Sandra Nierzwicki-Bauer

Dr. Sandra Nierzwicki-Bauer is a Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) and Associate Director of the Darrin Fresh Water Institute (DFWI). She holds leadership roles including former Department Head of Biological Sciences, Interim Dean of Science, and Director of DFWI. Her expertise spans microbiology, aquatic ecosystems, and environmental science.

Education: PhD in Microbiology (University of New Hampshire, 1983), Postdoctoral Fellowship at University of Chicago (1984–1985) focusing on cyanobacterial molecular biology.

Research focuses on cyanobacterial symbiosis (e.g., Azolla-Anabaena), lake ecosystem dynamics, climate change impacts, and water quality monitoring. Key projects include long-term studies on acidification recovery in Adirondack lakes and mercury dynamics in aquatic food webs. Her work integrates field studies, genomic approaches, and environmental modeling.

Scientific contributions include over 100 peer-reviewed articles and the NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship. She has advised numerous projects on symbiotic mechanisms, invasive species, and microbial community responses to environmental stressors.

Labs/Teams: DFWI leads collaborative research on freshwater systems, combining limnology, microbiology, and policy analysis. Current initiatives include the Jefferson Project on Lake George, applying advanced technology to ecosystem management.