Contact Info:
E-mail: ryan.sitzes@mail.utexas.edu
Phone: 512-471-6682
Biography
I was born and raised in the small town of Jackson, Missouri, just west of the Mississippi River. When not doing research, I enjoy sailing on nearby Lake Travis with the UT sailing club, on my Hobie 14 beach catamaran, or in my sailing canoe. I also enjoy woodworking, and have recently begun to combine my hobbies to construct a 16 foot wooden beach catamaran out of plywood, epoxy, and hardware from junked-out sailboats. When finished, I hope to sail circles around the poor monohull sailors in the open local regattas. When the wind isn’t blowing, I like to go fishing or camping. I have a fairly eclectic musical taste, which includes such genres as post-rock, indie, acoustic, house, and classic rock.
Research
My research investigates the effectiveness of various active capping materials for the remediation of contaminated river sediments. Currently, I am working on a project to produce a coating of plant biopolymers on sand grains to enhance sorptive capacity.