Associate Professor and Associate Department Chair of Graduate Programs

Location

EWRE 181

Primary Website

1351 Beal Avenue, EWRE 181 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2125

Wigginton Research Group

Education

• Ph.D., Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 2008
• M.S., Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, 2004
• B.S., University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, 2001

Research Interests

The Wigginton research group examines the source and fate of emerging contaminants in aqueous systems.  Part of our focus is on human pathogenic viruses; in particular, we 1) seek improved virus detection methods, 2) aim to better understand the types and concentrations of human pathogenic viruses that exist in our daily environment, and 3) utilize a range of biomolecular and analytical chemistry tools to link virus particle characteristics to observed behaviors in natural and engineered environments. Our group also studies how drinking water and wastewater treatment processes can be modified to remove emerging chemical and biological contaminants.

Professional Service

• American Chemical Society (ACS)
• American Water Works Association (AWWA)
• Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors
• American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)

Awards

• Miller Faculty Scholar, U-M College of Engineering, 2022
• The Paul L. Busch Award, 2018
• NSF CAREER Award, 2014-2018
• NSF BRIGE Award 2012
• American Water Works Association Dissertation Award, 2010
• NSF International Research Postdoctoral Fellow, 2009-2011
• ACS C. Ellen Gonter Environmental Chemistry Award, 2008
• NSF Graduate Fellowship, 2003

publications

• Qiao, Z., Ye, Y., Chang, P. H., Thirunarayanan, D., & Wigginton, K. R. (2018). Nucleic Acid Photolysis by UV254 and the Impact of Virus Encapsidation. Environmental science & technology, 52(18), 10408-10415.
• Ye, Y., Chang, P. H., Hartert, J., & Wigginton, K. R. (2018). Reactivity of enveloped virus genome, proteins, and lipids with free chlorine and UV254. Environmental science & technology, 52(14), 7698-7708.
• Goetsch, H. E., Zhao, L., Gnegy, M., Imperiale, M. J., Love, N. G., & Wigginton, K. R. (2018). The fate of urinary tract virus BK human polyomavirus in source-separated urine. Applied and environmental microbiology, AEM-02374
• Chang, P. H., Juhrend, B., Olson, T. M., Marrs, C. F., & Wigginton, K. R. (2017). Degradation of extracellular antibiotic resistance genes with UV254 treatment. Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 51, pp. 6185–6192.
• Ye, Y., Ellenberg, M., Graham, K, Wigginton K. (2016) “Survivability, partitioning, and recovery of enveloped viruses in untreated municipal wastewater.” Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 50, pp. 5077-5085.
• Qiao, Z., and Wigginton, K. (2016) “Direct and Indirect Photochemical Reactions in Viral RNA Measured with RT-qPCR and Mass Spectrometry.” Environmental Science & Technology, Vol. 50, pp. 13371-13379.