Brennan L. Kessenich, Ph.D.

Contact: brennanlin@proton.me

• Former names/nicknames: Brenda, Bryn

Links to my work

• Kessenich et al. 2022
• Cohen et al. 2021
• Doctoral Dissertation, 2020
• Kessenich et al. 2020
• Kessenich et al. 2019
• Undergraduate Thesis, 2015

• Hands-on soil science demo
• Invasive species transport demo
• Botany class final project

• Talk on the TEAM-UP report for increasing the number of physics degrees awarded to Black students
• Podcast Interview

• Code

Education 

• Ph.D., University of Washington, Seattle, WA. Graduation: June 2020. National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. Concentration: Physical Chemistry. 
• B.A., University of Colorado, Boulder, CO. Graduation: May 2015. Magna cum Laude, With Distinction. Major: Chemistry. Minor: Geology.
• Additional Coursework, Portland Community College, Portland, OR. Summer 2022. Classes: Botany, Freshwater Biology.

Publications 

• Kessenich, B. L., N. Pokhrel, E. Nakouzi, C. Newcomb, M. Flury, L. Maibaum, J. J. De Yoreo (2019). “Connecting wettability, topography, and chemistry in a simple lipid-montmorillonite system.” Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 555, 498–508.
• Kessenich, B. L., N. Pokhrel, J. K. Kibue, E. Nakouzi, M. Flury, L. Maibaum, J. J. De Yoreo (2020). “Negatively charged lipids exhibit negligible effects on the water repellency of clay films.” ACS Omega 5, 21, 12154-12161.
• Cohen, Z. R., B. L. Kessenich, A. Hazra, J. Nguyen, R. Johnson, M. J. MacCoss, G. Lalic, R. A. Black, S. L. Keller (2021). “Prebiotic membranes and micelles do not inhibit peptide formation during dehydration.” ChemBioChem. https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.202100614.
• Kessenich, B. L., I. C. Irvine, and C. A. Lipsky. 2022. An overview of ballast water transport and treatment of aquatic invasive species. Natural Resource Report NPS/NRSS/WRD/NRR—2022/2482. National Park Service, Fort Collins, Colorado. https://doi.org/10.36967/2294665

Work Experience

• Hazardous Waste Technician, Metro
  • On-call Oct 2022-March 2023
  • Permanent March 2023-Present
  • Duties: Unload, sort, and prepare household hazardous waste for appropriate shipping and disposal.
• Interim Education Coordinator, Columbia Springs
  • Oct 2022-March 2023.
  • Main duty: Run field trip program at Columbia Springs.
• Natural Resources Management Assistant, National Park Service Water Resources.
  • Oct 2021-June 2022.
  • Topic: Aquatic invasive species in ballast water.
• Americorps Invasive Species Technician, Clark Public Utilities.
  • Sept 2020-Sept 2021.
  • Topic: Control of invasive riparian plants in Salmon Creek watershed.
• Graduate Research Assistant, University of Washington Chemistry Department.
  • Sept 2015-Aug 2020.
  • Topic: Effect of lipids on water flow through clay.
• Visiting Graduate Scholar, Princeton University.
  • Oct 2019.
  • Topic: Molecular dynamics simulation of mineral surfaces.
• Teaching Assistant, University of Washington Chemistry Department.
  • Sept 2015-March 2016.
  • Classes taught: CHEM 142 and CHEM 152 (General Chemistry sequence).
• Undergraduate Research Assistant, University of Colorado Chemistry Department.
  • Aug 2014-May 2015.
  • Topic: Decanoic acid as a protocell membrane component.
• Undergraduate Research Assistant, University of Colorado Geology Department.
  • Aug 2012-Dec 2014.
  • Topic: Low-temperature thermochronology.
• NASA Geospatial Imaging Systems Intern, Colorado State University.
  • June-Aug 2013.
  • Topic: Predictive mapping of wetlands in Cache la Poudre watershed.
• Student Archivist, University of Colorado.
  • Aug 2011-Aug 2014.
  • Duties: Organization, storage, and digitization of historic materials.

Awards and Honors 

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, 2017-2020. 
• Department of Chemistry Alma Mater Travel Award, 2019.  
• Pacific Science Center Science Communication Fellow, Fall 2018 – current.  
• Husky 100 Nominee, 2018.  
• J. Mickey Schurr Graduate Fellowship, 2015.  

Formal Talks

• Kessenich, Brennan L. “An overview of ballast water transport of aquatic invasive species.” National Park Service Integrated Pest Management webinar series, virtual, February 2022.
• Kessenich, Brennan L. “Disruptive action for racial justice in physics: An overview of the TEAM-UP report.” Out in STEM conference, virtual, November 2020.
• Kessenich, Brenda L., Nihit Pokhrel, Elias Nakouzi, Christina Newcomb, Markus Flury, Lutz Maibaum, James J. De Yoreo. “Behavior of water in a lipid-clay film”. Presented at the Goldschmidt Conference, Barcelona, August 2019. 
• Kessenich, Brenda L., Nihit Pokhrel, Markus Flury, Lutz Maibaum, James J. Yoreo. “Physicochemical sources of water repellency in lipid-clay films”. Presented at the Soil Science Society of America Conference, San Diego, January 2019. 

Contributed Posters 

• Kessenich, Brenda L., Zack R. Cohen, James J. De Yoreo, Sarah L. Keller, Roy A. Black. “Atomic force microscopy reveals structures of dried fatty acids and connections to amino acid polymerization”. Presented at the Biophysical Society 64^th Annual Meeting, San Diego, February 2020. 
• Kessenich, Brenda L., Nihit Pokhrel, Markus Flury, Lutz Maibaum, James J. Yoreo. “Morphology of lipids on clay and impact on macroscopic wettability”. Presented at the Biophysical Society 63^rd Annual Meeting, Baltimore, March 2019. 
• Kessenich, Brenda L., Nihit Pokhrel, Lutz Maibaum, James J. De Yoreo. “The influence of phospholipids on the water repellency of montmorillonite”. Presented at the Goldschmidt Conference, Boston, August 2018. 
• Kessenich, Brenda L., John S. Loring, Sarah L. Keller, James De Yoreo. “Molecular interactions of lipids and mineral surfaces“. Presented at the Biophysical Society 62^nd Annual Meeting, San Francisco, February 2018. 
• Kessenich, Brenda L., Rebecca J. Rapf, Russell J. Perkins, Veronica Vaida. “Surface thermodynamics of decanoic acid“. Presented at the American Chemical Society Spring Meeting, Denver, March 2015. 
• Chignell, Stephen, Sky Skach, Amy Birtwistle, Matthew Luizza, Amber Weimer, Brenda L. Kessenich, Paul Evangelista, Nicholas Young. “Water in the West: Utilizing LANDSAT imagery, GIS, and statistical models for mapping critical wetlands in Northern Colorado’s Cache La Poudre watershed”. Presented at the Geological Society of America 125^th Annual Meeting, Denver, October 2013. 

Outreach and Volunteer Experience 

• Leach Botanical Garden restoration volunteer: manual removal of invasive plants along Johnson Creek, Portland, OR.
• Designed posters which feature University of Washington alumni Alice Ball and Janet Kavandi for display in the chemistry department’s undergraduate student study center; intended to foster an environment which encourages and embraces student diversity. 
• Developed and facilitated “How to be an Ally” workshop for students and staff at the University of Washington and Nova High School. 
• Developed and facilitated a hands-on science activity for Pacific Science Center visitors. Additionally, attended classes and workshops on effective science communication.  
• Invited speakers, organized social events, and established “Mental Health in Grad School” workshop series as the graduate outreach coordinator and president of Out in STEM at UW. 
• Discussed soil science with a fourth-grade class through Skype a Scientist. 
• Tutored high school math, science, and English for recent North African immigrants at the Refugee Women’s Alliance in Seattle; coordinated a science magic show for middle school summer program participants.