John Sivey, Ph.D.

Select Publications

• Zhang, Z.; Reber, K.P.; Okwor, N.; Gujarati, P.D.; Vollmuth, M.; Zhang, L.; McCurry, D.L.; Sivey, J.D.; Prasse, C. *Stable isotope labeling to elucidate ring cleavage mechanisms of disinfection byproduct formation during chlorination of parabens. Nature Water. 2025.
• Kearney, R.N.; Braithwaite, S.G.; McCoy, S.W.; McCurry, D.L.; Reber, K.P.; Sivey, J.D. *Methanol as a carrier solvent can influence chlorination rates of phenolic compounds in chlorinated waters. Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2024, 11, 1110-1115.
• Psoras, A.W.; McCoy, S.W.; Reber, K.P.; McCurry, D.L.; Sivey, J.D. * Ipso substitution of aromatic bromine in chlorinated waters:  Impacts on Trihalomethane formation. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2023, 57, 18801-18810.
• McFadden, M.; Reber, K.P.; Sivey, J.D.; Cwiertny, D.M.; LeFevre, G. * Microbial biotransformation products and pathways of dichloroacetamide herbicide safeners. Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2023, 10, 72-78.
• McFadden, M.E.; Patterson, E.V.; Reber, K.P.; Gilbert, I.W.; Sivey, J.D.; LeFevre, G.H.; Cwiertny, D.M. *Acid- and base-mediated hydrolysis of dichloroacetamide herbicide safeners. Environ. Sci. Technol. 2022, 56, 325-334.
• Xu, X.; Gujarati, P.D.; Okwor, N.; Sivey, J.D.; Reber, K.P.; Xu, W. *Reactivity of chloroacetamides toward sulfide + black carbon: Insights from structural analogues and dynamic NMR spectroscopy. Sci. Total Environ. 2022, 803, 150064.
• Kim, E.; Driessen, O.M.; McCurry, D.M.*, Sivey, J.D. *Intramural, online research group meetings as professional development tools for undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral trainees. Environ. Eng. Sci. 2022, 39, 101-104.
• Schammel, M.H.; Martin-Culet, K.R.; Taggart, G.A.; Sivey, J.D. *Structural effects on the bromination rate and selectivity of alkylbenzenes and alkoxybenzenes in aqueous solution. Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 2021, 23, 16594-16610.
• Ricko, A.N.; Psoras, A.W.; Sivey, J.D. *Reductive transformations of dichloroacetamide safeners: effects of agrochemical co-formulants and iron oxide + manganese oxide binary-mineral systems. Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts 2020, 22, 2104-2116.
• Rose, M.R.; Lau, S.S.; Prasse, C.; Sivey, J.D. *Exoctic electrophiles in chlorinated and chloraminated water: When conventional kinectic models and reaction pathways fall short. Environ. Sci. Technol. Lett. 2020, 7, 360-370.

in the media

Working to Ensure Safe Drinking Water

A five-year grant from the National Science Foundation made it possible for Dr. Sivey and his team to identify ways to make drinking water safer. Read the story.

Honors and Awards

• TU Presidential Faculty Award for Excellence in Research (2023)
• Honors College Professor of the Year, Towson University (2021)
• ACS Editors’ Choice Paper Recognition (Environmental Science and Technology Letters) (2020)
• Henry Dreyfus Teacher-Scholar Award (2020)
• Best Papers of 2018 Nominee – Royal Society of Chemistry Environmental Science family of journals (2019)
• Invited Speaker, Gordon Research Conference on Water Disinfection, Byproducts and Health (2019)
• Emerging Investigator – Royal Society of Chemistry (Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology) (2018)
• NSF CAREER Award (2017)
• Faculty Award for Excellence in Research, Fisher College of Science and Mathematics, Towson University (2017)
• American Chemical Society AGRO New Investigator Award Finalist (2015)

Professional Organizations

• American Chemical Society
• Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors

Courses Taught

• CHEM 220: Analytical Chemistry
• CHEM 310: Instrumental Analysis
• CHEM 345: Principles of Physical Chemistry
• CHEM 401: Communication Skills in Chemistry
• ENVS 600: Environmental Science & Sustainability Colloquium
• ENVS 605: Chemistry of Environmental Systems
• ENVS 680: Environmental Organic Chemistry
• HONR 301: The Polluted States of America