Dr. Roy Price is an aqueous geochemist who specializes in understanding water-rock reactions in the context of environmental hydrogeochemistry and hydrothermal vents, and the implications these reactions have for life, both in the present and past.

Dr. Price has over 20 years of experience in conducting research at the crossroads between the geosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. His research experience includes topics on 1) groundwater quality, hydrogeochemistry, and hydrology, 2) aqueous geochemistry of hydrothermal vents, including subsurface water-rock reactions using major and minor element geochemistry, traditional and non-traditional isotopes, clumped isotopes, and Eq3/6 geochemical modelling, 3) understanding the cycling of nitrogen, phosphorous, and other contaminants of emerging concern including pharmaceuticals and personal care products, in groundwater-to-marine systems, 4) applying his understanding of redox chemistry and mineralogy to off-Earth environments for a better understanding of planetary habitability, the origin of life, and astrobiology. Dr. Price, as a result, has significant expertise in analysing rocks and aqueous samples with highly complex matrices utilizing IC, ICP-OES, ICP-MS, and many other analytical techniques. Price also continues to advise and mentor students from undergraduate students in marine sciences and geology to several graduate students at the Ph.D. level. His leadership experience also includes being Research Coordinator for the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology, where he helped guide the direction of the Center’s research efforts for the past ~3 years.

Please see my Google Scholar profile for more information.Jonathan Lubiantoro is a Ph.D. student working on trace metal and metalloid cycling in hydrothermal systems. He also is interested in contaminants of emerging concern. This work is funded the SoMAS and SBU Provost’s office.

Vanessa Alfonso is a Ph.D. student working on habitability of ancient martian environments similar to those we sample in Iceland. This work is funded by NASA.

 

Past Students and Undergraduate Researchers

Kristen Burk finished her M.S. degree on the potential for NRFO (nitrate reduction coupled to iron oxidation) in Nitrogen Removing Biofilters (NRBs). This work is funded by the Center for Clean Water Technology.

Arlaine Sanchez is finished her M.S. degree on “Habitability of ancient saponite-rich hydrothermal systems of early Mars”, a NASA funded project that will compare the energy potential of the Strytan Hydrothermal Field with similar vents thought to have existed on early Mars.

Holly Rucker finished her M.S. degree on “Habitability of an ancient Mars lacustrine hydrothermal vent system and an Icelandic analogue fjord site”, a NASA funded project that will compare the energy potential of the Strytan Hydrothermal Field with similar vents thought to have existed on early Mars.

Samantha Nyer finished her Ph.D. on “The influence of plants on nitrogen biogeochemical cycling in constructed wetlands”. This work is funded by the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology.

 

Patricia (Tricia) Clyde finished her Ph.D. on “The Occurrence, Behavior and Effects of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) in Nitrogen Removing Wastewater Treatment Systems”. This work is funded by the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology.

Zoe Smith completed her M.S. degree through the SoMAS in 2019 titled “Assessing the Behavior of Potentially Toxic Metals in a Nitrogen Removing Biofilter”. This work was funded by the New York State Center for Clean Water Technology.

 

Dr. Price was a reader for Stivaly Paulino’s MS thesis “The role of submarine groundwater discharge (SGD) on the water quality in Jamaica”

 

Dr. Price was a reader for Jeanette Lee’s MS thesis “Optimizing Phosphorus Removal in Nitrogen Removing Biofilters”, funded by the Center for Clean Water Technology.

 

Ella Holme was an undergraduate volunteer in Dr. Price’s lab. Her research project was titled “Arsenic content and speciation in shallow-sea hydrothermal vent fluids and sediments: competing variables in an acidified ocean”. Her project was presented as a poster at SBU’s Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities (URECA) symposium.

 

Joshua Garcia was an undergraduate volunteer in Dr. Price’s lab. His research project was titled  “Arsenic cycling in Amazonian mud banks”. His project was presented as a poster at SBU’s Undergraduate Research & Creative Activities (URECA) symposium.

 

Martha Braun was working in the Price lab pre-Covid and plans to return soon to continue working with graduate students on hydrothermal vent projects, specifically the cultivation of arsenotrophs. She is a Junior majoring in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Conservation Biology and a minor in Geospatial Science.