John Sivey, Ph.D.

he/him/his

Professor of Chemistry and Department Chairperson

John Sivey

Contact Info

Phone:
410-704-3055
Office:
Science Complex, Room 4301 A
Email:
jsivey@towson.edu
Hours:
By Appointment

Education

B.S., Chemistry
Central Michigan University

M.S., Environmental Engineering & Science
Clemson University

Ph.D., Environmental Engineering & Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University

Postdoctoral Associate, Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Yale University

Areas of Expertise

Analytical Chemistry

Aquatic Chemistry

Environmental Organic Chemistry

The Sivey Lab

John Sivey, Ph.D. and his research group focus on environmental organic chemistry and the chemistry of drinking water.

To learn more about Dr. Sivey's extensive research on drinking water safety, treatment, and filtration, visit his Google Scholar profile and read about the work underway in the Aqueous Environmental Chemistry Laboratory @ TU.

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