Austin Gray
Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences
Office: 3002 Derring Hall
Lab: 3005 Derring Hall
926 West Campus Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0406
Lab: 3005 Derring Hall
926 West Campus Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24061-0406
Major Field of Interest
Aquatic toxicology, aquatic ecology, analytical chemistry, Ecosystem contaminants
Research Interest
My research priorities are focused on addressing questions related to environmental toxicology, primarily using physiological and ecological approaches to examine the impacts of legacy and emerging contaminants (PAHs, POPs, microplastics, nanoplastics, and pharmaceuticals) from anthropogenic influence and assessing their risk to a variety of freshwater and marine organisms.
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow (2020-2020). The impact of common stream antibiotics on nitrogen and carbon cycling processes. Duke University, Durham, NC. Supervisor: Emily Bernhardt
- Ph.D., Environmental Health Sciences, University of North Carolina at Greensboro (2020).
- M.A., Biology, The Citadel Graduate College (2014). Advisor: Dr. John Weinstein
- B.S., Health, Exercise, and Sports Science, The Citadel, Military College of South Carolina (2013), Charleston, SC
- 2023: Virginia Tech Department of Biological Sciences Oustanding Service Award
- 2022: Mid-Atlantic PREP & IMSD Research Symposium (MAPRS) Distinguished PREP Alumni Awardee
- 2022: SFS Early Career Travel Grant
- 2021: SETAC North America Eugene Kenaga Membership Award
- 2021: SETAC North America Recent Graduate Grant
- 2021: Virginia Tech Sendlebeck Diversity Fellow
- 2020: Virginia Tech Future Faculty for Diversity Program Scholar
- 2019: SETAC STEO Award: Visiting Scholar appointment at Duke University
- 2019: Natural, Physical, and Mathematical Sciences award at the 2019 UNCG Graduate Research Expo
- 2019: SETAC North America: Presidential Citation for Exemplary Service
- 2018: Distinguished Dr. Steve J. Klaine Presentation Award at CSETAC Annual Meeting
- 2018: SETAC North America: Presidential Citation for Exemplary Service
- 2017: Recipient of the NC Sea Grant/WRRI Graduate Research Fellowship
- 2017: Recipient of the John O’Brien Field Research Award
Recent Media and News
- VT Science Corner: What should we know about plastics? May 7th, 2023
- How harmful are the microplastics in our waterways? February 3rd, 2023
- Professor studying discarded plastics' toll on coastal wetlands. August 21st, 2022
- Are “green” household consumer products less toxic than traditional products? September 8th, 2022
- "Green" products are not always less toxic. September 8th, 2022
- Virginia Tech professor studying discarded plastics and their toll on shrimp and fish. August 16th, 2022
- Eugene Kenaga SETAC Membership Award, December 7th, 2021
- GCC Undergraduate Research Grants awarded to eight students for 2021-2022, November 23rd, 2021
- Spotlight Series: New Research or Teaching Faculty Experience During COVID, October 19th, 2021
- Three new faculty affiliates join the Global Change Center in spring 2021, May 31st, 2021
- How to take the lead in your career, March 29th, 2021,
- Breaking Systemic Barriers: Being Black in the Aquatic Sciences and Related Fields, February 24th, 2021
- When I Envisioned a Black Male Environmental Scientist, I Could Only See Myself…, July 29th, 2020