Elizabeth Minor

Elizabeth Minor is a Professor at the Swenson College of Science and Engineering, University of Minnesota Duluth, within the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. She holds a Ph.D. in Organic Geochemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program. Her research focuses on carbon cycling in aquatic systems using stable/radiocarbon isotopes and chemical characterization techniques.

• Key projects: Quantifying microplastics in Minnesota waters, studying seasonal pH/pCO2 variability in the Laurentian Great Lakes, investigating storm plumes' effects on nutrients in Lake Superior, and examining salt-induced photochemical alterations of dissolved organic matter (DOM).
• Past projects: Organic geochemistry of Lake Malawi sediments, in situ dual-dye light exposure methods for aquatic systems, and DOM characterization in the Great Lakes via mass spectrometry, FTIR, NMR, and fluorescence.

Awards: She received the 2023 Chancellor's Award for Distinguished Research, acknowledging her team's collective contributions. Her students have won accolades including the ACS Undergraduate Student Award (Amber Ruthenbeck, 2025), SCSE Outstanding Graduate Teaching Awards (Joey Marchand, Ariyah Thomas, Devin Edge), and UMD Chemistry & Biochemistry scholarships.

Research trends: Her work bridges environmental chemistry, aquatic biogeochemistry, and microplastic pollution. Collaborations include Bigelow Laboratory of Ocean Sciences for microplastics analysis, supported by funding from the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund.

Labs and teams: The Liz Minor Lab (Liz Minor Lab Alumni) investigates DOM dynamics and microplastic contamination, with alumni transitioning to roles at institutions like UC-Boulder, Wisconsin DNR, and legislative commissions. Notable lab activities include sediment sampling cruises on Lake Superior and in situ pump deployments for water filtration.