Natalie’s dedication to safe water was ingrained by her Central Appalachian heritage, where she couldn’t play in the nearby creek that was polluted by sewage and irresponsible natural resource extraction.  From her earliest undergraduate research experience studying slow sand filters for water treatment in developing countries, Natalie was captivated by the intersection of environmental microbiology and engineering.  The integration of these fields unites her past experiences and informs her research plans.  For her MS in Civil Engineering, she investigated the mammalian toxicity of engineered nanoparticles.  For her Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, she studied molecular mechanisms of water disinfection by ultraviolet light and applications for small water systems as part of the DeRISK Center.  As a post-graduate professional researcher, she explored microbial ecology and toxicity of water in built environments including tap water and hydraulic fracturing wastewater.  Natalie is building on this microbiological background and her graduate certificates in both teaching and mentoring, to inspire and educate students to sustainably engineer safe water for the health and enjoyment of future generations.  She is interested in applying emerging molecular biology tools, novel sensors, big data analyses, and optimized treatment technologies to better understand and control microbiomes in natural and engineered waters for sustainable protection of public and environmental health. In her spare time, Natalie enjoys canoeing, hiking, reading, cooking, attending live music, and visiting breweries with her husband and corgi.

Dr. Hull is a faculty mentor within STEAM's Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Research Program