Donna Kashian

Donna Kashian

Research interest(s)/area of expertise

• Aquatic ecology
• Ecotoxicology
• Invasion ecology

Research

Through basic and applied research, my lab uses aquatic organisms as sentinels of human and environmental health hazards to further our understanding of contaminants in the environment. Furthermore, centered in a largely urban center, Detroit, MI. I approach some of my research through the lens of environmental justice, as often there is a disproportionate exposure of minority groups to environmental pollutants. I have developed new methods and tools, both physical and mathematical, to improve water quality monitoring. For example, our research has been implemented into community-based educational programs to better inform the public of environmental health threats associated with many disturbances that are a focus of my lab.

Education

• Ph.D. in Zoology/Ecotoxicology, University of Wisconsin, 2002
• M.S. in Zoology, Michigan State University, 1998
• B.S. in Biology, Eastern Michigan University, 1993

Awards and grants

Grants

• National Institute of Health, 2022-2027. Center for Leadership in Environmental Awareness and Research.Co-PI
• National Science Foundation 2017-2022. NRT: Transforming Research in Urban Sustainability and Training (T-RUST). PI
• Healthy Urban Waters, Improving Urban Water Monitoring Through Citizen Science. 2017-2018. PI
• Smart Management of Microplastic Pollution in the Great Lakes 2018-2021. Co-PI.
• Microcystin Toxicity is Increased by Underlying Liver Disease and Obesity (CURES Pilot) 2017-2018. Co-PI.
• United States Geological Survey, Characterization of spawning inhibiting cues to control dreissenid mussels. 2014-2018. PI
• Huron Mountain Wildlife Foundation, Long-Term Trends in Macroinvertebrate Assemblages and Water Quality in Northern Michigan Streams: 2007-2017. PI
• Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Reducing Contaminant Risk from Fish Consumption along the Detroit River: Educating Anglers. 2014-2016. PI
• National Science Foundation, Huron to Erie Alliance for Research and Training (HEART) Field Station Improvements for Urban Watershed Research and Education 2016-2017. Co-PI
• National Science Foundation, Heart Field Center. 2013-2014. Co-PI
• Sea Grant, Where People Meet the Muck: An Integrated Assessment of Beach Muck and Public Perception at the Bay City State Recreation Area, Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron 2014-2016. PI
• Environmental Protection Agency. Mapping cumulative risks to prioritize prevention efforts 2012-2015. PI

Awards and honors

• Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Exceptional Reviewer Recognition, 2021
• WSU Presidential Teaching Award, 2019
• WSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Teaching Award (special designation
• in mentoring undergraduate research), 2017
• WSU College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Career Chair Development Award, 2015
• Partners in Conservation Award, U. S. Secretary of the Interior, 2014
• Recognition of Exemplary Service, Michigan Dept. of Community Health 2011

News mentions

• Session launches cross-border centre for education and research on sustainability
• Wayne State professor named president of the International Association for Great Lakes Research board of directors (Scienmag)
• During this Earth Month, Wayne State reflects on its commitment to sustainability

Selected publications

• Krabbenhoft, C. A., and D.R. Kashian. 2022. Invasion Success of a Freshwater Fish Corresponds to Low Dissolved Oxygen and Diminished Aquatic-Terrestrial Interactions. Biological Invasions
• Febria, C.M., D.R. Kashian*, K.R.T. Bertrand, B. Dabney, M. Day, M. Dugdale, K.O. Ekhator, H. Esparra-Escalera, R. Graham, K. Karshaw, S. Knorr, K. Lewandowski, C. Linn1, A. Lucas, S. O.C. Mundle, G. Raoufi, C. Salter, Z. Siddiqua, S. Tyagi, and M.M. Wallen. 2022. Early career researchers benefit from inclusive, diverse & international collaborations: Changing how academic institutions utilize the seminar series. Journal of Great Lakes Research. 48(3): 849-855.* Febria and Kashian were Equal lead contribution & corresponding authors
• Gopalakrishnan, K. and D. R. Kashian. 2022. Extracellular polymeric substances in green alga facilitate microplastic deposition, Chemosphere, 286 (3) 131814. doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131814
• Wallen, M.M., I. Guerra-Lopez, L. Meroueh, R. Mohamed, A. Sankar, P. Sopory, R. Watkins, D. R. Kashian. 2022 Designing and Implementing a Novel Graduate Program to Develop Transdisciplinary Leaders in Urban Sustainability. Ecosphere 12(1). e3901. doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3901
• Boegehold, A.G. and D.R. Kashian. 2021. Stress tolerance of two freshwater invaders exposed to Microcystis aeruginosa and microcystin-LR. Hydrobiologia 848, 2369-2382. 10.1007/s10750-020-04511-8
• Lakshmin Neha, Reddy Alla, Manahil Monshi, Zoha Siddiqua, Jeremiah Shields, Karim Alame, Andrea Wahls, Camille Akemann; Danielle Meyer; Emily J. Crofts; Fadie Saad; Judy El-Nachef, Merna Antoon, Raquel Nakhle, Nemer Hijazi, Maha Hamid, Katherine Gurdziel, Shawn P. McElmurry, Donna R. Kashian, Tracie R. Baker, and David K. Pitts. 2021. Detection of endocrine disrupting chemicals in Danio rerio and Daphnia pulex: Step-one, behavioral screen. Chemosphere. 271 ,. pp. 129442. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2020.129442
• Krabbenhoft, C.A. and D.R. Kashian. 2020. Citizen science data are a reliable complement to quantitative ecological assessments in urban rivers. Ecological Indicators Volume 116, 106476. doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106476
• Tucker, A.J. W. Lindsay Chadderton, G. Annis, A. D. Davidson, J. Bossenbroek, S. Hensler, M. Hoff, J. Hoffman, E. Jensen, D. Kashian, S. LeSage, T. Strakosh, and A. Trebitz. 2020. A Framework for Aquatic Invasive Species Surveillance Site Selection and Prioritization in the US waters of the Laurentian Great Lakes. Management of Biological Invasions. 11(3): 607–632
• Gopalakrishnan. K and D. R. Kashian. 2020. Identification of Optimal Calcium and Temperature Conditions for Quagga Mussel Filtration Rates as a PotentialPredictor of Invasion. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 39 (2): 410–418
• Pedersen, A. F., K. Gopalakrishnan, A. G.Boegehold, N. J.Peraino, J. A.Westrick, and D.R.Kashian. 2020. Microplastic ingestion by quagga mussels, Dreissena bugensis, and its effects on physiological processes. Environmental Pollution. 38(2) 368-374
• Boegehold, A.; Alame, K.; Johnson, N. and Kashian, D.R. Sublethal effects of cyanobacteria on sperm of a broadcast spawning bivalve (quagga mussel: Dreissena rostriformis bugensis)". In Press: Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
• Boegehold, A. G., N. S. Johnson, J. L. Ram, D. R. Kashian. 2018. Cyanobacteria reduce quagga mussel (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) spawning and fertilization success. Freshwater Science. 37(3):510–518
• Nowicki, C. J., and D. R. Kashian. 2018.Comparison of lipid peroxidation and catalase response to single and multiple stressors in invasive dreissenid mussels. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 37(6):1643-1654
• Steinman, A.D., B.J. Cardinale, W.R. Munns Jr., M.E. Ogdahl, J. D. Allan, T. Angadi, S. Bartlett, K. Brauman, M. Byappanahalli, M. Doss, D. Dupont, A. Johns, D. Kashian, F. Lupi, P. McIntyre, T. Miller, M. Moore, R. Logsdon Muenich, R. Poudel, J. Price, B. Provencher, A. Rea, J. Read, S. Renzetti, B. Sohngen, and E. Washburn. 2017. Ecosystem services in the Great Lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research. 43(3): 161-168
• Davidson, A. D., A.J. Fusaro, R. A. Sturtevant, and D. R. Kashian. 2017. Development of a risk assessment framework to predict invasive species establishment for multiple taxonomic groups and vectors of introduction. Management of Biological Invasions. 8: (on-line)
• Clements, W.H., D. R. Kashian, P. M. Kiffney, and R. E. Zuellig. 2016. Perspectives on the context-dependency of stream community responses to contaminants. Freshwater  Biology. 61(12):2162-2170
• Davidson, A,D., C. L. Hewitt, and D. R. Kashian. 2015. Understanding Acceptable Level of Risk: Incorporating the Economic Cost of Under-Managing Invasive Species. Invasive Species. PLoS ONE 10(11): e0141958. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0141958
• Kashian, D. R., A. E. Krause, K. G. Drouillard, L.L.Sano, and B. Nowell. 2014. Capacity building in stakeholders around Detroit River fish consumption advisory issues. Journal of Freshwater Science. 33: 674-678
• Vijayavel, K., and D.R. Kashian, 2014. Evaluation of Clostridium perfringens as a tracer of sewage contamination in sediments by two enumeration methods. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 186: 5617-5624
• Stelzer, R. S. and D. R. Kashian. 2014. The role of conservation partnerships between scientists and nonprofit agencies in freshwater science and management Journal of Freshwater Science. 33: 670-673
• Nowicki, C. J, D. R. Kashian, E. van Heese. 2014. Comparative effects of sediment versus aqueous PCB exposure on benthic and planktonic invertebrates. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. 33: 641-647
• Stow, C. A., J. Dyble, D. R. Kashian, T. H. Johengen, K. P. Winslow, S. D. Peacor, S. N. Francoeur, A. M. Burtner, D. Palladino, N. Morehead, D. Gossiaux, Y. Cha, S. S. Qian, D. Miller. 2014. Phosphorus Targets and Eutrophication Objectives in Saginaw Bay: A 35 Year Assessment. Journal of Great Lakes Research. 40: 4-10
• Dyble, J., D. Gossiaux, P. Landrum, D. R. Kashian, and S. Pothoven. 2011. A kinetic study of accumulation and elimination of Microcystin-LR in Yellow Perch (Perca Flavescens) tissue and implications for human fish consumption. Marine Drugs. 9: 2553-2571
• Clements, W.H., M.L. Brooks, D. R. Kashian and R. E. Zuellig. 2008. Climate-induced changes in dissolved organic material determine exposure of stream benthic communities to heavy metals and UV-B radiation. Global Change Biology. 14(9): 2201 -2214
• Kashian, D. R., R. E. Zuellig, K.A. Mitchell and W.H. Clements. 2007. The cost of tolerance: Sensitivity of stream benthic communities to UV-B and metals. Ecological Applications. 17(2): 365-375
• Kashian, D. R., B.A. Prusha, and W.H. Clements. 2004. The influence of total organic carbon and UV-B radiation on Zn toxicity and bioaccumulation in aquatic communities.Environmental Science and Technology 38(23): 6371-6376

Courses taught by Donna Kashian

Winter Term 2025 (future)

• BIO7310 - Sustainability of Urban Environmental Systems

Fall Term 2024

• BIO3500 - Ecology and the Environment
• ESG3500 - Ecology and the Environment

Winter Term 2024

• BIO5060 - Special Topics
• ESG5620 - Special Topics in Environmental Science and Geology

Fall Term 2023

• BIO5100 - Aquatic Ecology
• BIO7110 - Aquatic Ecology
• BIO7310 - Sustainability of Urban Environmental Systems

Winter Term 2023

• BIO5060 - Special Topics
• ESG5620 - Special Topics in Environmental Science and Geology

Fall Term 2022

• BIO3500 - Ecology and the Environment
• BIO7310 - Sustainability of Urban Environmental Systems

Winter Term 2022

• BIO6420 - Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment
• ESG5620 - Special Topics in Environmental Science and Geology