Leadership and Staff

  • Director Diana Aga
    8/18/25
    As Director of RENEW, Dr. Aga aspires to establish and deepen ties with national and global partners and interdisciplinary faculty across UB whose research interests in water, energy, and environment are informed by equity and sustainability concerns. 
  • Education and Outreach Director: Lisa (Vahapoğlu) Lenker
    9/17/25
    With professional experience in health policy and management, proposal development, international project management, and interdisciplinary global health equity projects, Lisa Vahapoğlu serves RENEW as its Research and Outreach Director.
  • Database / Visualization Specialist: Zia Ahmed
    9/17/25
    Dr. Zia Ahmed has over 20 years of experience in environmental modeling and data analysis. Dr. Ahmed is also a Research Associate Professor in RENEW, and with geography Professor Chris Renschler, he has co-taught Landscape Modeling with GIS.
  • Research Laboratories Director: Judith Cristobal
    11/14/25
    Dr. Judith R. Cristobal earned a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry with extensive postdoctoral research in biochemistry, enzymology, and bioanalytical chemistry. Her work focuses on mechanistic enzymology—specifically decarboxylation and hydride-transfer reactions—to understand molecular interactions that enhance enzyme activity; antibiotic resistance in the environment; toxicological and transporter-mediated uptake of PFAS; and targeted analysis of environmental contaminants using advanced analytical chemistry techniques.
  • Research Assistant Professor: Alexander Hoepker
    9/19/25
    Alexander is an interdisciplinary chemist with expertise in organic and physical organic chemistry, NMR and IR spectroscopy, chemical kinetics, computational chemistry, and biocatalysis that allows him to bring unique solutions and perspectives to RENEW research projects.  
  • Environmental / Ecological Economist: Michael Shelly
    9/17/25
    With over 25 years’ experience analyzing projects on five continents, Michael A. Shelly is a seasoned environmental economist. He is also a Research Assistant Professor in the RENEW Institute. RENEW Faculty and Affiliates are encouraged to contact Michael for proposals that require environmental impact analyses.
  • Senior Research Scientist: Joshua Wallace
    9/17/25
    Dr. Joshua Wallace’s interests center on the environmental fate, transport, and impact of chemicals in ecosystem function. He is also interested in questions related to environmental justice and equity in urban and agricultural communities.
  • Office Administrator: Juana Colón
    9/17/25
    Juana brings over two decades of expertise in office administration, executive support, customer service, and data management across nonprofit, corporate, and academic sectors. 
  • Administrative Assistant: Laura Yearke
    9/17/25
    Laura Yearke supports RENEW with a strong emphasis on organization and attention to detail. She coordinates a range of administrative functions including event planning, calendar management, EndNote support, travel arrangements, and assembling content for RENEW’s newsletter Currents.