EDUCATION

Ph.D. Environmental Science, May 1998

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, N.J.

Dissertation title: Anaerobic Biodegradation of Aromatic Petroleum Hydrocarbons

Advisor: Dr. L.Y. Young

M.S. Environmental Science, 1994

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, N.J.

Thesis title: Microbial Degradation of Plant Phenolic Compounds under Three Reducing Conditions

Advisor: Dr. L.Y. Young

B.S. Animal Science, 1988

Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Instructor / Lab Coordinator. Rutgers University, 1999-present

Fall + Spring ’04 – present Introduction to Environmental Science (Envsci 101)

Fall ’03 Biological Principles of Environmental Science (Envsci 201) team-taught

Fall ’01 – present Environmental Microbiology Lab (Envsci 312)

Fall ’02+’03 Contribute guest lectures for Microbial Ecology (Micro. 491)

Adjunct Instructor. Middlesex County College, 1997-1999.

Spring '99 Applied Microbiology (Bio 224) including lab

Fall '98 General Microbiology (Bio 221) including lab

Spring '98 General Microbiology (Bio 221) laboratory only

Fall '97 General Microbiology (Bio 221) co-taught.

Teaching Assistant. Rutgers University, 1997.

Responsible for co-teaching a section of “Introduction to Scientific Research”, including lab supervision of freshman students and review of progress reports and presentations.

Volunteer “Master Composter”. Tompkins County Cooperative Extension, 1991-92.

Gave community workshops consisting of lectures, "hands on" demonstrations and question-and-answer sessions as part of the Cooperative Extension’s Master Gardener / Master Composter program

Teaching Assistant. Cornell University, 1986.

Responsible for co-teaching a lab section of “Animal Reproduction”, including lab preparation, instruction and supervision, as well as prepare and grade practicals, quizzes and exams.

EMPLOYMENT

Instructor / Research Scientist, Department of Environmental Sciences, Nov. 1999 - present.

Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.

¨ Supervise undergraduate and graduate students carrying out research projects.

¨ Plan and oversee research dealing with various aspects of the biodegradation of pollutants.

¨ Write grants to support an active research program, and prepare manuscripts for publication.

¨ Design, plan and teach laboratory-based courses relating to environmental microbiology.

¨ Co-Teach the large “Introduction to Environmental Science” lecture class.

¨ Provide technical support for laboratory instrumentation.

Postdoctoral Associate, Biotech. Center for Agriculture and the Environment, May 1998 - Oct. '99.

Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.

¨ Conduct research to identify genetic and biochemical indicators of the anaerobic biodegradation of xenobiotic compounds using GC-FID, GC-MS and HPLC.

Adjunct Instructor, Middlesex County College, Sept. 1997 – May 1999 (four semesters)

¨ Taught "General Microbiology" (Bio 221), including laboratory, and "Applied Microbiology" (Bio 224).

Graduate Assistant, Biotech. Center for Agriculture and the Environment, August 1992 - May 1998

Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J.

¨ Conducted research on the anaerobic biodegradation of xenobiotic chemicals including benzene, toluene and various phenolic compounds.

Technician GR21, Diagnostic Laboratory, April 1989 - July 1992

Cornell University, Ithaca, N.Y.

¨ Performed routine diagnostic and research radio-immunoassays of hormones in tissue culture media and blood samples from various species.

PUBLICATIONS

Rhine, E.D., C.D. Phelps and Young, L.Y. 2006. Anaerobic arsenite oxidation by novel denitrifying isolates. Environ. Microbiol. 8(5):899-908.

Rhine, E.D., E. García-Domínguez, C.D. Phelps and Young, L.Y. 2005. Environmental microbes can speciate and cycle arsenic. Environ. Sci. and Tecnol. 39:9569-9573.

Gallagher, E., L. McGuinness, C.D. Phelps, L.Y. Young and L.J. Kerkhof. 2005. ¹³C-Carrier DNA shortens the incubation time needed to detect benzoate-utilizing denitrifying bacteria by stable-isotope probing. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 71(9):5192-5196.

Young, L.Y. and C.D. Phelps. 2005. Metabolic biomarkers for monitoring in situ anaerobic hydrocarbon degradation. Environmental Health Perspectives. 113(1):62-67.

Lamkie, J. and Phelps, C.D. Biocomplexity and Microorganisms: Lessons in Technology for Grades 5-8. http://www.engineeringplanet.rutgers.edu/lessons.php

So, C.M., C.D. Phelps and L.Y. Young. 2003. Anaerobic transformation of alkanes to fatty acids: Initial reactions by the sulfate-reducer strain HXD3 using stable isotope labeled compounds. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 69(7):3892-3900.

Phelps, C.D., J. Battistelli, and L.Y. Young. 2002. Metabolic biomarkers for monitoring anaerobic naphthalene biodegradation in situ. Environ. Microbiol. 4(9):532-537.

Phelps, C.D., X. Zhang, and L.Y. Young. 2001. Detection of benzoate from anaerobic benzene metabolism by a sulfidogenic consortium. Environ. Microbiol. 3(9):600-603.

Sullivan, E.R., X. Zhang, C.D. Phelps and L.Y. Young. 2001. Anaerobic mineralization of stable isotope labeled 2-methylnaphthalene. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67(9):4353-4357.

Phelps, C.D. and L.Y. Young. 2000. Anaerobic biodegradation of gasoline components: A review. Advances in Agronomy, Vol. 70 pp. 329-358.

Phelps, C.D., and L.Y. Young. 1999. Anaerobic biodegradation of BTEX and gasoline in various aquatic sediments. Biodegradation. 10(1): 15-25.

Boyle, A.W., C.D. Phelps and L.Y. Young. 1999. Isolation of a Desulfovibrio strain from estuarine sediments which can grow on lactate coupled to the reductive dehalogenation of 2,4,6-Tribromophenol. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65(3): 1133-1140.

Phelps, C.D., L. Kerkhof and L.Y. Young. 1998. Molecular characterization of a sulfate-reducing consortium which mineralizes benzene. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 27(3):269-279.

Phelps, C.D., X. Zhang, C.-M. So and L.Y. Young. 1998. Petroleum components can be biodegraded in anoxic environments. Proceedings: 1998 Pacific Basin Conference on Hazardous Waste. April 22-24, Honolulu, HI, USA pages 128-140.

Phelps, C.D. and L.Y. Young. 1997. Microbial metabolism of the plant phenolic compounds ferulic and syringic acids under three anaerobic conditions. Microbial Ecology 33(3): 206-215.

Phelps, C.D., J. Kazumi and L.Y. Young. 1996. Anaerobic degradation of benzene in BTX mixtures dependent on sulfate-reduction. FEMS Microbiology Letters 145(3): 433-437.

PRESENTATIONS

Platform Presentations:

Phelps, C.D. 2006. A simple soil assay to demonstrate enzyme regulation. Ann. Conference of Northeast Microbiologists for Physiology, Ecology, Taxonomy, Blue Mtn. Lake, NY.

Phelps, C.D. 2005. Modeling the biogeochemical cycle of arsenic. Ann. Conference of Northeast Microbiologists for Physiology, Ecology, Taxonomy, Blue Mtn. Lake, NY.

Phelps, C.D. 2005. Microbial degradation pathways: a tool for environmental monitoring. Annual Meeting of the Center for Environmental Bio-Inorganic Chemistry. Princeton, NJ.

Phelps, C.D., J. Lamkie. 2004. Winogradsky’s Battery: Exploring biocomplexity in aquatic sediment. New Jersey Science Convention. Somerset, NJ.

Phelps, C.D., E. Gallagher, L. Kerkhof and L.Y. Young. 2004. New approaches to studying biodegradation of TNT in anaerobic sediments. The 14^th Annual West Coast Conference on Soils, Sediments and Water. San Diego, CA,

Phelps, C.D. 2002. Metabolic biomarkers for detecting PAH biodegradation in groundwater and sediments. The 18^th Annual International Conference on Contaminated Soils, Sediments and Water. Amherst, MA.

Phelps, C.D., and E.L. Hacherl. 2001. A modified Winogradsky column for teaching the iron cycle. Ann. Conference of Northeast Microbiologists for Physiology, Ecology, Taxonomy, Blue Mtn. Lake, NY.

Phelps, C.D., and L.Y. Young. 2001. Metabolic biomarkers for monitoring in situ toluene and naphthalene bioremediation. Battelle Symposium on In Situ and On-Site Bioremediation, San Diego, CA.

Phelps, C.D., and L.Y. Young. 2000. Anaerobic metabolites and co-metabolites as bioindicators of in situ biodegradation. Ann. Conference of Northeast Microbiologists for Physiology, Ecology, Taxonomy, Blue Mtn. Lake, NY.

Phelps, C.D. and L.Y. Young. 1998. Anaerobic biodegradation of benzene and other gasoline components. Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT (invited speaker).

Phelps, C.D. and L.Y. Young. 1998. Biodegradation of BTEX under anaerobic conditions in various aquatic sediments. Ann. Conference of Northeast Microbiologists for Physiology, Ecology, Taxonomy, Blue Mtn. Lake, NY.

Phelps, C.D., X. Zhang, C.-M. So and L.Y. Young. 1998. Petroleum components can be biodegraded in anoxic environments. Pacific Basin Conference on Hazardous Waste, Honolulu, HI.

Phelps, C.D. and L.Y. Young. 1996. Anaerobic benzene mineralization in marine sediments. Ann. Conference of Northeast Microbiologists for Physiology, Ecology, Taxonomy, Blue Mtn. Lake, NY.

Selected Posters:

Tierney, M.L., K. Hess, C.D. Phelps and L.Y. Young. 2005. Proposed mechanism of naphthalene degradation by nitrate-reducing bacteria. General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Atlanta, GA.

Rhine, E.D., E. García-Domínguez, C.D. Phelps and L.Y. Young. 2005. The cycling of arsenic by environmental microbes. General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Atlanta, GA.

Tierney, M.L., Phelps, C.D. and L.Y. Young. 2004. Novel naphthalene-degrading denitrifying organisms isolated from estuarine sediments. General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, New Orleans, LA.

Gallagher, E., Phelps, C.D., L.Y. Young and L. Kerkhof. 2004. Monitoring changes in anaerobic, aromatic degrading communities using stable-isotopes. General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, New Orleans, LA.

Phelps, C.D. 2003. Winogradsky's Battery: Demonstrating redox potential using stratified sediment columns. General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Washington, DC.

Wise, A., Phelps, C.D., and L.Y. Young. 2002. Anaerobic metabolism of p-cresol. General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Salt Lake City, UT.

Battistelli, J.M., Phelps, C.D., and L.Y. Young. 2002. Use of metabolic biomarkers for monitoring anaerobic naphthalene biodegradation. General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Salt Lake City, UT.

Phelps, C.D., X. Zhang, and L.Y. Young. 2001. Transformation of biphenyl and fluorobiphenyl by a sulfidogenic consortium degrading phenanthrene. General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Orlando, FL.

Phelps, C.D., J. Oberer, G. Mortimer and L.Y. Young. 2000. Use of metabolic biomarkers to monitor in situ bioremediation at a contaminated field site. General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Los Angeles, CA.

Phelps, C.D., and L.Y. Young. 1999. Isolation and characterization of an oligotrophic member of the Cytophagales. Ann. Conference of Northeast Microbiologists for Physiology, Ecology, Taxonomy, Blue Mtn. Lake, NY

Phelps, C.D., Lee Kerkhof and L.Y. Young. 1998. Characterizing an anaerobic, benzene-degrading consortium. General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Atlanta, GA.

Phelps, C.D. and L.Y. Young. 1997. Biodegradation of BTEX Under anaerobic conditions in various aquatic sediments. General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Miami, FL.

Phelps, C.D., J. Kazumi and L.Y. Young. 1995. Anaerobic biodegradation of benzene in marine sediments. General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, Washington, D.C.

Phelps, C.D. and L.Y. Young. 1993. Degradation of ferulic and syringic acids, two model lignin monomers, under three different reducing conditions. Ann. Conference of Northeast Microbiologists for Physiology, Ecology, Taxonomy, Blue Mtn. Lake, NY

Professional Affiliations and activities

American Society of Microbiologists. 1994 - present.

Northeast Microbiologists for Physiology, Ecology, Taxonomy. 1993 - present.

Corresponding Secretary: 2000 - present

Scientific Session Coordinator: 2003 + 2005

New Jersey Science Teachers Association. 2003 – present.

Microbial Educators Network (Delaware/Lehigh Valley Region). 2003 – present.

14^th Annual Northeast Regional Teaching Workshop (Attendee.) 2005

Gordon Research Conference (Environmental Sciences: Water). 2000.

Gordon Research Conference (Applied and Environmental Microbiology). 1999+2003.

34^th Mid-Atlantic Industrial and Hazardous Waste Conference (2002). Session Moderator.

Ad hoc reviewer. “FEMS – Microbiology Ecology”, “Aquatic Microbial Ecology”, “Chemical Engineering Communications”, "Biodegradation" and "Journal of Environmental Engineering"

Cook College Freshman Advisor. 2005 – present.