Tony Smith
Contact Info:
E-mail: a_smith@mail.utexas.edu
Phone: 512-653-1570
Biography:
I’m a cheesehead by birth, but spent the early formative years in the Rocky Mountain State. I moved from Denver to Southern California after just enough time to become a lifelong fan of the Broncos. As a Thousand Oaks High School Lancer, I participated on the cross-country and track teams and played the quintessential Southern California sport of ice hockey. I received a B.S. degree in biochemistry with a minor in Spanish from California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo to fill the time when I wasn’t learning to surf. Following a 2-month backpacking trip through Central America I pursued potential for obscene wealth with a biotechnology start-up in South San Francisco.
After three years, one marathon,
an ascent to the highest point in the contiguous U.S. (Mt.
Whitney: 14,495 ft.) and not a single mention in Forbes, I
acknowledged my interest in the environmental sciences and
pursued an M.S. degree in environmental engineering at the
University of Texas at Austin, which I finished in the
summer of 2006. I started the Ph.D. program in the fall of
2006, studying hydrocarbon biodegradation in contaminated
freshwater sediments. Rock-climbing has replaced surfing as
the pastime, though the words “dude”, “stoked”, and “gnarly”
will forever enjoy frequent use.
Research Interests:
Microbial contaminant
degradation, contaminant fate and transport, site
remediation
Areas of Recreational Interest:
Sustainability, international development, microbial energy production
.
