Zsuzsanna Balogh-Brunstad

Professor of Geology and Department Chair & Coordinator of Environment, Sustainability & Society

Courses taught:

• GEOL 106 – Global Environment w/2 hr lab
• GEOL/ENSS 209 – Introduction to Soil w/2 hr lab
• GEOL/ENSS 212 – Climate Change
• GEOL 227 – Experiential Field Studies (study area changes yearly)
• GEOL 302 – Geomorphology w/3 hr lab
• GEOL 305 – Groundwater Hydrology w/3 hr lab
• GEOL/ENCH 330 – Environmental Methods and Analysis
• GEOL 389 – Pre-Thesis Research
• GEOL 416 – Geochemistry
• GEOL 416L – Geochemistry Lab
• GEOL 490 – Senior Project
• ENCH 315 – Environmental Chemistry
• ENCH 315L – Environmental Chemistry Lab
• ENSS/PUBH 257 – Environmental Health Science
• ENSS 490 – Research Project

Recent Publications:

• Dohnalkova, A. C., Tfaily, M. M., Chu, R. K., Smith, A. P., Brislawn, C. J., Varga, T., Crump, A. R., Kovarik, L., Thomashow, L. S., Harsh, J. B., Keller, C. K., & Balogh-Brunstad, Z. (2022). Effects of Microbial-Mineral Interactions on Organic Carbon Stabilization in a Ponderosa Pine Root Zone: A Micro-Scale Approach. Frontiers in Earth Science, 10, https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.799694 – manuscript
• Dontsova, K., Balogh‐Brunstad, Z., and Le Roux, G. (2021), Evaluating the impact and reach of biogeochemical cycles, Eos, 102, https://doi.org/10.1029/2021EO163024. Published on 20 September 2021. – manuscript
• Dontsova, K., Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Le Roux, G. (2020) Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impacts, Geophysical Monograph Series (Book 248), American Geophysical Union, 1st ed. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119413332 – book editor
  Chapters within the book
• Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Smart*, K. E., Dohnalkova, A. C., Saccone, L., Smits, M. M (2020) Micro- and nano-scale techniques to explore bacteria and fungi interactions with silicate minerals. Chapter 4, pp. 81-101, https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119413332.ch4 in:
  Donstsova, K., Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Le Roux, G. (eds.) Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impacts, Geophysical Monograph Series (Book 248), American Geophysical Union, 1st ed.
• Dontsova, K., Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Chorover, J. (2020) Plants as Drivers of Rock Weathering. Chapter 2, pp. 33-58, https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119413332.ch2 in: Donstsova, K., Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Le Roux, G. (eds.) Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impacts, Geophysical Monograph Series (Book 248), American Geophysical Union, 1st ed.
• Dontsova, K., Balogh‐Brunstad, Z., Le Roux, G. (2020). Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impacts of Biogeochemical Cycles: Challenges and Opportunities. Chapter 15, pp. 301-306, https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119413332.ch15 in:
• Donstsova, K., Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Le Roux, G. (eds.) Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impacts, Geophysical Monograph Series (Book 248), American Geophysical Union, 1st ed.
• Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Keller, C. K., Shi, Z., Wallander, H., & Stipp, S. L. (2017). Ectomycorrhizal Fungi and Mineral Interactions in the Rhizosphere of Scots and Red Pine Seedlings. Soils, 1(1), 5. https://doi.org/10.3390/soils1010005 – manuscript
• Brantley, S. L., Eissenstat, D. M., Marshall, J. A., Godsey, S. E., Balogh-Brunstad, Z., Karwan, D. L., Papuga, S. A., Roering, J., Dawson, T. E., Evaristo, J., Chadwick, O., McDonnell, J. J., and Weathers, K. C. (2017). Reviews and syntheses: on the roles trees play in building and plumbing the critical zone, Biogeosciences, 14, 5115-5142, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5115-2017 – manuscript

Distinctions (Awards, Fellowships and Grants):

• AGU Collection COP26, 2021, selected our book “Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impacts”, Geophysical Monograph Series (Book 248) for the free virtual book showcase in support of the 2021 COP conferences in Milan and Glasgow. Each book publisher contributed four titles about climate change and sustainability. https://institutions.exacteditions.com/cop26
• AAP Prose Award Nomination in Environmental Sciences, 2020, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. for the “Biogeochemical Cycles: Ecological Drivers and Environmental Impacts”, Geophysical Monograph Series (Book 248).

Recently Funded Student Collaborative Research Grants:
Freedman Prize Award 2024-25

• Assessment of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Levels in the Charlotte Creek Watershed, New York, Peyton Humphries ’25 (GEOL), Open Freedman Prize, Hartwick College, Oneonta.
• Heavy Metals in the Charlotte Creek Watershed, New York, Will Brouillette ’25 (ENSS), Open Freedman Prize, Hartwick College, Oneonta.
• Fungal Community Profiles of Bald Cypress in the Four Rivers Basin, Kentucky, Hannah Makuch ’26 (CHEM&BUSA) and Makenna Ventuleth ’27 (BIOC), in collaboration with Dr. Stephanie Carr, Freedman Prize in Applied Geoscience, Hartwick College, Oneonta.
• Estimating Fungal Biomass through Ergosterol Quantification, Adrianna Dugan ’25 (CHEM&MUSI), Freedman Prize in Applied Geoscience, Hartwick College, Oneonta.

Environment Research Scholar Award

• Investigating the fluvial geomorphology changes at Pine Lake Environmental Campus, Silas Moyer ’26 (ANTH&ENSS), Hartwick College, Oneonta.

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