SUSAN M. PFIFFNER

Research Assistant Professor
Department of Microbiology The University of Tennessee
Center for Biomarker Analysis
10515 Research Dr., Ste. 300, Knoxville, TN 37932-2575
Ph: 865-974-8031 Fx: 865-974-8027
pfiffner@utk.edu

Professional Information

Dr. Susan Pfiffner of the University of Tennessee will over see the Biogeochemical Educational Experiences - South Africa (BEE-SA) administration, recruitment and selection of students, working with mentors on the research and lecture agenda, coordinating activities with the UOFS, Princeton University and the mining companies, and participating as a faculty mentor.  Dr. Pfiffner is a Co-P.I. for the Witwatersrand Deep Microbiology Project and was a participant in the 2000 U.S./S.A. Biotechnology workshop that helped establish the 2001-2002 undergraduate workshops that led to this 2003 Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program.  Dr. Pfiffner has been an integral member of interdisciplinary teams composed of academia, industry and national laboratory members involved in the field investigations of deep subsurface microbiology and bioremediation demonstrations.  Her research interests include the microbial evaluation of subsurface environments to determine which physiological types of microorganisms, as well as, which metabolic or degradative capabilities exist in sediments and groundwater from field sites. Her National Science Foundation (NSF) Life in Extreme Environments (LExEn) funded research is targeted at determining microbial community structure by cultivation of microorganisms under different physiological conditions and by analyzing the environmental samples for membrane lipids as a non-cultivation method. Her previous educational involvement has included organizing and participating in SHared ADventures in Engineering and Science (SHADES), Science-In Action workshops, the Women In Science conference and mentoring 12 graduate and 5 undergraduate students.

KIMBERLY DAVIS

University of Tennessee at Knoxville
kdavis17@utk.edu

Professional Information

Assistant Direcctor, University of Tennessee Waste Management
Research and Education Institute
Education and Public Outreach: UT Center for Environmental Biotechnology (CEB)

As assistant director of the University of Tennessee (UT) Waste Management Research and Education Institute, Ms. Davis works closely with the UT Center for Environmental Biotechnology (CEB), where she oversees Education and Outreach.

Ms. Davis is involved in education and outreach activities as part of her duties at UT and as a volunteer. She co-directs the ongoing South African Field Laboratory Workshop (2001-2004) under a National Science Foundation grant to bring together U.S. and S. African undergraduate students to study "extreme bacteria" in South Africa's gold mines. During the past seven years, she has also participated in Shared Adventures in Engineering and Science (SHADES), a biannual hands-on workshop developed to mentor and encourage 12 and 13-year-old girls to consider science and engineering careers. Through her involvement with the Tennessee Society of Professional Engineers (TSPE), Ms. Davis has overseen the regional program for awarding undergraduate scholarships to prospective engineering majors and coordinated a local engineering outreach program called Discover-E for Knox County middle-school students.

As a Ph.D. student in Sociology, Ms. Davis also is interested in the mobilization of environmentally based social movements and the relationships among environmental knowledge, action, and sustainability.

Ms. Davis, a certified professional engineer, is past president of the Knoxville Technical Society and the Knoxville chapter of the TSPE. In her spare time, she serves as an advocate for Knoxville's urban forest through the Web site www.downtowntrees.com .

Selected Publications

Rogge M. and K.L. Davis.  2004. Leveraging Environmental, Social, and Economic Justice at Chattanooga Creek: A Case Study.  Journal of Community Practice. In review

Kimberly L. Davis and C. Bolton, "Reducing Costs of UST Site Management Using a RBCA Strategy," ASCE Practice Periodical of Hazardous, Toxic and Radioactive Waste Management, April 1999.

Gary S. Sayler, John Sanseverino, and Kimberly L. Davis, eds., Biotechnology in the Sustainable Environment (New York: Plenum Publishing, 1997).

Kinya Kato and Kimberly L. Davis, "Current Use of Bioremediation for TCE Cleanup: Results of a Survey," Remediation, Fall 1996.

M. Russell and Kimberly L. Davis, Resource Requirements for NPL Sites: 1996 (Knoxville, TN: Joint Institute for Energy and Environment, 1996).