Dr. Natalie Mladenov
Associate Professor of Environmental Engineering and William E. Leonhard Jr. Chair
Civil Construction and Environmental Engineering
San Diego State University
Research Interests
  • Water reuse to promote water-energy-food sustainability
  • Decentralized wastewater treatment
  • Stormwater pollution
  • Marine debris pollution
  • Surface water and groundwater quality 
  • NOM-microbe-trace element interactions
  • Fluorescence-based sensors

Education        
PhD in Civil Engineering, University of Colorado
MS in Civil Engineering, University of Colorado  
BS in Civil Engineering, University of South Florida
BA in Art, University of South Florida
      
Student Research Opportunities:
  • The WIRLab provides both funded and volunteer opportunities for graduate (JDP, MS thesis, and MS project) and undergraduate students.

  • Black and African-American students, Latinx students, LGBTQ+ students, and students from all groups traditionally under-represented in engineering are especially encouraged to apply.

  • There are a range of scholarships  available at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Visit SDSU's STEM website to find out more about these opportunities. Definitely consider applying!

  • Now recruiting microplastics (microfibers and micro-tire-wear particles) researcher:  to conduct leaching and photo-degradation experiments of the MPs and their water soluble constituents. The research will inform California State policy on tires and microfibers. Contact Dr. Mladenov for more information.
 
  • Also recruiting Tijuana River sewage monitoring and management researcher:  to ground truth fluorescence-based monitoring of sewage pollution and explore management solutions to address this decades-long water quality and public health emergency. Contact Dr. Mladenov for more information.

Current Students

Rachel Astete Vasquez
Joint doctoral program (JDP) student, SDSU and UCSD, Environmental Engineering

Evaluation and optimization of un-sewered onsite sanitation.
Alma Rocha
MS candidate, SDSU - Environmental Engineering

Persistence of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater and natural waters contaminated with wastewater.
Federick Pinongcos
MS candidate, SDSU - Environmental Engineering

Loadings of anthropogenic pollutants to the San Diego River and its tributaries during storm events
Lauren Steinberg
MS candidate, SDSU - Environmental Engineering

Transformation of organic chemicals in anaerobic membrane bioreactors and design of parallel MBR and AnMBR systems.
 Denise Garcia
BS student, SDSU - Environmental Engineering

Performance  evaluation of decentralized treatment system in Tijuana, Mexico.
Austin Miller
BS student, SDSU - Environmental Engineering

Review of nutrient transformation in onsite sanitation systems.
Mia Preciado
BS student, SDSU  - Environmental Engineering

Review of pathogens in onsite sanitation systems.
Stephanie Chao
BS student, SDSU - Environmental Engineering

Optimization of pre-treatment systems for parallel MBR and AnMBR systems.
Elizabeth Winterton
BS student, SDSU - Environmental Engineering

Long-term trends in nutrients post-restoration and post-fire in an urban creek.
Alex Kinney
BS student, SDSU - Geology

Long-term trends in DOM and bacteria post-restoration and post-fire in an urban creek..
Margot Mueller
Lab and field tech, SDSU - Water Resources

In charge of storms! Water quality and hydrologic change post veg restoration.
Jeremy Monroe
BS student, SDSU - Environmental Engineering

Wing commander for caffeine and sucralose extraction and data analysis.
Mia Gil
BS student, SDSU - Environmental Engineering

Persistence of bacteria in wastewater contaminated soil over time and rain flushing events.
David Aponte
BS student, SDSU - Environmental Engineering

Performance monitoring of aerobic and anaerobic reactors for wastewater treatment.
Ellaine Esteller
BS student, SDSU - Environmental Engineering

Nutrients in decentralized wastewater treatment system for urban water reuse.
Sophia Jorge
BS student, SDSU - Environmental Engineering

Water quality analysis of parallel aerobic and anaerobic membrane bioreactors.
Julian Tobarsalas
BS student, SDSU - Environmental Engineering

Storm water quality in an urban creek in San Diego.
Could this be you?
WIRLab volunteer

Gain lab experience, lead research projects, volunteer to improve water access and protect our region's surface waters.

Former students

Elizabeth Mikita
BS student, SDSU - Statistics
Statistical analysis of baseflow and stormwater quality data.
Kristen Snyder
MS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Determination of dissolution and degradation rates of oil from a coastal spill and naturally occurring seep.
Anita Sanchez
BS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Organic constituents in backwash and permeate of ultrafiltration membrane during reversible fouling.
Lorelay Mendoza
BS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Bacterial enumeration and fluorescence-based sensors of microbial contaminants in Alvarado Creek, San Diego.
Chelsi Pascua
BS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Tracking degradation of organic compounds in a bench-scale anaerobic baffled reactor with 1D and 3D fluorescence.
Cheyenne Graves
BS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Optimization of pre-treatment systems for parallel MBR and AnMBR systems.
Lyndsey Becotte
BS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Nutrient analyses of an urban creek undergoing restoration.
Scott Sanfilippo
MS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Parallel factor analysis modeling of organic carbon in anaerobic baffled reactor systems and arctic thaw ponds experiencing climate change.
Joseph Wasswa
MS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
3D and 1D fluorescence sensors for tracking membrane fouling and contamination events in water reuse operations.
Jordan Cain
BS student, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Oxygenation of the San Diego River
Leandro Serron
BS student, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Alvarado Creek Water Quality Project
Daniel Parsons
MS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Tracking DOM transformation and water quality response to river restoration in an urban watershed.
Jesse Scolavino
BS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Determination of wastewater types and dilutions for optimal growth and nutrient removal by duckweed (Lemna sp.).
Teddy Mendoza
BS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Solids removal in recirculating synthetic wastewater through a bench-scale anaerobic baffled reactor.
Azin Nour
MS , SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Fluorescence  signatures of RO and UV-AOP product water in water reuse and fluorescence tracking of oil degradation.
Amy Bigelow
MS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Biodegradability of organic matter in atmospheric deposition and anaerobically-treated wastewater.
Harshad Kulkarni
PhD, KSU - Civil Engineering
Dissolved organic matter-arsenic-iron interactions in reducing aquifers of the Bengal Basin.
Cari Campbell
BS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Development of experimental setup for photodegradation study of coastal oil spill.
Josh Papas
BS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
In-situ fluorescence tracking of  organic matter degradation  in an oxic tank.
Federic Pinongcos
BS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Arsenic and organic matter desorption from soils under reducing conditions.
Jannira Gregory
MS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Quantification of microplastics in wastewater.
Alessandro Maganuco
MS, SDSU - Environmental Engineering
Decentralized wastewater treatment options for San Diego State University
Hersy Enriquez
MS, KSU - Civil Engineering
Organic matter and arsenic interactions in groundwater of the Okavango Delta, Botswana.
Jose Paredez
MS, KSU - Civil Engineering
Column study to evaluate subsurface wetland treatment of flue gas desulfurization wastewater.
Kaley Oldani
MS, KSU - Civil Engineering
Atmospheric dry deposition of organic constituents to an alpine watershed in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
T. Barrett Wellemeyer
BS, KSU - Civil Engineering
Atmospheric dry deposition sampling and analysis in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
Dustin Phommanivong
BS, KSU - Civil Engineering
Fluorescence quenching, groundwater arsenic pollution, arsenic-DOM-Fe complexation.
Kathryn Biver
BS, KSU - Civil Engineering
Sulfate reducing bacteria in high arsenic groundwater of the Okavango Delta 
Sen Yang
BS, KSU - Civil Engineering
Fate of BTEX compounds, fracking, fluorescence spectroscopy
Natasha Goss
BS, CU - Chemistry
Testing and evaluating a dry deposition marble insert; particle enumeration and recognition with novel flow cytometry (FlowCAM).
Samantha Lemons
BA, CU - Environmental Studies
Characterization of organic aerosols, unique fluorescence of bioaerosols, PARAFAC modeling.