Dr. Sarah A Vitale, Ph.D.
Contact Information
105 Garfield Ave
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Education
- Ph.D. in Geological Science, University of Connecticut
- M.S. in Oceanography, Texas A&M University
- B.S. in Geophysics, SUNY Fredonia
Teaching and Research Interests
My primary interests lie in investigating applied groundwater issues, with current or recent emphasis on the following:
- Assessing the impact of anthropogenic contaminants on groundwater (e.g. road salt, nitrates, PFAS)
- Influence of groundwater quality on surface water
- Improvement of community engagement surrounding water quality and water resource education
Published Research
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Suppes, L., Johnson, T., Sanderson, S., Vitale, S., Boerner, A. (2022) Occurrence of Nitrate and Indicators of Agriculture and Septic System Contamination in a West-Central Wisconsin Sand Aquifer. Journal of Environmental Health. 85, no. 1:8-14.
Vitale, S.A., G.A. Robbins, and E. Romanowicz (2019) Identifying Cross-Well Fracture Connections Using the Dissolved Oxygen Alteration Method. Journal of Hydrology. 572, 781-789.
Vitale, S.A. and G.A. Robbins (2017) Measuring water quality from individual fractures in open wellbores using hydraulic isolation and the dissolved oxygen alteration method. Hydrogeology Journal. doi: 10.1007/s10040-017-1657-2.
Vitale, S.A. and G.A. Robbins (2017) Measuring Flow Rate in Crystalline Bedrock Wells Using the Dissolved Oxygen Alteration Method. Groundwater. 55, no. 4:588-592.
Vitale, S. Stryker, S.F. DiMarco, H.F. Seidel, and Z. Wang (2017) Circulation Analysis in the Northwest Indian Ocean from ARGO Float and Surface Drifter Observations, and SODA Numerical Model Output. Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans. 78, 57-70.
Vitale, S.A., G.A. Robbins, and L.A. McNaboe (2017) Impacts of road salting on water quality in fractured crystalline bedrock. Journal of Environmental Quality. 46, no. 2:288-294.
Vitale, S.A. and G.A. Robbins (2016) Using Dissolved Oxygen to Delineate Groundwater Flow in Shallow Monitoring Wells. Groundwater Monitoring and Remediation. 36, no. 2:59-67.
Select Conference Abstracts
*indicates undergraduate student researcher
Vitale, S.A., Hayes, N., Coleman Wasik, J., Ebert, C., (2024) Development of a Cross-Institutional Interdisciplinary Freshwater Science Field Course. Association for the Science of Limnology and Oceanography, Madison, WI.
Lauderdale, L., Jablonski, M., Vitale, S., Hayes, N., (2024) Bringing Water Research into Your Classroom. Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers Meeting, Lacrosse, WI.
Streeter, G.*, Laundrie, B.*, Fiore, M.*, Streble, G.*, Vitale, S., Clayton, N. (2022) Measuring Stream Baseflow Conditions in West-Central Wisconsin, Wisconsin American Water Resources Association Annual Meeting, Virtual.
Suppes, L., Johnson, T., Sanderson, S., Vitale, S., Boerner, A. (2021) Occurrence of Nitrate and Indicators of Agriculture and Septic System Contamination in a West-Central Wisconsin Sand Aquifer, National Environmental Health Association Annual Education Conference, Virtual.
Palubicki, M.*, Erickson, J.*, Isaacson, R.*, Vitale, S. (2021) Influence of Phosphorus Loading Through Lacustrine Groundwater Discharge on Lake Eutrophication in a Stratified Flow-Through Lake in Western Wisconsin, Wisconsin American Water Resources Association Annual Meeting, Virtual.
Vang, D.*, Finger, E.M.*, and Vitale, S.A. (2018) Assessment of Long-term and Recent Groundwater Level Records in Wisconsin from 1937-2017. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs. Vol. 50, No. 6, doi: 10.1130/abs/2018AM-322830.