Group Values
We aim to work according to the following values, which have been defined collectively by our team:
- Our group is committed to conducting rigorous research using principles from engineering and environmental analytical chemistry. We are intentional in our selection of methods and meticulous in their implementation.
- We value justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion within our group and in broader society. We engage with feminist, anticolonial, and antiracist principles through self-education and practice.
- We value collective input and action in leading our group. All members are encouraged and supported to decide on our day-to-day functionality and future directions. We commit to giving each group member an equal voice in lab affairs.
- As a group, we strongly value community engagement and aim to produce broadly accessible and pertinent research for positive environmental impact. We build partnerships that produce knowledge and solutions to achieve this.
- We’re curious. We always want to find out about new things and find joy in the process of discovery. We’re also creative. We strive to think of original ways to solve problems and continue to improve and innovate existing solutions. We’re optimistic. We know that the results of experiments are uncontrollable. Sometimes we only get useful results after trying many times. Before that, we face these challenges with a positive attitude.
Group Members
Dr. Rachel Scholes
Rachel Scholes (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Dr. Scholes brings experience in environmental chemistry, engineering, and safer chemical alternatives in order to address contaminants of concern for human and environmental health. Her research focuses on optimizing trace contaminant removal in engineered and nature-based water treatment systems, and on identifying alternatives to harmful chemicals. Dr. Scholes earned an M.S. and Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Northwestern University.
Yanru Wang
Yanru is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Civil Engineering. She completed her M.Eng. (2020) in Environmental Engineering at the University of Alberta. She is interested in the fate and transformation of trace organic contaminants (i.e., biocides) in stormwater runoff and Best Management Practices (BMPs) for these contaminants. For her M.Eng. study, Yanru investigated the flood mitigation capacity of bioretention. Currently, her research focuses on developing new media in wetlands for stormwater management and treatment. She hopes to convert stormwater from a waste to a resource through rigorous natural treatment systems.
Jeff Wight
Jeff is a PhD student in civil engineering at UBC. He has received a B.S in chemistry and an M.S. in environmental engineering from Utah State University. Primarily interested in environmental chemistry and the fate and transport of organic contaminants, his current research involves investigating endocrine disrupting compounds that enter marine environments from wastewater treatment plant effluent. When not in the lab, you can probably find him hiking trails that are entirely too long.
Dr. Tim Rodgers
Tim a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Civil Engineering at UBC. His research looks at the fate and behaviour of toxic chemicals in the environment, with a focus on chemicals emissions and human/environmental exposures. He is currently working on understanding how the tire wear product “6PPD-quinone”, which is extremely toxic to coho salmon, moves through urban watersheds in the Metro Vancouver area. The goal of this project is to help design and implement engineered systems or policy interventions that can protect coho salmon and other aquatic organisms from 6PPD-quinone and other toxic road runoff compounds.
Gopal Sharma
Gopal is a Research Assistant in the department of Civil Engineering at UBC. He completed his MSc in the department of Plant Science at UBC, during which he studied drought physiology in wheat plants. His previous experience includes working in the Environmental Fluid Mechanics Lab focusing on lake and reservoir dynamics. In his free time he can be found exploring new places in the city, reading, or biking.
Katie Moloney
Katie Moloney (she/her) is a MASc student at the University of British Columbia in Civil Engineering – Environmental Systems Engineering. Katie is originally from the United States and she completed her Bachelor’s in Environmental Engineering at Northeastern University in 2023. Here in the Scholes Lab, she works to identify and understand tire wear particle compounds often found in stormwater runoff from roadways. In her free time, you can find Katie out hiking, skiing, camping, or generally tagging along to anything that can get her into the mountains for a bit.
Ritu Progga Saha
Ritu is a MASc student specializing in environmental systems engineering at the department of Civil Engineering at UBC. She is originally from Bangladesh, and completed her B.Sc. in Civil Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) where she majored in Environment and had Structure as her minor. Her research interest lies broadly around the integrated management of water resources, to address the water safety challenges faced by the people of developing countries. In her free time, she likes to explore the natural world, conduct cooking experiments, and spend time with her family and friends.
Dr. Simon Drew
Simon is a research manager on our BCSRIF funded project “Identifying and mitigating hot spots of salmon exposure to toxic road runoff”. His background is in marine biology and paleoecology and his PhD was looking at reconstructing the recent environmental history of near shore areas affected by nutrient pollution in the Baltic sea. He has worked as an environmental consultant in the renewable energy sector and a post doc at Glasgow University using knowledge exchange to guide the development of windfarms on peatland towards managing peat carbon more effectively. He is a keen gardener and his free time is spent growing fruit and vegetables.
Jessica Sun
Jessica Sun (she/her) is a MASc Civil Engineering student specializing in environmental systems engineering. She completed a Bachelor of Environmental Engineering at UBC in May 2025. In the Scholes Lab, she is researching the effectiveness of biochar for the removal of 6PPD-quinone (formed in tire wear) in road runoff collected in bioretention cells. She has previously worked in water resource management at Environment and Climate Change Canada. In her free time, Jessica likes to knit, write, and go birdwatching.
Previous Lab Members
Dr. Mahboubeh Mirzaei. Postdoc (2025)
Aishwarya Das. MASc (2024)
Cayla Anderson. MASc (2023)
Yashi Prakash. Undergraduate researcher (2025)
Megan Dale. Undergraduate research (2025)
Mackenzie Leckie. Undergraduate researcher (2025)
Abril Mena Herrera. Undergraduate researcher (2024)
Zoe Salinas. Undergraduate researcher (2024)
Jerith Charleson-Sterritt. Undergraduate researcher (2024)
Ayesha Mushtaq. Undergraduate researcher (2023)
Joy Ding. Undergraduate researcher (2023)
Antonio Dias. Undergraduate researcher (2022)
Sam Watanabe. Undergraduate researcher (2022)
Scholes Lab @ UBC 