About Us

Learn our story and meet our team

Following decades of work in geochemistry supporting mine design, permitting, operations, and closure, Dr. Kirk incorporated Enviromin, Inc. in 2004. Over the past 19 years, Enviromin has outgrown two facilities and in 2017 opened a 5,000 sq. foot laboratory to enable custom biogeochemistry projects. In 2021, the laboratory finished an expansion to 7,000 sq. feet to accommodate increased project load, staffing, and instrumentation.

Enviromin staff works as a team on most projects, utilizing unique individual skills. Together with the senior staff, Dr. Kirk brings decades of scientific and management expertise in mining geochemistry. Our team provides expertise in environmental geochemistry, analytical chemistry and mineralogy, data management, microbiology, molecular bioscience, chemical engineering, in situ bioremediation, and more.

Enviromin collaborates significantly with the Montana State University Center for Biofilm Engineering, Montana Tech Center for Advanced Mineral and Metallurgical Processing, and numerous outside laboratories and consultancies. We look forward to discussing your project biogeochemistry needs with you!

Dr-Lisa-Kirk

Principal Biogeochemist & President

Dr. Lisa Kirk, Ph.D., P.G.

Education

Ph.D., Ecology and Environmental Science
Montana State University
M.Sc., Aqueous Geochemistry
University of Colorado
B.A., Geology and Environmental Science
University of Pennsylvania

Certifications

MSHA
OSHA
43-101 QP

Dr. Kirk’s expertise lies in the aqueous and biogeochemistry of mined materials, and their evaluation and assessment throughout the mine life cycle. She is experienced in mine planning, operations, and closure; geochemical modeling and characterization; design of geochemical sampling and analytical programs; mined land reclamation; and environmental assessment.

Her experience includes the development and implementation of laboratory test methods for assessment of metal mobility, acid generation potential, and seepage attenuation for various materials. Dr. Kirk has completed environmental geochemistry investigations and surface water characterization projects throughout the United States, and in Canada, South America, and Africa. She provides agency liaison, strategic and expert witness support for permit development, regulatory compliance, and closure projects.

Dr. Kirk serves as Affiliate Professor in the department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Montana State University. She is a registered Professional Geologist in Pennsylvania, Wyoming and Washington, and a Qualified Person for 43-101 evaluation. A registered member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) and a member of the Acid Rock Drainage Technical Committee (ADTI), Dr. Kirk is also the co-chair of the American Exploration and Mining Association (AEMA) Technical Committee. She participates as a member of the International Mine Water Association (IMWA), The International Network to Prevent Acid Rock Drainage (INAP), Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Selenium Working Group and the North American Metals Council Selenium Working Group.

Katharine Seipal

Senior Environmental Scientist

Katharine Seipel

Education

B.Sc., Environmental Science
Montana State University

Certifications

HAZWOPER
MSHA

Katharine Seipel is a Senior Environmental Scientist responsible for project management and oversight for a variety of Enviromin's projects. Ms. Seipel has 18 years of experience in environmental consulting, and her service areas include environmental due diligence, custom geochemical characterization, and biogeochemical stabilization of mined materials. She has extensive experience in project design and implementation, data management, reporting, and regulatory engagement and is MSHA certified.

Ms. Seipel has a strong background in bioremediation of subsurface chlorinated solvent and petroleum contamination sites and has the general knowledge to provide support to a variety of environmental management projects. She has prior experience with laboratory-based sampling of mining waste-rock geochemistry, asbestos property inspections, and has contributed to numerous environmental documents of varying size and application. Ms. Seipel has also worked in an international setting as conference support staff and document preparer for internationally significant publications, and brings strong German language skills to the Enviromin team.

Ms. Seipel's primary professional interest is to help improve ESG implementation in mining through meaningful technological advances. Specific topics of interest include (1) better predictive testing for acid rock drainage, (2) meaningful integration of microbial ecology and functional diversity in predictive geochemical testing, remedial actions, and facility design, (3) application of novel strategies (e.g., cemented paste tailings), and ultimately (4) helping define sustainability metrics and material pipelines that allow distinction and marketing of mined materials from ESG responsible sites.

Kate is a member of the Acid Rock Drainage Technical Initiative Committee and is certified under both MSHA and OSHA.

Ethan-Wologo

Senior Environmental Geologist

Ethan Wologo, M.Sc.

Education

M.Sc., Land Resources & Environmental Science
Montana State University
B.S., Geology
Central Michigan University

Certifications

MSHA
OSHA
AEMA Society Member

Mr. Wologo's time as a researcher on naturally occurring geochemical tracers for modeling groundwater-surface water connections in permafrost bound watersheds within the Yukon River Basin in Alaska, USA and Yukon Territory, Canada yielded experience in both the field and the lab, sampling surface and groundwater, conducting lab incubations, and operating laboratory instruments and related QA/QC processes.

Mr. Wologo’s data evaluation skills utilize Microsoft Excel and R.Studio. He has five years of experience working in laboratory settings, both research and commercial, and is currently using his laboratory and field skills in support of Enviromin’s innovative water treatment and mine closure services. Mr. Wologo manages projects in bioremediation and waste stabilization.

spietz_rachel-vert

Senior Environmental Microbiologist

Dr. Rachel Spietz, Ph.D.

Education

Ph.D., Oceanography
University of Washington
M.Sc., Aquatic & Fishery Sciences
University of Washington
B.Sc., Environmental Sciences
Montana State University

Certifications

MSHA
First Aid and CPR

Dr. Spietz joined our staff in 2022 and is an expert in microbial ecology and physiology, biogeochemical cycling, and microbe-mineral interactions. She has extensive field experience and has studied hot springs, wildfire-impacted forest soils, urban lakes, high-alpine glaciers, salt marshes, open and coastal ocean, and deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Dr. Spietz has experience applying microbiological and molecular biology skills to better understand natural systems and their responses to petroleum spills and subsequent bioremediation efforts. To do so, Dr. Spietz uses a suite of traditional culture-independent molecular tools and culture-dependent laboratory-based approaches combined with cutting-edge correlative microscopy, spectroscopy, and molecular-based techniques.

Dr. Spietz is affiliate faculty at Montana State University's Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology. In her previous research, she investigated the microbial ecology of subsurface ecosystems and the potential for microbial biomining applications. Through her former research and current work at Enviromin, she strives to find creative, sustainable, and cost-effective approaches to minimizing the impact of mining on aquatic and terrestrial systems. At Enviromin, Dr. Spietz oversees microbiology and molecular bioscience aspects of our projects and works together with Ethan Wologo to oversee laboratory operations.

B Straub

Project Manager and Technical Editor

Brandy (Moses) Straub

Education

B.Sc., Human Biology
Stanford University

Ms. Straub holds a Human Biology degree from Stanford University with a focus on Education and Environmental Biology. With over 20 years in natural resources consulting, her breadth of experience ranges from planning, implementing, and managing environmental education and improvement projects to coordinating scientists and engineers in cross-company Mining Initiatives. Services have included mine planning, permitting, and reclamation support, environmental assessment and Section 4f documentation, watershed restoration planning, uplands and riparian health assessments and monitoring, water quality and total maximum daily load development, GIS and mapping, environmental outreach and marketing publications, and other regulatory and non-regulatory project involvement. Ms. Straub also has extensive experience in independent technical review of engineering and environmental documents; document design, preparation, and quality control; and creation of marketing, training, and educational materials.

L Bozeman

Geochemist

Lauren Bozeman, M.Sc.

Education

M.Sc., Environmental Science
University of Arizona
B.Sc., Earth Sciences
Montana State University
B.A., Hispanic Studies
Montana State University

Certifications

MSHA Underground
First Aid and CPR

Ms. Bozeman is an environmental geochemist responsible for data collection, assembly, and analysis for a variety of projects at Enviromin. Ms. Bozeman worked for Enviromin from 2012 through 2015 before pursuing her M.S. in Environmental Science at the University of Arizona and rejoining the Enviromin team in 2021. She is MSHA underground miner certified and brings Spanish language skills to Enviromin. Ms. Bozeman’s experience with mining-related geochemistry includes geochemical modeling of remediated mine sites and data analysis and reporting in support of mine permitting. She also has experience with experimental design, conducting batch and column scale investigations, and use of laboratory analytical instruments. She has conducted field work in a variety of settings in support of mine permitting and remediation projects and has a particularly strong background in arsenic remediation. Ms. Bozeman has developed strong skills in relevant modeling and data analysis software including R studio, PHREEQC, Geochemist’s Workbench, and Google Earth. She also has experience in OriginLab, ArcGIS, Netpath, MATLAB, and Visual MINTEQ. Additionally, Ms. Bozeman brings strong teaching, public speaking, and project management skills to the Enviromin team.

L Gilbertson

Biotechnologist

Alexandra (Lexi) Gilbertson

Education

B.Sc., Biotechnology
Montana State University

Certifications

MSHA
First Aid and CPR
HAZWOPER

Alexandra (Lexi) Gilbertson holds a BS in Biotechnology from Montana State University with a focus in microbial systems. She is HAZWOPER-certified and has conducted field sampling for Enviromin projects. As Enviromin’s Biotechnologist, Lexi has played an integral role in column construction and sampling, DNA extraction and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), batch experiments, data entry and analysis, and general laboratory upkeep and inventory. Lexi additionally assists Ethan Wologo with lab management and training lab personnel.

scott_courtney-vert

Environmental Microbiologist

Courtney Scott

Education

B.Sc. Microbiology
Montana State University

Ms. Scott recently graduated from Montana State University with a B.Sc. in Microbiology and a minor in Genetics. Prior to graduating, Courtney worked as a Laboratory Technician for Enviromin and has grown into her current role of Environmental Microbiologist. Courtney brings a variety of skills to our laboratory team including molecular techniques, experience with batch and column bioreactors, and field sampling experience. Ms. Scott is excited to continue helping with column construction and sampling, molecular work, and data analysis.

williamson_ryan-vert

Chemical Engineer

Ryan Williamson

Education

B.Sc. Chemical Engineering
Montana State University

Certifications

MSHA

Mr. Williamson received a degree in Chemical Engineering with a minor in Astrobiology from Montana State University in 2023. As an undergraduate, Ryan researched the biomining of pyritic ores by methanogens, a project aimed towards using microorganisms to harvest trace metals from rock waste. Ryan is excited to use his background in chemical engineering and microbiology to assist with reactor design, residence time/reaction rate calculations, and laboratory work.

schlegel_paige-vert

Environmental Microbiologist

Paige Schlegel

Education

B.Sc. Environmental Sciences
Montana State University

Ms. Schlegel joined Enviromin in 2023 and brings specialties in environmental microbiology, cultivation, and bioinformatics to the team. Through her undergraduate research at Montana State University, she isolated extreme microorganisms from hot springs, then combined laboratory-based physiology experiments with bioinformatics approaches to understand the ecological role of those organisms in nature. Ms. Schlegel looks forward to translating these skills and knowledge of microbial ecology to her work at Enviromin.

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