Tom Byl

Dr. Tom Byl has been a research scientist with the US Geological Survey in Nashville, TN since 1993.  He is affiliated with the Youth and Education in Science (YES) office and the Lower Mississippi Gulf Coast Water Science Center (LMG WSC).  While working with the USGS, he has been stationed at Tennessee State University as a faculty member since 1996.  Tom did a post-doctorate at Clemson University; received his Ph.D. from the University of Memphis; Masters of Science from LSU, Baton Rouge, LA; and bachelors from Hope College, Holland, MI.  Tom comes to the geosciences with a biological perspective as a geomicrobiologist.  His research involves water and the many biogeochemical processes in surface and groundwater systems.  Tom enjoys conducting research in water quality, wetland hydrology, karst hydrology, groundwater remediation and fate of chemicals in non-ideal flow environments.  Tom has partnered with Mammoth Cave National Park and Tennessee Dept of Environment and Conservation on many projects.  Tom is an active member in several professional earth & environmental societies.  Tom has served as a research advisor to more than 200 undergraduate and graduate students at TSU.  Tom’s research draws students from a wide variety of STEM majors, such as agricultural and environmental sciences, environmental engineering, biology, mathematics and chemistry.  Those students have gone on to rewarding professional careers in government, academia and the private sector.