2015
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government's flagship international exchange program, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The scholarship program gives professors the opportunity to conduct research and network with other professors from around the world.

Fulbright U.S. Scholar Grant

2013
Awarded by the University of Mary Washington in recognition for her interactive ways of engaging students and her innovative teaching methods. Szulczewski spearheaded groundbreaking programs for the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, including a global inquiry course, the department’s first fully online course; its first field study course to be offered outside of Virginia and its first international course.

Outstanding Young Faculty Member Award

American Chemical Society : Member

Geological Society of America

Union of Concerned Scientists

Soil Science Society of America: Member

Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry: Member

Spatial distribution and concentration of sulfur in relation to vegetation cover and soil properties on a reclaimed sulfur mine site (Southern Poland)

Soils and Society

Acid Mine Drainage Effects on Sediments and Surrounding Soils of Country Creek, Virginia

Experiments with Ultraviolet Radiation and the Greenhouse Effect

One Professor in a Classroom

Lasting Impacts of Solar Cooker Projects

XANES spectroscopy studies of Cr (VI) reduction by thiols in organosulfur compounds and humic substances

Comparison of XANES analyses and extractions to determine chromium speciation in contaminated soils

Welcome to the University of Mary Washington, a public arts and sciences institution in Fredericksburg, Va., that attracts intellectually curious undergraduate and graduate students in search of rigorous academics. The university – located midway between Richmond, Va., and Washington, D.C. – provides a rich array of academic, research, internship, leadership, and recreational opportunities that not only train students for the real world but allow them to interact closely with faculty members.

University of Mary Washington

Playing with dirt isn’t just for kids. Melanie Szulczewski can tell you about the effects of acid mine drainage on the sediments and surrounding soils of Contrary Creek in Louisa County, Va.

As an environmental scientist, Dr. Szulczewski believes it is important to see the connections between all the diverse disciplines required to create a sustainable, healthy world. The state and treatment of our soil affects many different environmental problems, including food production, pollution issues, and biodiversity. She believes learning more about the soil will create more knowledgeable citizens no matter what their discipline. 

An authoritative source on environmental issues, climate change and solar cooking, she has investigated contaminated and degraded soils in the Cheaspeake Bay watershed, the mid-West, the Everglades and southern Florida, and the Sahel region of Africa.  Dr. Szulczewski’s research interests include studying soils and streams contaminated with heavy metals, as well as environments degraded due to excessive nutrients (nitrogen or phosphorus), desertification, and other forms of human interference. With experience in international and local extension work, Dr. Szulczewski also examines the effects of human behavior on the environment, both as  a cause and potential solution, through sustainability projects and initiatives.

She received a prestigious Fulbright U.S. Scholar grant in 2015-2016 at the University of Agriculture in Krakow, Poland, where she studied ecosystem restoration on former mining sites with Marcin Pietrzykowski, professor and researcher of forest ecology.

Dr.  Szulczewski’s articles have been published in several journals, including Environmental Science and Technology, Journal of Environmental Quality and Geoderma.  She has presented her research at conferences such as the Soil Science Society of America, the Geological Society of America, the Ecological Society of America, and the Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities Summer Institute (SENCER).

She is a member of the Soil Science Society of America, American Chemical Society, the Geological Society of America, and the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

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