Anton Astner successfully defended his Biosystems Engineering PhD. The title of his thesis is  “ Analysis of Physicochemical Properties and Terrestrial Dynamics of Mechanically Formed Micro- (MP) and Nano-(NP)Scaled particles derived from agricultural plastic mulches”. His PhD Committee Members were Dr. Doug Hayes (Chair), Dr. Sean Schaeffer (BESS), Dr. Tim Young (CRC/FWF), Dr. David Harper (CRC/FWF), Dr. Hugh M. O’Neill (ORNL; Adjunct Prof in CMBC); and, Dr. Barbara R. Evans (ORNL; Adjunct Prof in Biomed Eng). In the new year, Dr. Astner will be working in Dr. Hayes’ laboratory, as a postdoctoral researcher, on the fate and transport of MPs and NPs at the interface of soil and streams and groundwater in agricultural ecosystems. Congratulations Dr. Astner!