John Reinfelder (PhD, 1993)

John Reinfelder earned his PhD in Coastal Oceanography from the Marine Sciences Research Center, now SoMAS, at Stony Brook University working with Nick Fisher.

The interdisciplinary emphasis of the marine science program at Stony Brook has been one of its great strengths and prepared me well for my current position as a professor of environmental science at Rutgers University. In my research, I have recently been occupied tracking down mercury in some of our urban coastal waters, which as this photo of the New Jersey Meadowlands attests, should not be thought of as beyond repair. I am often struck by the importance of the experiences I had at SoMAS that were not directly related to my graduate research.

Through these experiences, John learned something about benthic ecology, organic geochemistry, and how to host a “distinguished visiting scholar,” all of which has been extremely useful as a teacher and a professional scientist. He has great memories of the positive work and social environment among the students and faculty at SoMAS, which recent visits back to Long Island reveal still exists.

John returned to SoMAS in 2025 to celebrate the retirement of Nick Fisher, and his tribute is available on YouTube.