Juliette Rooney-Varga

Expertise

Climate Change and Sustainability, Microbial Ecology, Biogeochemistry

Research Interests

Climate Change and Sustainability, Geocognition, Climate Change Communication and Education

Education

• Ph.D.: Microbiology, (1997), University of New Hampshire - New Hampshire
• MS: Natural Resources, (1994), Cornell University - Ithaca, NY
• BA: Biology, (1991), Colby College - Waterville, Maine

Biosketch

Juliette Rooney-Varga, Ph.D., is an internationally recognized expert in climate change and sustainability. Through her research, advocacy, and educational efforts, she is teaching – at the state, national and international levels – what it takes to understand and take action to mitigate climate change.

Rooney-Varga develops and uses interactive simulations in her work as an educator at UMass Lowell, where she is a professor of environmental science, directs the Climate Change Initiative, and co-directs the Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy. These simulation-based, interactive approaches enable decision-makers at all levels of society – from students to policymakers - to learn about the complex climate and energy systems. Research shows these simulations also motivate evidence-based climate action.

Selected Articles in the Popular Press and Professional News Outlets

• Rooney-Varga, J. N. (2021). Should the federal government assess a carbon fee on passenger air travel?The Boston Globe.
• Moomaw, W., Sterman, J., Rooney-Varga, J. N., Birdsey, R. (2021). Baker is wrong to subsidize wood burning. Commonwealth Magazine.
• Rooney-Varga, J. N. (2018). How a game can move people from climate apathy to action. The Conversation. Republished by the Smithsonian Magazine, Phys.org, and at least 11 other news outlets.
• Breslow, M. & Rooney-Varga, J. N. (2017). State’s time to lead on climate is now. The Lowell Sun.
• Rooney-Varga, J. N., Brisk, A. A., Shuldman, M., & Rath, K. (2015). The CAM Project:  Tools for bringing student media production into climate change education. In the Trenches, 5(1), 4-7.
• Rooney-Varga, J. N. (2015). Is global warming responsible for the amount of snow we are getting? The Boston Globe.

Recent Media Coverage

• 'It's not too late': Local climate expert says we must act now to combat climate crisis. Interview with GBH Radio’s Morning Edition. March 2, 2022.
• What’s the most climate-safe place in the world? Interview with Gizmodo. March 8, 2021.
• Four sustainability experts on how they’d spend Elon Musk’s $100 million climate commitment. Interview with Popular Science. February 16, 2021.
• How the pandemic is changing STEM education. Interview with Sierra Magazine. September 28, 2020.
• Can a game depolarize climate change and motivate science-based action? Interview with Cimpatico Studios. October 8, 2020.
• UMass Lowell Climate Scientist Concerned about Unusual Record Warmth. Interview with WBZ TV Channel 4, CBS Boston. January 12, 2020, Somerville MA.
• Interview with Al Jazeera TV on the potential for plants to sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide. November 26, 2019.
• WGBH interview for On Campus Radio. July 18, 2019, Boston MA.
• Science and Culture: Can climate change games boost public understanding? PNAS, 116(16), 7602-7604. Coverage of our research on the impact of our simulation, World Climate on learning and motivating science-informed climate action.
• Somerville Climate Forward launch packs Greentown Labs. Coverage of Somerville’s climate action plan launch event. I was both a contributor to the plan and an invited speaker.
• How a Simulation Game is Inspiring Climate Action. GreenMatters. October 2018. Coverage of our research on the impact of our simulation, World Climate on motivating science-informed climate action.
• A Game Crosses Political, Cultural Lines To Spur Climate Action. The University Network. October 2018. Coverage of our research on using simulations to communicate climate change across political divides.
• Is the key to sparking climate action a game? ScienceDaily. September 6, 2018. Coverage of our research motivating climate action through simulation games.
• How to convince someone global warming is real? Play this game. NBC News. September 9, 2018. Coverage of our research motivating climate action through simulation games.
• Scientists hope to spark action on climate change—by turning it into a game. Science Magazine. September 6, 2018. Coverage of our research motivating climate action through simulation games.
• Researchers declare "carbon neutral" wood worse than coal. Chemical Processing. January 30, 2018. Coverage of our research on the carbon emission impacts of bioenergy from wood.
• Climate change expert Dr. Juliette Rooney-Varga discusses problems with wood bioenergy. Interview on the Sojourner Truth Show. January 26, 2018.
• Displacing coal with wood for power generation will worsen climate change, say researchers. Climate Code Red. January 19, 2018. Coverage of our research on the carbon emission impacts of bioenergy from wood.
• Displacing coal with wood for power generation will worsen climate change, say researchers. Renew Economy. January 19, 2018. Coverage of our research on the carbon emission impacts of bioenergy from wood.
• Biomass industry defends position as renewable fuel ahead of RED II. BioEnergy Insight. January 17, 2018. Coverage of our research on the carbon emission impacts of bioenergy from wood.
• Biomass industry defends position as renewable fuel ahead of RED II. Powerlinks. January 17, 2018. Coverage of our research on the carbon emission impacts of bioenergy from wood.
• Displacing coal with wood for power generation will worsen climate change say MIT, UMass Lowell and Climate Interactive researchers. Markets Insider. January 16, 2018. Coverage of our research on the carbon emission impacts of bioenergy from wood.
• Displacing coal with wood for power generation will worsen climate change say MIT, UMass Lowell and Climate Interactive researchers. Finanz Nachrichten (Germany). January 16, 2018. Coverage of our research on the carbon emission impacts of bioenergy from wood.
• Displacing coal with wood for power generation worse for climate change. International Mining. January 16, 2018. Coverage of our research on the carbon emission impacts of bioenergy from wood.
• Johnson, S. K. Fake climate negotiations produce real impacts: A mock negotiation, complete with its own climate model, makes people want to act. ARS Technica. June 26, 2017. Coverage of our simulation-based learning tool, a workshop I co-facilitated at MIT, and our research results on learning through simulations.
• Lehigh, S. As Trump retreats, citizens step up on climate. The Boston Globe. March 30, 2017. Coverage of the Legislative Briefing I offered at the State House, Boston, MA.
• I was interviewed by MSNBC’s Greenhouse program. “Why countries need to keep their climate promises.” January 14, 2016.
• The National Center for Science Education described my work on climate change education in their blog, the Science League of America. January 4, 2016.
• The Obama Administration’s White House Blog described my work in their post, “One Year of Progress in Climate Education and Literacy” December 3, 2015.
• WBUR covered my invited speech at the Metro Boston Climate Preparedness Summit: Boston Area Communities Team Up On Climate Change Preparedness. May 13, 2015.
• Klein, K. It’s only a game, but even Earth scientists struggle to defeat global warming. Science. Coverage of a workshop I offered at the American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting in December 2014.
• ClimateWire. Boston's record snowfall is a wake-up call and not a laughing matter, climate researchers say. March 18, 2015. Interview discussing the impacts of severe weather and climate change on infrastructure after Boston’s record snowfall of winter 2014-2015.
• Climate Activists Say Snow Record is Nothing to Celebrate. Boston Globe. March 16, 2015. Interview discussing the impacts of severe weather and climate change on infrastructure after Boston’s record snowfall of winter 2014-2015.
• Kintisch, E. A changing Climate of Communication. Science Magazine. August 8, 2013.

Selected Awards and Honors

• Awarded Donahue Fellowship for Ethics (2019) - UMass Lowell
• UMass Lowell Pillar of Excellence for Innovative Research and Entrepreneurship awarded to the Climate Change Initiative Steering Committee directed by Rooney-Varga (2019) - UMass Lowell
• Recognized by the University Network as a leader in Sustainability Research (2018), University Network Site
• People’s Choice Best Paper (2017), Scholarship/Research - Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability (ARCS) Annual Conference
• Commonwealth Citation for Outstanding Performance awarded to the UMass Lowell Climate Action Plan Steering Committee (2015), Leadership - Commonwealth of Massachusetts
• The White House Climate Education and Literacy Initiative recognized two initiatives Rooney-Varga contributed to as key national accomplishments (the National Forum on Climate and Energy Education hosted by WGBH, where Rooney-Varga was an invited speaker, and the World Climate Project, which is a collaborative project with Climate Interactive) (2015)
• Faculty Award for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning in the Sciences (2015), Scholarship/Research - UMass Lowell
• UMass Lowell Recognition for Excellence in Teaching (2013), Teaching - UMass Lowell Biological Sciences
• Sigma Xi Northeast Regional Young Investigator Award (2005), Scholarship/Research - Sigma Xi
• Award for Excellence in Teaching (2003), Teaching - University of Massachusetts Lowell
• Award for Course Website Excellence (2000), Teaching - University of Massachusetts Lowell
• Elected Member of the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society (1999) - Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society
• Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society (1992), Scholarship/Research - Phi Kappa Phi, Cornell University
• Samuel Coit Biology Prize (1991) - Colby College
• Charles A. Dana Award for Academic Excellence (1990), Scholarship/Research - Colby College
• Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society (1990) - Colby College

Selected Publications

• Hensel, M., Bryan, J., McCarthy, C., McNeal, K., Norfles, N., Rath, K., Rooney-Varga, J.N. (2022). Participatory approaches enhance a sense of urgency and collective efficacy about climate change: Qualitative evidence from the world climate simulation. Journal of Geoscience Education. 1-15.
• Sterman, J., Moomaw, W., Rooney-Varga, J.N., Siegel, L. (2022). Does wood bioenergy help or harm the climate?Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 78(3), 128-38.
• Rooney-Varga, J. N., Hensel, M., McCarthy, C., McNeal, K. S., Norfles, N., Rath, K., Schnell, A. H., Sterman, J.D. (2021). Building consensus for ambitious climate action through the World Climate simulation. Earth's Future, 9(12), e2021EF002283.
• Rooney-Varga, J.N., Fracassi, E., Franck, T., Kapmeier, F., McCarthy, C., McNeal, K., Norfles, N., Rath, K., Sterman, J.D. (2021). A simulation game that motivates people to act on climate in Dash J, ed. World Scientific Encyclopedia of Climate Change: Case Studies of Climate Risk, Action, and Opportunity, 3. Singapore: World Scientific. Invited article.
• de Gooyert, V., Goncalves, P., Herrera, H., Kampmann, C., Kapmeier, F., Kopainsky, B., Moxnes, E., Rooney-Varga, J., Rouwette, E., Struben, J., Taborda, C., Videira, N., & Zimmermann, N. (2020). System dynamics and sustainability: A research agenda for the coming decade(s). Paper presented at the International System Dynamics Conference, Bergen, Norway.
• Rooney-Varga JN, Henderson C, Kapmeier F, McCarthy C, Norfles N, Rath K. (2020). Getting to Impact at Scale: Diffusion of Educational Innovations Through Community-Based Propagation. Paper presented at International System Dynamics Conference; July 20, 2020, Bergen, Norway.
• Rooney-Varga, J. N., Kapmeier, F., Sterman, J. D., Jones, A. P., Putko, M. M., & Rath, K. (2020). The Climate Action Simulation. Simul Gam.
• Sterman, J. D., Siegel, L., Rooney-Varga, J.N. (2018). Reply to comment on 'Does replacing coal with wood lower CO2 emissions? Dynamic lifecycle analysis of wood bioenergy.' Environ. Res. Lett.13(12), 128003.
• Sterman, J. D., Siegel, L., Rooney-Varga, J.N. (2018). Does replacing coal with wood lower CO2 emissions? Dynamic lifecycle analysis of wood bioenergy. Environ. Res. Lett.13(1), 015007. Featured Article; In the top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric (99th percentile).
• Rooney-Varga J. N., J.D. Sterman, E. Fracassi, F. Kapmeier, V. Kurker, E. Johnston, A. P. Jones, K. Rath. (2018). Combining role-play with interactive simulation to motivate informed climate action: Evidence from the World Climate simulation. PLoS One. 13(8), e0202877. In the top 5% of all research outputs scored by Altmetric (98th percentile).
• T. S. Ledley*, Rooney-Varga, J.N.*, and Niepold F. (2017). Addressing Climate Change Through Education. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. *Denotes equal authorship contribution.
• Smith, L. K., Rooney-Varga, J. N., Gold, A. U., Oonk, D., & Morrison, D. (2016). Media Literacy as a Pathway to Bridge the Digital and STEM Divides: Interest Driven Media Projects for Teachers in the Trenches. In M. Urban & D. Falvo (Eds.), Improving K-12 STEM Education Outcomes through Technological Integration (pp. 23-43): Information Science Reference (an Imprint of IGI Global).
• M. M. Putko and Rooney-Varga, J. N. (2016). World Energy in Engineering Design. Paper presented at American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference and Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana.
• Rooney-Varga, J. N., Brisk, A. A., Adams, E., Shuldman, M., & Rath, K. (2014). Student media production to meet challenges in climate change science education. J. Geosci. Ed., 62(4), 598-608.
• Sterman, J., T. Franck, T. Fiddaman, A. Jones, S. McCauley, P. Rice, E. Sawin, L. Siegel, J. N. Rooney-Varga. (2014). WORLD CLIMATE: A Role-Play Simulation of Climate Negotiations. Simulation & Gaming.
• Dunaj, S., J. Vallino, M. E. Hines, M. Gay, C. Kobyljanec, and J. N. Rooney-Varga. (2012). Relationships between soil organic matter, nutrients, and bacterial community structure on the performance of microbial fuel cells. Environ. Sci. Technol.46(3), 1914–1922.
• Li, W.K.W., R. A. Andersen, D. J. Gifford, L. S. Incze, J. L. Martin, C. H. Pilskaln, J. N. Rooney-Varga, M. E. Sieracki, W. H. Wilson, N. H. Wolff. (2011). Planktonic Microbes in the Gulf of Maine Area. PLoS ONE6, e20981.
• Goyal, D., J. X. Zhang, J. N. Rooney-Varga. (2010). Impacts of single-walled carbon nanotubes on microbial community structure in activated sludge. Lett. Appl. Microbiol.51(4), 428-435.
• Hines, M. E., K. N. Duddleston, J. N. Rooney-Varga, D. Fields, J. P. Chanton. (2008). Uncoupling of acetate degradation from methane formation in Alaskan wetlands: Connections to vegetation distribution. Global Biogeochem. Cycles, 22(2), GB2017.
• Hasegawa, Y., J. L. Martin, M. W. Giewat, and J. N. Rooney-Varga. (2007). Microbial community diversity in the phycosphere of natural populations of the toxic alga, Alexandrium fundyense. Environ. Microbiol. 9, 3108-3121.
• Rooney-Varga, J. N., M. W. Giewat, K. N. Duddleston, J. P. Chanton, and M. E. Hines. (2007). Links between archaeal community structure, vegetation type, and methanogenic pathway in Alaskan peatlands. FEMS Microbiol Ecol. 60, 240-251.
• Zhang, X., K. Brussee, C. Coutinho, and J. Rooney-Varga. (2006). Chemical Stress Induced by Copper: Examination of a Biofilm System. Wat. Sci.Tech. 54, 191-199.
• S. B. Jasti, M. E. Sieracki, N. J. Poulton, M. W. Giewat, and J. N. Rooney-Varga. (2005). Phylogenetic diversity of bacteria associated with Alexandrium spp. and other phytoplankton from the Gulf of Maine. Appl Environ Microbiol 71, 3483-94.
• Rooney-Varga, J. N., M. W. Giewat, M. C. Savin, M. LeGresley, and J. L. Martin. (2005). Links between bacterial and phytoplankton community dynamics in a temperate coastal ecosystem. Microb. Ecol. 49, 163-75.
• Savin, M. C., J. Martin, M. LeGresley, M. Giewat, and J. N. Rooney-Varga. (2004). Plankton diversity in the Bay of Fundy as measured by morphological and molecular methods. Microb. Ecol. 48(1), 51-65.
• Connor, T., J. N. Rooney-Varga, R. R. Gamache, and M. E. Hines. (2003). An inversion algorithm for the detection of methane over the wetlands by open-path FTIR in various atmospheric conditions. Atmos. Oceanic Optics. 16, 237-243.
• Ferrier, M., J. L. Martin, and J. N. Rooney-Varga. (2002). Stimulation of Alexandrium fundyense growth by bacterial assemblages from the Bay of Fundy. J. Appl. Microbiol. 92, 1-12.
• Fahey, T. J., C. W. Williams, J. N. Rooney-Varga, C. C. Cleveland, K. M. Postek. (1999). Nitrogen deposition in and around an intensive agricultural district in central New York. J. Environ. Qual. 28, 1585-1600.
• Hines, M. E., R. S. Evans, B. R. Sharak Genthner, S. G. Willis, S. Friedman, J. N. Rooney-Varga, and R. Devereux. (1999). Molecular phylogenetic and biogeochemical studies of sulfate-reducing bacteria in the rhizosphere of Spartina alterniflora. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65, 2209-2216.
• Rooney-Varga, J. N., R. T. Anderson, J. L. Fraga, D. Ringelberg, and D. R. Lovley. (1999). Microbial communities associated with anaerobic benzene degradation in a petroleum-contaminated aquifer. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 65, 3056-3063.
• Anderson, R. T., J. N. Rooney-Varga, C. V. Gaw, D. R. Lovley. (1998). Anaerobic benzene oxidation in the Fe(III) reduction zone of petroleum-contaminated aquifers. Environ. Sci. Technol. 32, 1222-1229.
• Rooney-Varga, J. N., B. R. Sharak Genthner, R. Devereux, S. G. Willis, S. D. Friedman, and M. E. Hines. (1998). Phylogenetic and physiological diversity of sulphate-reducing bacteria isolated from a salt marsh sediment. System. Appl. Microbiol. 21, 557-568.
• Rooney-Varga, J. N., R. Devereux, R. S. Evans, and M. E. Hines. (1997). Seasonal changes in the relative abundance of uncultivated sulfate-reducing bacteria in a salt marsh sediment and rhizosphere of Spartina alterniflora. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 63, 3895-3901.

Selected Presentations

• Interactive simulation to create our climate and energy future - TTI/Vanguard, March 2022 - Boston, MA
• UBS Americas Sustainable Finance Conference - ESG Data: Data in Investment Context – Academic vs Pragmatic Approach - UBS Investment Bank, October 19, 2021 - New York City
• Evaluating the Solutions: What Integrated Assessment Models Tell Us - American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting, January 15, 2020 - Boston, MA
• Interactive Simulations and Systems Thinking to Broaden Pathways into the Geosciences - National Science Foundation Geopaths PI Meeting, April 24, 2019 - Alexandria, VA
• What is your path to a sustainable future? - Enel Green Power North America, Inc., October 15, 2019 - Andover, MA
• Changing the Odds: Transformative Games to Address Climate Change, October 2012 - Boston, MA
• Multisolving climate change, public health, and wellbeing: A framework for bringing win-win solutions into your classroom - CLEAN (Climate Literacy and Energy Awareness Network) Webinar, May 7, 2019
• Interactive simulations to enhance student learning, motivation, and leadership - The Council for Opportunity in Education National Conference, September 14, 2018 - New York City, NY
• The World Climate Simulation - United Nations Youth Assembly, February 16, 2018 - New York City, NY
• What does climate and sustainability leadership look like? An interactive simulation and discussion about UMass Lowell, our communities, and our future - January 11, 2018 - UMass Lowell, Lowell, MA
• With John Sterman, Does replacing coal with wood lower CO2 emissions? Dynamic lifecycle analysis of wood bioenergy - Woods Hole Research Center, October 30, 2017 - Falmouth, MA
• Bring NSF-Funded Projects and Potential to your Students: The Geo-Interactive Project - Council for Opportunity in Education, September 15, 2017 - Washington, D.C.
• Invited Keynote Presentation, Embracing a Climate-Resilient Future - New England Water Environment Annual Conference, July 12, 2017 - Lowell, MA
• Negotiating a Global Climate Agreement Using the C-ROADS Climate Policy Simulator - Army War College, June 23, 2017 - Carlisle, PA
• Connecting the Dots: Climate Change, UMass Lowell, and You - UMass Lowell Freshman Opening Weekend, September 2012 - Lowell, MA
• Green Campus Trailblazers Keynote Presentation - Massachusetts Sustainability Conference, April 2012 - Boston, MA
• Engaging universities, schools, and our broader communities in climate change education - Massachusetts Sustainable Communities Conference, April 2012 - Boston, MA
• UMass Lowell Goes Green Event, March 2012 - Lowell, MA
• Relationships between soil organic matter, nutrients, bacterial community structure, and the performance of microbial fuel cells", January 2012 - Woods Hole, MA
• Microbial fuel cells: What makes them go? - UMass School of Marine Sciences Annual Research Symposium, January 2012 - Boston, MA
• Climate Change Education: Student Media Production to Educate, Engage, and Inspire, 2011
• - NSF-Sponsored Carbon Smarts Conference, October 2011 - University of Massachusetts Lowell, Lowell MA
• - iCODE (Internet Community of Design Engineers), 2009 - Lowell, MA
• Exploring the phycosphere: Links between bacteria and toxic algae in the Gulf of Maine, April 2008 - Amherst, MA
• Interactions between bacteria and toxic algae: a new way to understand and control harmful algal blooms?, February 2005 - Storrs, CT
• Bacteria-Phytoplankton Interactions - Census of Marine Life Meeting, 2004 - Boothbay Harbor, ME
• Marine Microbial Diversity: Links Between Phytoplankton and Bacteria, January 2004
• Microbial Diversity in the Ocean: New Forms of Life and Ecological Interactions, October 2003 - Lowell, Massachusetts
• Interactions Between Marine Bacteria and the Toxic Alga, Alexandrium fundyense, March 2002 - North Dartmouth, MA
• - American Geophysical Union General Meeting, 2001 - Boston MA
• Microbial Communities Associated with Anaerobic Degradation of Benzene - American Geophysical Union Meeting, June 2001
• Bacteria-Alexandrium Interactions: Stimulation of Growth and Putative Paralytic Shellfish Toxin Production by Marine Bacteria, January 2001 - Durham, NH
• Development and Application of a Course Web Site for Principles of Ecology Lecture and Laboratory courses, April 2000 - Lowell, MA
• Influences of Bacterial Assemblages from the Bay of Fundy on Alexandrium fundyense, January 2000 - Durham, NH
• Bacterial Community Dynamics and Interactions with Alexandrium spp. in the Gulf of Maine, June 1999
• Biodegradation of Benzene and Toluene Under Fe(III)-Reducing Conditions, February 1999 - Lowell, MA
• - American Society for Microbiology General Meeting, 1998
• Microbial Communities Associated with Anaerobic Benzene Degradation in Petroleum-Contaminated Aquifers, November 1998 - Boston, MA
• Association of Geobacteraceae spp. with Benzene and Toluene Degradation in an Anoxic Petroleum-Contaminated Aquifer - American Society for Microbiology General Meeting, May 1998
• Development and Application of Functional Gene Probes to Study Microbial Processes In Situ, December 1997 - Amherst, MA
• A Molecular Phylogenetic Approach to Studying Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in a Salt Marsh Sediment, April 1997 - Cambridge, MA
• "Phylogenetic Diversity and Community Structure of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in a Salt Marsh Sediment", October 1996
• "Population Dynamics of Uncultivated Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria in a Salt Marsh Sediment, August 1996 - Amherst, MA

Selected Contracts, Fellowships, Grants and Sponsored Research

• 2022-2025 Co-PI; National Science Foundation. “Employing Peer Mentoring to Empower Youth to Become 21st Century Energy Leaders.” $1,270,517
• 2021-2023 Co-Principal Investigator. Sequoia Foundation. “The Climate Pathways Project.” $436,000
• 2021-2022 UMass Lowell Mini-Grant for Hybrid Pedagogy. $2,000
• 2018-2022 Co-PI; National Science Foundation. “iStronG (Inclusive, Strong and Green): A student-centered systems thinking, place-based and technology driven curriculum.” $1,217,770
• 2017-2021 Principal Investigator: National Science Foundation. “GP:IMPACT: Interactive Simulations and Systems Thinking to Broaden Pathways into the Geosciences.” $ 406,774
• Collaborative Research: SIMS: SustainabIlity with DynaMic Systems: A community-based development and propagation model to promote system dynamics for sustainability (2018), Grant - NSF-IUSE
  Sobkowicz Kline, M.J., Rooney-Varga, J.N., Barlow, M.
• IUSE: Systems in Sustainability: Transforming undergraduate education across disciplines through systems thinking and dynamic modeling in sustainability (2019), Sponsored Research - National Science Foundation
  Rooney-Varga, J.N.
• GP:IMPACT: Interactive Simulations and Systems Thinking to Broaden Pathways into the Geosciences (2017), Sponsored Research - National Science Foundation
  Rooney-Varga, J.N.
• Transforming Mental Models of Climate Change Through Simulations, Games, and Systems Thinking. (2013), Sponsored Research - National Science Foundation
  Rooney-Varga, J.N. (Principal)
• Climate Change Education: Science, Solutions, and Education in an Age of Media (2010), Sponsored Research - National Aeronautics and Space Administration
  Rooney-Varga, J.N. (Principal)
• Investigation of Microbial Fuel Cell Performance (2010), Grant - Sigma Xi
  Rooney-Varga, J.N. (Principal)
• Bacterial Diversity in Soil-Based Microbial Fuel Cells. (2010), Sponsored Research - Trophos Energy Inc.
  Rooney-Varga, J.N.
• Investigation of Microbial Fuel Cell Performance Project (2010), Grant -
  Rooney-Varga, J.N. (Principal)
• Impact of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) on the Activity and Microbial Communities of Activated Sludge Used in Wastewater Treatment. (2009), Sponsored Research - UMass Water Resources Research Center
  
• Characterization of the microbial community in the particle-rich, marine benthic nepheloid layer (BNL). (2008), Sponsored Research - UMass School of Marine Sciences
  
• Microeukaryote diversity in the Gulf of Maine: Under-explored microbial diversity in a well-studied coastal marine ecosystem. (2007), Grant - International Census of Marine Microbes
  
• Impact of Nanoparticles on the Activated Sludge Process: Effects on Microbial Com (2009), Grant - GEOLOGICAL SURVEY USGS
  Rooney-Varga, J.N. (Principal)
• The Impact of Nanomaterials on Microbial Processes and Community Dynamics in Wastewater Reactors. (2007), Sponsored Research - University of Massachusetts Lowell Committee of Federated Centers and Institutes
  
• Specificity of bacterial interactions with the red tide alga, Alexandrium fundyense: Can marine bacteria be used to specifically control harmful algal blooms? (2006), Sponsored Research - University of Massachusetts Lowell Committee of Federated Centers and Institutes
  
• Technical Consultant, "Microbiological water quality in sensory deprivation tanks at Driftaway Spa." (2006), Contract - Driftaway Spa, Inc.
  
• Bacteria-Phytoplankton Interactions: The Influence of Marine Bacteria on Alexandrium spp. Blooms in the Gulf of Maine. (2001), Sponsored Research - National Science Foundation
  
• Microbial Community Dynamics in Arctic Peatlands. (2003), Sponsored Research - University of Massachusetts Lowell Committee of Federated Centers and Institutes
  
• Collaborative Research: Acetate biogeochemistry in Northern Wetlands: Implications for Methane Formation During Climate Change. (2001), Sponsored Research - National Science Foundation
  
• Research Experience for Undergraduates: Acetate Biogeochemistry in Northern Wetlands: Implications for Methane Formation During Climate Change (2001), Sponsored Research - National Science Foundation
  
• Bacterial Community Diversity and Interactions with Alexandriumspp spp. In the Gulf of Maine. (2000), Grant - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
  
• Bacterial Inhibition of a Toxic Dinoflagellate (Alexandrium fundyense) That Causes Red Tides in the Gulf of Maine. (2000), Grant - University of Massachusetts Lowell
  
• Influence of Marine Bacteria on Growth and Toxin Production by Alexandrium sp. str. CB301. (2000), Sponsored Research - University of Massachusetts Lowell Office of Collaborative Research
  
• Relationships between Bacterial Communities (1999), Grant - UMass-National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration CMER Program
  
• Effects of Natural Anti-Microbial Compounds on Biodegradation of Textiles and Plastics Effects of Natural Anti-Microbial Compounds on Biodegradation of Textiles and Plastics. (1998), Contract - Burlington Scientific, Inc.
  
• The Role of Bacteria in the Population Dynamics of Alexandrium spp. in the Gulf of Maine. (1998), Grant - UMass Lowell
  
• An In Situ Hybridization Study of a Rhizobacterial Community. (1995), Grant - National Science Foundation