“My hope is that the work I do will allow for a better quality of life for people, improve health outcomes, and provide access to exceptional drinking water.”
Hometown: Evansdale, Iowa
Clubs and activities: Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE), Environmental Engineering Curriculum Committee, Campus Fellowship/Stonebrook Church, Destination Iowa State team leader, Chi Epsilon, Engineers Without Borders, sustainability focus group, intramural volleyball
Valuable hands-on learning experiences: My internship and student operating position with the City of Ames Water and Pollution Control Department allowed me the responsibility of maintaining the public water supply from start to finish and put my classroom engineering skills to practice.
It is incredibly rewarding to be part of providing a necessity to the Ames community, especially one with a direct connection to public health!
Influential mentors: It’s a tie between Kaoru Ikuma, assistant professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, and Tim Ellis, associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering.
Dr. Ikuma guided me in my first environmental engineering research experience and encouraged my passion for mitigating negative environmental exposures. Dr. Ellis opened the possibility for me to continue my education and emphasized the responsibility of solving issues without creating new problems, which is key for my field.
Plans for after graduation: This summer I will be starting my master’s degree and research on PFAS in groundwater. I am happy to continue my education in the CCEE department and to continue my professional relationship with the Ames W&PC department!
Leaving my mark on the world: My hope is that the work I do will allow for a better quality of life for people, improve health outcomes, and provide access to exceptional drinking water.