Emily Elliott, an associate professor in the Dietrich School's Department of Geology and Environmental Science, is the recipient of the American Geophysical Union's 2018 Sulzman Award for Excellence in Education and Mentoring. The award was presented by AGU's Biogeosciences Section.
Elliott, who also serves as the Director of the Pittsburgh Water Collaboratory and the Director of the Regional Stable Isotope Laboratory for Earth and Environmental Science Research, joined the Dietrich School in 2007 as an Assistant Professor. She was trained as a Science Ambassador through the National Academy of Sciences, Science and Engineering Ambassadors Program from 2015-17. Her research program examines the tight coupling between human activities and reactive nitrogen distributions in atmosphere, terrestrial and aquatic systems at multiple spatial scales using stable isotope geochemistry. These coupled relationships are investigated in agricultural, energy production, transportation, and human-built environments to determine how best to manage inputs of reactive nitrogen to protect water quality, air quality, ecosystem and human health. She has a particular interest in evaluating how infrastructure influences nutrient delivery to urban streams and contributes to eutrophication of rivers and coastal ecosystems.