Cristian Schulthess

Professor Emeritus of Soil Science

Dr. Schulthess has retired from the University and is no longer accepting graduate students or Postdoctoral researchers.

Current Interests

Following my retirement from UConn, my current objectives are as follows:

  • Completion of research publication on cation retention on zeolites.
  • Continue revisions and improvements to IExFit software.
  • Revise and expand chapters in my textbook, Soil Chemistry with Applied Mathematics.
  • Collaborate with other researchers on the fate of chemical compounds in the environment.

Education

  • Ph.D. 1987. Soil Chemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE. Advisor: Dr. Donald L. Sparks, Professor of Soil Physical Chemistry. Dissertation title: Cation and Anion Adsorption Behavior on Oxide Surfaces. (This research received the 1988 Emil Truog Soil Science Award by the Soil Science Society of America for “an outstanding contribution to soil science as evidenced by the Ph.D. dissertation.”)
  • M.A.S. 1985. Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark, DE. Advisor: Dr. Chin-Pao Huang, Professor of Environmental Engineering. Thesis title: Effect of Heavy Metals on the Removal of Humic Substances by Clays.
  • C.F.C. 1981. Chemistry, C.E.P.I.A., Geneva, Switzerland.
  • B.S. 1978. Chemistry, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI.

Professional Positions

  • Sept. 1997 – present: Associate Professor, UConn.
  • Jan. 1999 – present: Member of the Institute of Material Sciences (IMS), UConn.
  • Sept. 1995 – Jan. 2008: Joint Appointment in the Environmental Engineering Program, UConn.
  • June 2006 – Dec. 2006: Sabbatical Leave; Alabama A&M University, Huntsville, AL. Work with R.W. Taylor on retention of cations in zeolites.  Evaluated impact of volcanic ash on soils and vegetation in the island of Montserrat.
  • Jan. 1999 – June 1999: Sabbatical Leave: (1) Porosimetry study of various Fe oxides. Worked with J. Amador and J. Görres at the University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI. (2) Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Cordoba, Argentina. Taught Soil Chemistry (in Spanish), presented seminars, co-advised graduate students at UNC, and discussed research topics with numerous soil chemists in the area.
  • Oct. 1991 – Aug. 1997: Assistant Professor, UConn.
  • Mar. 1990 – Sept. 1991: Guest Researcher, National Chemical Laboratory for Industry (now AIST), Environmental Chemistry Section, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, Japan. Worked with Dr. Shuzo Tokunaga on a Japanese project entitled “Studies on surface reactions on solid particles with the aim of improving properties of arid soils,” and on an international STA-NSF collaboration project entitled “The effects of metals on the adsorption of organic compounds by solid particles.”
  • Feb. 1988 – Mar. 1990: Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge, TN. Worked on modeling the mobility of natural colloidal organic matter in groundwater with Dr. J.F. McCarthy.
  • Sept. 1984 – Dec. 1987: University Graduate Research Fellow, University of Delaware, Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, Newark, DE.
  • Jan. 1983 – Sept. 1984:Graduate Research Fellow, University of Delaware, Department of Civil Engineering, Newark, DE.
  • Nov. 1981 – Sept. 1982: Laboratory Technician, EAWAG (Swiss Federal Institute for Water Resources and Water Pollution Control), Dübendorf, Switzerland, directed by Dr. Werner Stumm. Worked with Dr. Herbert Hohl and others on a research project involving nucleation.
  • Mar. 1979 – Aug. 1981: Laboratory Technician and Apprentice, Firmenich, S.A., Geneva, Switzerland. Worked in organic synthesis, research, and analysis, involving a large spectrum of problems encountered in organic chemistry by the perfume and aromatic industry. Training included use of various instruments and general laboratory working techniques.

Research Interests

The mobility and fate of nutrients and contaminants in soil environments is controlled to a large extent by their affinity to the solid immobile phase relative to their affinity to the liquid (and vapor) mobile phase. My research concentrates on the physical chemical behavior of compounds at the solid-liquid and solid-vapor interface. I am currently investigating (1) the effect of nanopores (small pores inside each individual mineral particle) on the entrapment of organic and inorganic compounds, (2) the enhancement effect of carbon dioxide (CO2) on the adsorption of anions by soil constituents, (3) the adsorption and desorption of CO2 on oxides, and its effect on proton adsorption, (4) the effect of temperature and pressure on the volatility of adsorbed organic compounds, (5) the validity of current methods for the determination of proton adsorption isotherms, with particular emphasis on the impact of background electrolytes, and (6) the competitive adsorption behavior of anions (such as SO4 and SeO4) and organic compounds on oxide surfaces. I also specialize on writing software codes for adsorption models, ion-exchange models, liquid phase speciation of ions, solubility of gases as a function of curvature of the liquid boundary, redox reactions, and solubility and stability of minerals.

Teaching Program

Courses previously taught:

SPSS 2120: Environmental Soil Science
SPSS 2125: Soils Lab
SPSS 3420 / PLSC 5410: Soil Chemistry Components
SPSS 3620 / PLSC 5620: Soil Fertility
SPSS 4420 / PLSC 5420: Soil Chemistry Processes

SAPL 22: Introduction to Soil Science
PLSC 298/SAPL 098: Athletic Field Construction & Drainage
PLSC 397: Graduate Seminar Series: Writing a Research Proposal.

Graduate Students

Past Ph.D. students:

  • Yayu Li (Sept. 2015 – present) Soil Chemistry Project: “Impact of constrained environments on the retention of cations by clay minerals”.
  • Daniel R. Ferreira (June 2008 – May 2012). Soil Chemistry Dissertation title: “The nanopore inner-sphere enhancement (NISE) effect and its role in sodium retention.” He is now assistant professor of Environmental Chemistry at Southern Polytechnic State University, Marietta, GA.
  • Karen Kinsella (Sept. 2003 – May 2009). Soil Chemistry Dissertation title: “Production of two lipopeptide antibiotics by Bacillus subtilis in the rhizosphere.”  She is now working for GZA GeoEnvironmental, Inc., on commercial soil & groundwater remediation projects, helping clean-up teams distinguish between degradation and dilution, assess the extent of degradation, and understand degradation mechanisms. Her GZA projects include in-situ enhanced reductive dechlorination of polychlorinated biphenyls, in-situ phytovolatilization and microbial remediation of 1,4-dioxane-contaminated groundwater, and ex-situ bioremediation of diesel-impacted drill cuttings.
  • Hotze Wijnja (Sept. 1995 – Dec. 1999). Soil Chemistry Dissertation title: “The interaction of carbonate and organic anions with the adsorption of inorganic anions on hydrous metal oxides.” He’s now working at the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR). He also teaches “Instrumental Analysis” and “Environmental Chemistry” as an Adjunct Faculty at Suffolk University, Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry.

Past M.S. students:

  • Maria Oba (Sept 2013 – May 2015). Soil Chemistry. Thesis title: “Adsorption selectivity of cations in constrained environments.”
  • Udonna C. Ndu (Sept. 2004 – Aug. 2007). Environmental Engineering. Thesis Title: “The co-adsorption of protons, chlorides, and phthalates on goethite.”
  • Judy Z. Belek (Sept. 1992 – May 1998). Soil Chemistry.  Thesis title: “Adsorption and desorption of aqueous carbon dioxide on a titanium oxide and its effect on proton adsorption.” Employed within the Connecticut school system.
  • Mary Jane Dapkus (May 1992 – May 1996) Soil Chemistry: Non-thesis, plan B. Employed at the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP).

Other non-degree graduate students:

  • Wenli Yang (Sept. 2000 – August 2002). Environmental Engineering. Project: Impact of nanoporosity on adsorption properties of Fe oxides.
  • Zhiqiang Hu (Sept. 1997 – Jan. 1999). Soil Chemistry.
  • Research topic: “Impact of chloride anions on proton & Se adsorption by an Al oxide.”
  • Jeffrey S. Quigley (June 1995 – August 1997). Soil Chemistry. Research topic: “Effect of bicarbonates on adsorption of anions by Fe oxide.”
  • Jiang Fu (Sept. 1995 – May 1997). Soil Chemistry. Research topic: “Kinetics of adsorption and desorption of bicarbonates on Ti oxide (TiO2) and effects on adsorption of anions.”
  • Krista Swanson (Sept. 1992 – 1995). Soil Chemistry. Research topic: “Effect of bicarbonates on adsorption of protons by an Al oxide (Al2O3).”        

Publications

Book:

Schulthess, C.P. 2005. Soil chemistry with applied mathematics. 292 pages, paperback, Trafford Publishing, Victoria, BC, Canada. ISBN 1-4120-3585-6.

Refereed Articles

50. Oba, M., and C.P. Schulthess. 20xx. Ion-exchange modeling of alkali metals on ZSM-5. In preparation.

49. Schulthess, C.P., H. Wijnja, W. Yang, A. Khosravi, and B. Xing. 2023. Sorption / Oxyanions. Encyclopedia of soils in the environment. 2nd Edition. Vol. 1-4. Elsevier, New York. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-822974-3.00213-5.

48. Li, Y.W., and C.P. Schulthess. 2021. Ion-exchange modeling of divalent cation adsorption on SWy-3 montmorillonite. Clays and Clay Minerals 69: 167–187. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42860-021-00115-y.

47. Li, Y.W., and C.P. Schulthess. 2020. Ion-exchange modeling of monovalent alkali cation adsorption on montmorillonite. Clays and Clay Minerals 68:476-490. DOI: 10.1007/s42860-020-00091-9.

46. Li, Y.W., and C.P. Schulthess, K. Co, S. Sahoo, and S.P. Alpay. 2020. Influence of octahedral cation distribution in montmorillonite on interlayer hydrogen counter-ion retention strength via first-principles calculations. Clays and Clay Minerals, on line (DOI: 10.1007/s42860-019-00038-9) (10 pages). Also includes electronic supplementary materials (30 pages).

45. Safari, M., F.N. Alishah, H.K. Dolatabad, U. Ndu, C.P. Schulthess, and A. Sorooshzadeh. 2019. Responses of wheat to zinc sulfate fertilizer and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria under cadmium stress in soil. J. Plant Nutr. Soil Sci. 182:463-476.

44. Campanelli, J., Y.A. Kuzovkina, R.M. Ricard, and C.P. Schulthess. 2019. Attitudes toward and adoption of roadside revegetation using native plants by departments of transportation in New England states. Native Plants Journal 20(1):31-46.

43. Kuzovkina, Y.A., C.P. Schulthess, and D. Zheng. 2018. Influence of soil chemical and physical characteristics on willow yield in Connecticut. Biomass and Bioenergy 108:297-306.

42. Schulthess, C.P., and U. Ndu. 2017. Modeling the adsorption of hydrogen, sodium, chloride, and phthalate on goethite using a strict charge-neutral ion-exchange theory. Plus One 12(5):e01176743 (24 pages).

41. McIntosh, P., C.P. Schulthess, Y.A. Kuzovkina, and K. Guillard. 2017. Bioremediation and phytoremediation of total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) under various conditions. International Journal of Phytoremediation 19(8):755-764.

40. Kuzovkina, Y., J. Campanelli, C.P. Schulthess, R. Ricard, and G. Dreyer. 2016. Effective Establishment of Native Grasses on Roadsides in New England. A report prepared for the New England Transportation Consortium, University of Vermont – Transportation Research Center, Burlington, VT, 1 June 2016.

39. McIntosh, P., Y.A. Kuzovkina, C.P. Schulthess, and K. Guillard. 2016. Breakdown of low-level total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in contaminated soil using grasses and willows, International Journal of Phytoremediation 18:656-663. DOI: 10.1080/15226514.2015.1109598

38. Ndu, U., and C.P. Schulthess. 2014. The stoichiometry of proton, chloride, and phthalate adsorption on goethite. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 78: 465-472.

37. Ferreira, D.R., C.P. Schulthess, and N.J. Kabengi. 2013. Calorimetric evidence in support of the nanopore inner-sphere enhancement (NISE) theory on cation absorption. Soil Sci Soc. Am. J. 77:94-99.

36. Ferreira, D.R., C.P. Schulthess, J.E. Amonette, and E.D. Walter. 2012. An electronic paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy investigation on the retention mechanisms of Mn and Cu in the nanopore channels of three zeolite minerals. Clays & Clay Minerals 60:588-598. [cover story]

35. Ferreira, D.R., C.P. Schulthess, and M.V. Giotto. 2012. An investigation of strong sodium retention mechanisms in nanopore environments using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Environ. Sci. & Technol. 46:300-306.

34. Schulthess, C.P. 2011. Historical perspective on the tools that helped shape soil chemistry. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 75: 2009 – 2036 [SSSA 75th anniversary paper].

33. Ferreira, D.R., and C.P. Schulthess. 2011. The nanopore inner sphere enhancement effect on cation adsorption: sodium, potassium, and calcium. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 75:389-396.

32. Schulthess, C.P., R.W. Taylor, and D.R. Ferreira. 2011. The nanopore inner sphere enhancement effect on cation adsorption: Sodium and nickel. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 75:378-388. [cover story]

31. Zhivotovsky, O.P., Y.A. Kuzovkina, C.P. Schulthess, T. Morris, and D. Pettinelli. 2011. Lead uptake and translocation by willows in pot and field experiments. International J. Phytoremediation 13:731-749.

30. Zhivotovsky, O.P., Y.A. Kuzovkina, C.P. Schulthess, T. Morris, D. Pettinelli, and M. Ge. 2011. Hydroponic screening of willows (Salix L.) for lead tolerance and accumulation. International J. Phytoremediation 13:75-94.

29. Kuzovkina, Y.A., O.P. Zhivotovsky, C.P. Schulthess, and D. Pettinelli. 2010. Plant selection for a pilot phytoremediation study at a former skeet range. Remediation J. 20:93-105.

28. Kinsella, K., C.P. Schulthess, T.F. Morris, J.D. Stuart. 2009. Rapid quantification of Bacillus subtilis antibiotics in the rhizosphere. Soil Biology & Biochemistry 41:374-379.

27. Taylor, R.W., W.F. Bleam, T.D. Ranatunga, C.P. Schulthess, Z.N. Senwo, D.R.A. Ranatunga. 2009. X-ray absorption near edge structure study of lead sorption on phosphate-treated kaolinite. Environ. Sci. & Technol. 43:711-717. doi: https://doi.org/10.1021/es8020183 [Premier article – Brookhaven National Laboratory]

26. Ranatunga, T.D., R. W. Taylor, C.P. Schulthess, D.R.A. Ranatunga, W.F. Bleam, Z.N. Senwo. 2008.  Lead sorption on phosphate-pretreated kaolinite: Modeling, aqueous speciation, and thermodynamics.  Soil Science. 173:321-331.

25. Schulthess, C.P., H. Wijnja and W. Yang. 2002. Oxyanions. p. 548-555. In D. Hillel, C. Rosenzweig, D. Powlson, K. Scow, M. Singer and D. Sparks (eds.) Encyclopedia of soils in the environment. Vol. 1-4. Elsevier, New York.

24. Wijnja, H., and C.P. Schulthess. 2002. Effect of carbonate on the adsorption of selenate and sulfate on goethite. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 66:1190-1197.

23. Schulthess, C.P., and Z. Hu. 2001. Impact of chloride anions on proton and selenium adsorption by an aluminum oxide. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 65:710-718.

22. Wijnja, H., and C.P. Schulthess. 2001. Carbonate adsorption mechanism of goethite studied with ATR-FTIR, DRIFT, and proton coadsorption measurements. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 65:324-330.

21. Achenie, L., M.A. Butkus, D. Grasso, C.P. Schulthess, T. Morris, and J. Hyde. 2001. A comparative study of neural network and mechanistic models for surface complexation. Advances in Environmental Research 5:137-143.

20. Görres, J.H., M.A. Stolt, J.A. Amador, C. Schulthess, and P.W. Johnson. 2000. Soil pore manipulations to increase bioaccessible pore volume. p. 755-758. In O. Sililo et al. (ed.) Groundwater: Past achievements and future challenges. A.A. Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

19. Wijnja, H., and C.P. Schulthess. 2000. Vibrational spectroscopy study of selenate and sulfate adsorption mechanisms on Fe and Al hydro(oxide) surfaces. J. Colloid & Interface Sci. 229:286-297.

18. Wijnja, H., and C. P. Schulthess. 2000. Interaction of carbonate and organic anions with sulfate and selenate adsorption on an Al oxide. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 64:898-908.

17. Wijnja, H., and C.P. Schulthess. 1999. ATR-FTIR and DRIFT spectroscopy of carbonate species at the aged γ-Al2O3/water interface. Spectrochimica Acta, Part A 55(4):861-872.

16. Butkus, M.A., D. Grasso, C.P. Schulthess, and H. Wijnja. 1998. Surface complexation modeling of phosphate adsorption by water treatment residual. J. Env. Quality 27:1055-1063.

15. Schulthess, C.P., and J.Z. Belek. 1998. Proton adsorption on a titanium oxide in the presence of bicarbonate. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 62:348-353.

14. Schulthess, C.P., K. Swanson, and H. Wijnja. 1998. Proton adsorption on an aluminum oxide in the presence of bicarbonate. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 62:136-141.

13. Belek, J.Z., and C.P. Schulthess. 1997. Monitoring the desorption of CO2 from a titanium dioxide suspension using a NaOH trap. Soil Sci. 162:10-15.

12. Schulthess, C.P., J.S. Quigley, M.J. Dapkus, and C.P. Huang. 1997. Are our soil organic extractions too harsh? p. 193-198. In J. Drozd, S.S. Gonet, N. Senesi, and J. Weber (ed.) The role of humic substances in the ecosystem and in environmental protection. Polish Society of Humic Substances, Wroclaw, Poland. (Proceedings of the 8th Meeting of the International Humic Substances Society, 9-14 Sept. 1996, Wroclaw, Poland.)

11. Schulthess, C.P., and D.K. Dey. 1996. Estimation of Langmuir constants using linear and nonlinear least squares regression analyses. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 60:433-442. (See also Software).

10. Schulthess, C.P., and S. Tokunaga. 1996. Metal and pH effects on adsorption of poly(vinyl alcohol) by Si oxide. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 60:92-98.

9. Schulthess, C.P., and S. Tokunaga. 1996. Adsorption isotherms of poly(vinyl alcohol) on Si oxide. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J.: 60:86-91.

8. Schulthess, C.P., and D.L. Sparks. 1991. Equilibrium based modeling of chemical sorption on soils and soil constituents. Advances in Soil Science 16:121-163.

7. Schulthess, C.P., and C.P. Huang. 1991. Humic and fulvic acid adsorption by silicon and aluminum oxide surfaces on clay minerals. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 55:34-42.

6. Schulthess, C.P., and C.P. Huang. 1990. Adsorption of heavy metals by silicon and aluminum oxide surfaces on clay minerals. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 54:679-688. (Also, letter to the editor: Reply to “Comments on `Adsorption of …’ ” SSSAJ (1991) 55:1509-1510).

5. Schulthess, C.P., and J.F. McCarthy. 1990. Competitive adsorption of aqueous carbonic and acetic acids on an aluminum oxide. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 54:688-694.

4. Schulthess, C.P., and D.L. Sparks. 1989. Competitive ion exchange behavior on oxides. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 53:366-373.

3. Schulthess, C.P., and D.L. Sparks. 1988. A critical assessment of surface adsorption models. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 52:92-97.

2. Schulthess, C.P., and D.L. Sparks. 1987. Two-site model for aluminum oxide with mass balanced competitive pH+salt/salt dependent reactions. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 51:1136-1144.

1. Schulthess, C.P., and D.L. Sparks. 1986. Backtitration technique for proton isotherm modeling of oxide surfaces. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 50:1406-1411.

Published Abstracts:

52. Schulthess, C.P. 2019. Use of 3D models for teaching clay mineralogy. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX.

51. Schulthess, C.P., and Y.W. Li. 2019. Identification & modeling of cation adsorption on montmorillonite. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX.

50. Y. Li, and C.P. Schulthess. 2018. Strict ion-exchange modeling of cation selective adsorption on montmorillonite. 34th Conference on Soils, Sediments, Water and Energy, Amherst, MA.

49. Y. Li, and C.P. Schulthess. 2018. Strict ion-exchange modeling of cation selective adsorption on montmorillonite. International Conference on Heavy Metals in the Environment. Athens, GA.

48. Y. Li, and C.P. Schulthess. 2018. Identification of adsorption sites on montmorillonite based on octahedral chemical composition using strict ion-exchange model. 256th American Chemicals Society Annual Meeting. Boston, MA.

47. Y. Li, and C.P. Schulthess. 2018. Strict ion-exchange modeling of cation selective adsorption on montmorillonite. Clay Minerals Society Annual Meeting. Urbana-Champaign, IL.

46. Y. Li, and C.P. Schulthess. 2018. Strict ion-exchange modeling of cation selective adsorption on montmorillonite. UCONN CAHNR Graduate Research Forum. Storrs, CT.

45. Y. Li, and C.P. Schulthess. 2017. Modeling of cation selective retention in montmorillonite. Northeast Graduate Student Water Symposium, Amherst, MA.

44. Schulthess, C.P. 2018. ¿Por qué es que la textura del suelo afecta la fertilidad del suelo? Connecticut Nursery and Landscape Association (CNLA) Winter Symposium, Plantsville, CT.

43. Schulthess, C.P. 2016. Modern developments in adsorption modeling, Post Langmuir. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, symposium presentation “100th Anniversary of the Langmuir Equation, 1916-2016”, Phoenix, AZ.

42. Li, Y., and C.P. Schulthess. 2016. Cation retention by montmorillonite in constrained environments. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, Phoenix, AZ.

41. Schulthess, C.P., U. Ndu, and M. Oba. 2015. Charge-neutral adsorption modeling. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN.

40. Schulthess, C.P., and M. Oba. 2015. Enhanced retention of sodium ions in constrained clay environments. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN.

39. Oba, M., C.P. Schulthess, and D.R. Ferreira. 2014. The NISE effect on sodium, potassium and cesium adsorption on ZSM-5. Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA.

38. Ranatunga, T.D., K.N. Bhat, C.P. Schulthess, and R.W. Taylor. 2014. Factors affecting copper sorption in soil. Soil Science Society of American Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA.

37. Schulthess, C.P. 2014. Adsorption modeling from a pure ion-exchange point of view. World Congress of Soil Science, Jeju, S. Korea. June 9, 2014.

36. Ferreria, D.R., M.V. Giotto, N.J. Kabenji, J.E. Amonette, E.D. Walter, and C.P. Schulthess. 2013. Direct evidence of the nanopore inner-sphere enhancement (NISE) effect by NMR and EPR spectroscopy. 18th ISMAR Conference, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

35. McIntosh, P., Y. Kuzovkina, C.P. Schulthess, K. Guillard. 2013. Phytoremediation to degrade total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) using mixtures of grass and willow species. 77th Annual meeting of the Northeast section of the American Society of Plant Biologists. April 20, 2013, Amherst, MA.

34.Schulthess, C.P., D. Ferreira, N. Kabengi, J.E. Amonette, and E.D. Walter. 2012. Confirmation of the nanopore inner-sphere enhancement (NISE) theory using flow calorimetry and EPR. Annual Meeting SSSA, Cincinnati, OH.

33. Ferreira, D.R., C.P. Schulthess, M.V. Giotto, and N.J. Kabengi. 2011. Confirmation of the nanopore inner-sphere enhancement (NISE) effect using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and calorimetry. Annual Meeting SSSA, San Antonio, TX.

32. Schulthess, C.P., D.R. Ferreira, and R.W. Taylor. 2011. The nanopore inner-sphere enhancement (NISE) effect: Overview of theory, data, and current evidence. Annual Meeting SSSA, San Antonio, TX.

31. Ferreira, D.R., and C.P. Schulthess. 2010. A comparison of calcium and potassium chloride adsorption on a sodic soil. Annual Meeting SSSA, Long Beach, CA.

30. Schulthess, C.P., and D.R. Ferreira. 2010. Retention of sodium cations in nanopores and its implications to sodic soils. 19th World Congress of Soil Science, 1-6 August, Brisbane, Australia.

29. Schulthess, C.P. 2009. Langmuir adsorption optimization: Problems and solutions for teaching. Annual meeting SSSA, Pittsburgh, PA.

28. Ferreira, D.R., C.P. Schulthess, and J.E. Kaminski. 2009. Sodium adsorption on calcined clays and zeolites. Annual meeting SSSA, Pittsburgh, PA.

27. Kinsella, K., C.P. Schulthess, G.C. Elliott, T.F. Morris, and J.D. Stuart. 2008. Measurement of Bacillus subtilis antibiotics in the rhizosphere. 68th Annual Meeting of the American Phytopathological Society Northeastern Division, October 8-10, Newport, Rhode Island.

26. Kinsella, K., C.P. Schulthess, G.C. Elliott, T.F. Morris, and J.D. Stuart. 2008. Production of antibiotics by Bacillus subtilis in the cucumber rhizosphere. Plants & Soils: Montreal ’08 Ecological Intensification, Biofuels and Bioproducts, July 13-16, Montreal, Quebec.

25. Schulthess, C.P., and R.W. Taylor.  2008.  Modeling the adsorption of cations in porous materials. Annual meeting SSSA, Houston, TX.

24. Schulthess, C.P., and R.W. Taylor.  2007.  Impact of nanopore dimensions on the adsorption of cations. Annual meeting SSSA, New Orleans, LA.

23. Schulthess, C.P., and M.D. Raigon. 2003. Absorption of alkaline phosphatase enzyme on geothite. Annual Meeting Abstracts – SSSA, Madison, WI.

22. Yang, W., and C.P. Schulthess. 2002. Entrapment and desorption kinetics of aqueous CO2 on geothite. Annual Meeting Abstracts – SSSA, Indianapolis IN.

21. Schulthess, C.P., 2000. Soil Chemistry Research Fronts: Past Accomplishments, State-of-the-Art and Future Opportunities. Annual Meeting Abstracts – SSSA, Minneapolis, MN

20. Schulthess, C.P., J.H. Görres, and J.A. Amador. 1999. Freeze-thaw impact on the pore structure of goethite. Annual Meeting Abstracts, p. 324, Soil Sci. Soc. of Am., Madison, WI.

19. Wijnja, H., and C.P. Schulthess. 1999. Raman microspectroscopy of oxyanions adsorbed on metal oxides. Annual Meeting Abstracts, p. 205, Soil Sci. Soc. of Am., Madison, WI.

18. Wijnja, H., and C.P. Schulthess. 1999. Interactions between anions for adsorption on an Al oxide. 217th American Chemical Society Meeting, Division of Geochemistry, March 21-25, Anaheim, California.

17. Wijnja, H., and C.P. Schulthess. 1998. Adsorption mechanisms of interactive anions on an Al oxide. Agronomy Abstracts, p. 194, Am. Soc. Agron., Madison, WI.

16. Wijnja, H., and C.P. Schulthess. 1998. In situ vibrational study of anion adsorption at the oxide-water interface. Agronomy Abstracts, p. 195, Am. Soc. Agron., Madison, WI.

15. Schulthess, C.P., and H. Wijnja. 1998. Interactive adsorption behavior of anions on an Al oxide. Agronomy Abstracts, p. 195, Am. Soc. Agron., Madison, WI.

14. Hu, Z., and C.P. Schulthess. 1998. Proton and selenate coadsorption on an Al oxide. Agronomy Abstracts, p. 195, Am. Soc. Agron., Madison, WI.

13. Wijnja, H., and Schulthess, C. P. 1997. Carbonate adsorption mechanisms at the Al-oxide/solution interface studied by FTIR and electrophoretic mobility. Agronomy Abstracts, p. 182, Am. Soc. Agron., Madison, WI.

12. Schulthess, C. P., H. Wijnja, and Z. Hu. 1997. Anion and bicarbonate coadsorption on an Al oxide. Agronomy Abstracts, p. 198, Am. Soc. Agron., Madison, WI.

11. Wijnja, H., and Schulthess, C. P. 1997. ATR/FTIR study of the adsorption mechanism of aqueous carbonate, nitrate, and sulfate on the aluminum oxide-solution interface. 213th American Chemical Society Meeting, Division of Geochemistry, April 13-17, San Francisco, California.

10. Schulthess, C. P., and D. K. Dey. 1995. A new nonlinear regression of the Langmuir isotherm. Northeast branch of the American Society of Agronomy, June 25-28, Orono, ME. (See also Software).

9. Schulthess, C. P., and S. Tokunaga. 1992. Adsorption of polyvinyl alcohol on colloidal silicon oxide. 203rd American Chemical Society National Meeting, Division of Environmental Chemistry, p. 745-746, April 5-10, San Francisco, CA.

8. Schulthess, C. P., and S. Tokunaga. 1991. Adsorption of poly(vinyl alcohol) on colloidal silicon oxide. Proceedings of the 61st Conference of the Chemical Society of Japan, Vol. 2 (in Japanese), p. 678 (abstract in English), Sept. 22-25, Sapporo, Chem. Soc. Japan.

7. Schulthess, C. P., and S. Tokunaga. 1990. Correlation of the diffuse layer with the suspension effect. Proceedings of the 60th Conference of the Chemical Society of Japan. Vol. 2 (in Japanese), p. 544 (abstract in English), Oct. 2-5, Hiroshima, Chem. Soc. Japan.

6. Schulthess, C. P., and J. F. McCarthy. 1989. Subsurface transport of contaminants: The role of mobile colloidal particles. (Symposium presentation). 41st Southeast Regional ACS Meeting, Am. Chem. Soc., Winston-Salem, NC.

5. Schulthess, C. P., and J. F. McCarthy. 1988. Effects of CO2 on adsorption of acetic acid by aluminum oxide. Agronomy Abstracts, p. 204, Am. Soc. Agron., Madison, WI.

4. Sparks, D. L., and C. P. Schulthess. 1988. Modeling chemical sorption on soils and soil constituents. (Invited paper). Agronomy Abstracts, p. 205, Am. Soc. Agron., Madison, WI.

3. Schulthess, C. P., and D. L. Sparks. 1987. The backtitration technique and mass balanced modeling of oxide surfaces. 61st Colloid and Surface Science Symposium, Am. Chem. Soc., Ann Arbor, MI.

2. Schulthess, C. P., and D. L. Sparks. 1986. Na+/Cl– and H+/OH– speciation behavior on an Al-oxide surface. Agronomy Abstracts, p. 172, Am. Soc. Agron., Madison, WI.

1. Schulthess, C. P., and D. L. Sparks. 1985. Charge Speciation modeling of oxide surfaces using a backtitration technique. Agronomy Abstracts, p. 151, Am. Soc. Agron., Madison, WI.

Software:

Software Programs written by Dr. Schulthess

IExFit (version 3.2, copyright 2018): Fit adsorption data based on ion-exchange reaction models. Display liquid, solid & gas phase speciation diagrams as a function of pH.

pHVreader (copyright 2013): Read, display and record data from any meter as a function of time. Helps teach how to identify meter stability.

LMMpro: Langmuir software and Michaelis-Menten software (for Windows, copyright 2007-2008): Estimates the Langmuir parameters using linear and nonlinear methods.  Helps teach Langmuir isotherms and Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics.

Langmuir (version 1.0 for DOS, copyright 1996):  Estimates the Langmuir parameters using linear and nonlinear methods.

Weather (1995): Used by the research farm to analyze the data downloaded by the weather station.

BT (1995): Performs automatic analysis of backtitration data. It helps you identify the end points of the titration curves, plus it will calculate the gamma values for you.

pH-time (1992): Monitors and records pH values as a function of time. It works with an “Accumet 50” pH meter (by Fisher Sci.).

Others: Dr. Schulthess has written many software programs for modeling the adsorption of protons, cations, anions, and neutral molecules at the surface-liquid interface. Thus far, all of these programs have been for personal use only.

Journal and Society Activities

  • Serve as an invitational reviewer for the Soil Science Society of America Journal (SSSAJ), Journal of Environmental Quality (JEQ), European J. of Soil Science, plus other journals and government agencies.
  • December 2016 – present: Associate Editor for AgriScientia (Agricultural Journal of the Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Argentina).
  • January 2011 – present: Associate Editor for Ciencia del Suelo (Journal of the Argentine Association of Soil Science).
  • March 2-4, 2016: USDA (BNRE Foundational Program) Panel reviewer of submitted proposals, Washington, D.C.
  • May 8 – 11, 2006: USDA (program 25.0) Panel reviewer of submitted proposals, Washington, D.C.
  • January 2002 – June 2007: Associate Editor for the Soil Science Society of America Journal.
  • March 6 – 10, 2000: USDA (program 25.0) Panel reviewer of submitted proposals, Washington, D.C.
  • 1997 – 2000: member of the SSSA Coordination of Official Methods of Soil Analysis Committee (S889).
  • Member of Gamma Sigma Delta since April 1997.
  • 1993 – 2002: Connecticut State Chair for the ASA society members.
  • Received the Editors’ Citation for Excellence in Manuscript Review in 1991 by SSSA.
  • Presided as Session Chairman in the “Sorption Phenomena in Soils and Soil Constituents” session of the 1989 SSSA meetings in Las Vegas, NV.
  • Presided as Session Chairman in the “Soil Chemistry Research Fronts: Past Accomplishments, State-of-the-Art and Future Opportunities” symposium of the 2000 SSSA meetings in Minneapolis, MN.

University and Departmental Activities

  • 2016-2018. UConn-Cuba Initiative.
  • 2014-2020. PSLA Graduate Admissions Committee, Chair.
  • 2014-2020. UConn Graduate Faculty Council (GFC), PSLA representative.
  • 2013-2020. CAHNR International Programs Committee, PSLA representative.
  • 2010-2012. PSLA PTR Committee, member. Chaired in 2012.
  • 1997-1999. PSLA PTR Committee, member. Chaired in 1999.
  • 1996-1999. PSLA Web Page, Chair. Wrote over 80 pages of the first version of department’s home pages.
  • 1995-1996. Graduate Brochure Committee, member.
  • 1995, 1996, 2013. French Language Examination, prepared and graded required language exams.
  • 1992-1997. PSLA Agronomy Curricula Review Committee, member.
  • 1992. Northeastern Branch of the American Society of Agronomy (NEBASA) Meeting co-organizer, Storrs, CT, June 28 – July 1.
  • 1991-2021. UConn Graduate Faculty, member.

Awards and Recognitions

  • 2014-2020. Commendation letters received each Fall and Spring semester from UConn’s Office of the Provost for excellent teaching evaluations.
  • 2015. UConn CAHNR Alumni Association (UCAHNRAA) Excellence in Teaching Award.
  • 1988. Emil Truog Soil Science Award by the Soil Science Society of America for “an outstanding contribution to soil science as evidenced by the Ph.D. dissertation.”

Interviews and Highlights

  • 2019. Interviewed by The Daily Campus on the impact of temperature swings on soils structure. February 25, 2019, by Rachel Grella (2 pages).
  • 2016. Interviewed for the Annual Newsletter by UConn’s Institute of Materials Science, “Digging in with Soil Chemist Cristian Schulthess”, by Jessica McBride (2 pages).
  • 2012. Co-authored an article noted as the cover story for Clays and Clay Minerals (CCM). An article about this research was also covered in the “News and Highlights” of Science at PNNL (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) https://www.pnnl.gov/science/highlights/highlight.asp?id=1308&groupid=1052.
  • 2011. Invited by the journal technical editor to write the 75th anniversary paper for the Soil Science Society of America, Soil Chemistry Division.
  • 2011. Co-authored an article noted as the cover story for Soil Science Society of America Journal (SSSAJ).
  • 1990. Interviewed for article in the Los Angeles Times by Leslie Helm “Japan’s Labs Open at Last: Technology: We clamored for access, and Japan finally agreed. Guess who’s likely to gain most?” (Nov. 11, 1990) https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-11-11-fi-6339-story.html.

      Personal Info

      Languages:

      English and Spanish: fluently read, spoken, and written.
      French: very well understood, spoken, and read.
      I’m able to read and orally understand various other languages.

      Military Service:

      Switzerland
      August 1981 – November 1981.
      Status: First Aid Soldier.

      Contact Information