Marie Kurz, PhD, Drexel University
Stefanie Kroll, PhD, Drexel University

Marie Kurz, PhD, Drexel University

Control in spatio-temporal patterns in water quality in the Delaware River Watershed

Dr. Kurz is an interdisciplinary freshwater scientist interested in the interactions between water chemistry, ecology and hydrology in stream and rivers systems. Her research focuses on how chemicals, including nutrients and contaminants, enter, move through and transform within aquatic systems and the feedbacks between these chemical processes and the health and functioning of aquatic ecosystems. As a research scientist, her goal is to both advance our understanding of stream and river systems and provide tools and concepts to aid in the sustainable use and restoration of water resources & aquatic ecosystems. Marie has a B.S. in Geology from The College of William & Mary and Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Florida. Following her PhD she worked as a research scientist for 3 years at Helmholtz-UFZ, the German national institute for applied environmental research.

Stefanie Kroll, PhD, Drexel University

Setting targets for indicators of ecosystem integrity

Dr. Kroll studies biological indicators of restoration and forecasting ecosystem change. She is the project science director of the Delaware River Watershed Initiative, a collaboration between over 50 nonprofit groups working in watershed conservation. Her current roles are Watershed Ecology Section Leader and Assistant Research Professor in the BEES Department. Current projects include research on indicators of agricultural stream degradation and recovery, headwater biodiversity, and stream ecosystem resilience to climate change effects. She did her post-doctoral work at Cornell’s Department of Entomology and obtained her PhD in Ecology from SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY. She mentors students through various programs, including Drexel co-op, connecting environmental scientists to potential job opportunities, and the Academy of Natural Sciences' Women In Natural Sciences program. Previous work includes forest inventory, program support for a nonprofit environmental organization, community assessment of Onondaga Lake and stream surveys throughout Spain.