Krystyna Gorzelska, PhD

Associate Professor of Chemistry

School of Arts & Sciences

About Me

My interest in the natural world goes back to, when, as a child, I hiked and skied with my father in the mountains of my native Poland. On the top of a mountain, with a 360-degree horizon, you have a sense of oneness with the world around you. Years of studies in Poland, Canada, and the USA, and research I conducted in various parts of the world, augmented this basic feeling with the scientific knowledge and appreciation for this great God’s gift to us we call Earth. Science does not operate in a vacuum; it relates to everything, helping us understand rules that govern the natural world around us. I try to use my personal and professional experiences to put what I’m teaching in a relevant context and, thus, make it more meaningful for my students. Faith and reason are the most precious possessions. At the University of Mary our students are fortunate to be able to pursue both.

Why I’m At Mary

After many years of studies and research I decided to share my knowledge and experience with students. The University of Mary proved to be the place I have been looking for to commence my teaching career. Steeped in a centuries-long Benedictine tradition of education, and linked to that tradition through Benedictine values, at Mary we strive to model the unique culture of servant leadership. It is a place I feel privileged to be a part of.

Expertise

My expertise centers on chemical analysis of environmental samples with emphasis on procedural quality control of sampling, storage, and analysis of reduced nitrogen species, trace metals, and major ions. I apply results of these analyses to study long range transport of pollution to remote regions of the world.

Selected from over 50 publications and presentations:

H. Levy, II, J. N. Galloway, A. Eliassen, B. E. A. Fisher, K. Gorzel-ska, D. R. Hastie, J. L. Moody, A. G. Ryaboshapko, D. Savoie, D. M. Whelpdale. (1990). "The Long Range Transport of Sulfur and Nitrogen Compounds," in The Large Scale Atmospheric Transport of Natural and Contaminant Substances. edited by A. H. Knap, E. L. Atlas, T. M. Church, J. N. Galloway, J. M. Prospero, D. M. Whelpdale, M. S. Kaiser. Dordrecht: Kluwer, 231.

K. Gorzelska, J. N. Galloway. "Global Change Studies: Amine Nitrogen in the Atmospheric Environment over the North Atlantic Ocean," Global Geochemical Cycles. 4(3):309.

K. Gorzelska, J. N. Galloway, K.Watterson, W. Keene. (1992). "Water Soluble Primary Amine Compounds in Rural Continental Precipitation," Atmospheric Environment. 26A(6):1005-1018.

K. Gorzelska, R.W. Talbot, K.Klemm, B. Lefer, O. Klemm, G.L. Gregory, B.Anderson, L.A. Barrie. (1994). "Chemical Composition of the Atmospheric Aerosol in the Troposphere over Hudson Bay Lowlands and Quebec-Labrador Regions of Canada," Journal of Geophys. Res. 99(D1):1763.

O. Klemm, R.W. Talbot, B. Lefer, K. Klemm, K. Gorzelska, G.L. Gragory. “Sulfur Dioxide in Atmospheric Environment over Hudson Bay Lowlands and Quebec-Labrador Regions of Canada,” J. Geophys. Res. 99(D1).

K. Gorzelska, J.R. Scudlark, W. Keene. (1997). “Dissolved Organic Nitrogen in the Atmospheric Environment,” Atmospheric Deposition of Contaminants to the Great Lakes and Coastal Waters. Edited by J.E. Baker. SETAC Press, 379.

Education

PhD: University of Windsor, 1983