John Gardner

John Gardner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geology and Environmental Science at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, affiliated with the Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences. He holds a Ph.D. from Duke University (2018) and an M.S. from the University of Maryland (2014). Prior to his current role, he was a National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow at UNC (2018–2020).

His research focuses on understanding how rivers, lakes, and landscapes move, store, and transform water, sediment, and elements, with an emphasis on human impacts. He employs hydrology, ecosystem ecology, and geomorphology, leveraging remote sensing, satellite data, and in-situ sensors. Current projects include monitoring sediment delivery from continents to coasts, deciphering ecosystem processes via spatial water quality patterns, and developing satellite-derived water quality databases.

Key research contributions include studies on riverine phosphorus estimation, suspended sediment fluxes, and algal bloom dynamics. His work has been supported by NASA awards and the Hillman Family Foundation. The Gardner Lab collaborates widely, with recent projects involving citizen science, satellite analytics, and global river monitoring.

Students and collaborators include Rajaram Prajapati (PhD), Claire Kemick (undergraduate researcher), Punwath Prum, and Elad Dente. Grants and funding highlight initiatives like NASA’s SWOT satellite project and Ohio River Basin algal bloom studies.