Interpreters
See the work some of our previous field interpreters have done, and learn how you can join to be a Field Interpreter by reading our Field Interpreter FAQ’s.



