Rate My Professor James Cizdziel

Dr. James Cizdziel serves as Professor and Chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Mississippi, and as Coordinator of Forensic Chemistry. He obtained his B.S. in Analytical Chemistry from the State University of New York College at Buffalo in 1991 and his Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1998. At the University of Mississippi, he has mentored 11 Ph.D. students and 2 M.S. students, and teaches courses such as quantitative analysis, instrumental analysis, analytical environmental chemistry, applied spectroscopy, and forensic chemistry senior research.

Dr. Cizdziel's research focuses on analytical, environmental, and forensic chemistry. His group has developed innovative methods for microplastic detection in water, air, and biota, including a single-pot method for Mississippi River samples during 2019 flooding, and studies on tire wear microplastics and toxic compounds like 6PPD-Q along highways. Other projects include trace evidence analysis from 3D-printed firearms using DART-MS, unmanned aerial vehicle sampling for atmospheric mercury, and passive samplers for mercury. With over 90 peer-reviewed publications, notable works include "Single-Pot Method for Collection and Preparation of Natural Water for Microplastic Analyses: Microplastics in the Mississippi River System During and After Historic Flooding in 2019" (2020), "Occurrence of Microplastic Pollution at Oyster Reefs and Other Coastal Sites in the Mississippi Sound USA: Impacts of Freshwater Inflows from Flooding", "Identification of Polymers and Organic Gunshot Residue in Evidence from 3D-Printed Firearms using DART-Mass Spectrometry: A Feasibility Study" (2017), and "Adaption and use of a quadcopter for targeted sampling of gaseous mercury in the atmosphere" (2018). He has received grants from the National Institute of Justice, USGS, EPA, DOE, NSF, and DOJ. In 2024, Dr. Cizdziel was awarded the Melinda & Ben Yarbrough, M.D., Senior Professor Research Award for the Natural Sciences for his exemplary research performance.