Research Team

Martha is a University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) research manager in the School of Natural Resources. She has studied nitrosamines for over 15 years. Her doctoral research was an epidemiology study evaluating the association between exposure to atrazine and nitrate in drinking water and risk of developing Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Dr. Rhoades is leading and coordinating the BOW project.

Why do you think the BOW project is important?
Understanding the relationship between drinking water quality and pregnancy outcomes will help us prevent birth defects and consequently improve quality of life for future generations.

Dr. Pytlik Zillig is a Research Associate Professor and Senior Research Manager at the Public Policy Center at the University of Nebraska. She is leading the participant perception component of the BOW project.

Why do you think the BOW project is important?
The BOW project stands not only to advance research on birth outcomes and water quality, but the study of reasons why people do and don’t participate in such research could improve the quality of participation and thus of future research that requires intensive participation by its subjects.

Pat Shea is a professor emeritus in the UNL School of Natural Resources, with courtesy appointments in the UNL Department of Agronomy and Horticulture, and the Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health in the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) College of Public Health. He has over 35 years of research and leadership experience, and provides expertise in applied chemistry and toxicology (agrichemical, xenobiotic, and environmental chemistry and impacts) for the project. Dr. Shea assists Dr. Rhoades in overall management of the BOW project.

Kent Eskridge, professor of Statistics at UNL, provides guidance on survey development, power analyses, and experimental design. Dr. Eskridge ensures rigorous evaluation of data analyses and valid interpretations of statistical results.

Troy Gilmore is an associate professor and hydrologist in the UNL School of Natural Resources and has experience in reconstructing historical inputs of contaminants to aquifers using groundwater age-dating techniques. Dr. Gilmore oversees water sample collection and analysis for the project.

Why do you think the BOW project is important?
I believe the BOW project is important because it addresses the most critical aspect of water quality, which is human health.

Jane Meza is a UNMC professor and Co-Director of the Biostatistics Shared Resource for the Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center. Dr. Meza provides biostatistical guidance for the project.

Helen Raikes is a professor emeritus of Child, Youth and Family Studies at UNL. She is an early childhood specialist and has been researching intervention programs for vulnerable young children for over 30 years. Dr. Raikes provides guidance for BOW research protocols.