Officers

Chair - Laura Ruhl
lruhl.geo@gmail.com
US Geological Survey; Lower Mississippi Gulf - Water Science Center 

I have been interested in Medical Geology since I was an undergraduate student and bought myself a copy of The Essentials of Medical Geology (first edition). I’d always been interested in the natural world around me and that of human health, so medical geology was a natural fit. I continued pursuing this interest throughout school and my academic career. While I enjoy learning about all things Medical Geology related, my research while a professor focused on water chemistry associated with energy resources and mining, development and application of environmental isotopic tracers, urban geochemistry and hydrology, health issues related to water chemistry, and medical geology issues related to human stone growth. 
I received my BS and MS degrees in Geological Sciences from the University of Florida in 2006 and 2008, respectively. In 2012, I completed my PhD at Duke University in Earth and Ocean Sciences. I taught for ten years at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in the Earth Sciences Department. I taught a variety of classes including hydrogeology, geochemistry, environmental geology, geology and ecology of the Bahamas, physical geology, medical geology, and field geology to undergraduate and graduate students. I recently joined the US Geological Survey in the Lower Mississippi Gulf- Water Science Center as the Hydrogeologic Studies Section Chief. My section investigates water availability, both quantity and quality, understanding it through chemical, geophysical, and geologic methods. 

Description of Duties: The chair shall preside at the annual meetings of the Geology and Health Scientific Division and meetings of the Management Board. The chair shall submit a report to the Management Board of the activities of the Geology and Health Scientific Division during his/her term of office and on future plans.

Second Vice-Chair - Sabrina Lanker

sllanker@umich.edu

University of Michigan

Sabrina is a first-generation transfer student with a bachelors in Earth & Environmental Sciences from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She has multiple years of experience in both geological and biomedical research. She participated in an NSF REU in 2021 which she presented at GSA that year. Her work was also featured at GSA and the Michigan Geophysical Union in 2022. She has been doing research at the University of Michigan in the biomedical sciences since 2021 and is now working in the research department at the VA Hospital in Ann Arbor and recently publish her first paper (2024). She was a Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Scholar, GeoClub Social Chair, and President of the Ladies in Science and Technologies (CataLIST) Club in undergrad. She became a member of the Geohealth Division in 2022 because of her passion for helping people, especially those whose health is affected by earth & environmental processes. She hopes to bring her expertise in event planning, community engagement, inclusivity, and advocacy, as well as her geological and medical knowledge.

Description of Duties:  Serves as a member of the Program Committee for the annual meeting and, as such, serves as the junior Geology and Health Scientific Division representative on the JTPC for the annual meeting. The second vice-chair will assist the secretary in preparing a newsletter. 

Past Chair - Malcolm Siegel
  msiegel51@yahoo.com
  LJS Consulting, Inc.

Throughout my career, I have specialized in the geochemistry, treatment, and public health assessment of water resources.  However, it wasn't until I was in my mid-50's that I discovered that I wanted to be a Medical Geologist when I grew up.  I hold a BA in Chemistry from Columbia University and a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences/Geochemistry from Harvard University and in 2004, I received a Master of Public Health/Epidemiology degree from the School of Medicine at the University of New Mexico.  During a 30-year career at Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico (1981-2011), I led research teams involved in studies of environmental geochemistry, groundwater remediation, and drinking water treatment for the US Department of Energy.  My work also included studies of environmental impacts of uranium mining and experimental studies of treatment of groundwaters with high radionuclide and arsenic levels in rural New Mexico. I retired from Sandia Labs in December 2011 and served on the adjunct faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of New Mexico. Over the past 20 years, I have taught courses in geochemical modeling, environmental surface chemistry and environmental health at UNM and I was part of a School of Medicine team that examined the relationship between skin cancer and the combined exposures to sunlight and arsenic in drinking water in New Mexico.  As Co-owner of LJS Consulting, my projects have included evaluation of environmental impacts of a uranium processing plant for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and treatment studies for a new uranium sorbent for private industry.  I am an editor of the book Practical Applications of Medical Geology, which was published by Springer International Publishing in 2021.

Description of Duties: The past chair shall serve as an advisor to the chair, forms some of the corporate memory of the Geology and Health Scientific Division and chairs the Nominations Committee.

First Vice Chair - Rachel M. Coyte

rachel.coyte@nmt.edu

New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Dr. Rachel Coyte is an Assistant Professor of Hydrology at New Mexico Tech. She earned her B.A. in East Asian Studies from Oberlin College and her Ph.D. in Earth and Ocean Sciences from Duke University. Her research covers a range of topics in hydrology and environmental science, including the low-temperature geochemistry of trace elements in water, especially redox sensitive elements, and what affects the quality of drinking water in dry regions. Rachel also has research products looking into natural gas hydrate systems, what fate of waste products from energy production, and how trace elements affect pregnancy and breastfeeding. Rachel is dedicated to advancing our understanding of the intricate dynamics between water, the environment, and human activities, aiming to address critical challenges and promote sustainable solutions for resource management.

Description of Duties: The first vice-chair shall assume the powers and duties of the chair in the event of absence. Chairs the Program Committee for the annual meeting and, as such, serves as the senior Geology and Health Scientific Division representative on the Joint Technical Program Committee (JTPC) for the annual meeting. Coordinate the work of any section representatives and will appoint representatives to organize technical sessions for section meetings. 

Secretary/Treasurer - Abhishek RoyChowdhury 
aroychowdhury@navajotech.edu 
Navajo Technical University

I am an Assistant Professor of Environmental Science and Natural Resources at Navajo Technical University (NTU), New Mexico. I received my BS in Biology, and MS in Environmental Science both from the University of Calcutta, India. I earned my PhD in Environmental Management from Montclair State University, New Jersey. I worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at Stevens Institute of Technology, New Jersey. My research expertise lies in the field of environmental clean-up and remediation with special emphasis on abandoned mine site remediation, water and wastewater treatment, and development of environmental-friendly “green” approaches for treatment of heavy metals from contaminated soil and water. My ongoing research projects are funded by USDA, NSF, NASA, U.S. Department of Interior- Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation Enforcement, U.S. Department of Interior- Bureau of Indian Affairs, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and First Americans Land-Grant Consortium. 

Often compared in size to the state of West Virginia, the Navajo Nation, the largest Native American Tribe of the U.S., has an area of over 27,000 square miles. Navajo Nation has a long history of mining activities, including gold, copper, lead, silver, uranium, and coal, resulting in large areas of abandoned mine sites with soil, water, and air pollution issues. Despite some cleanup efforts, more than 500 contaminated abandoned uranium mines exist across the Navajo Nation, exposing the population to serious health problems. Homes built in areas close to uranium mines also have high indoor levels of radon. My geology and health research are related to clean up of abandoned mines in the Navajo Nation and New Mexico to reduce the human health risk potentials.

Description of Duties: The secretary/treasurer shall act as secretary of the Management Board and shall keep and archive the records of the Geology and Health Scientific Division. The secretary shall notify the officers and the members of the committees of their election or appointment and shall arrange for issuance of notices of all Geology and Health Scientific Division and Management Board meetings and of election results. He/she shall maintain liaison with Geological Society of America headquarters and shall serve, ex officio, as a member of all committees. He/she shall collect and disburse all funds of the Geology and Health Scientific Division and shall keep records of all receipts and disbursements and other financial transactions of the Geology and Health Scientific Division. The treasurer shall account to the Geological Society of America Council for all funds advanced by the Geological Society of America.

Member at Large and Student Representative coming soon...