Water Resources (new option)
Water Resources research involves the use of science and policy tools to identify contaminants and make assessments of water quality. Students will acquire laboratory skills to detect water contaminants and track their movements and transformations, while learning related policy and management concerns. Research areas could include microbial contaminants, the impact of urbanization on water quality, and marine and estuarine water quality and its impact on fisheries and shellfish industries. Option coursework covers water sciences and hydrology, environmental policy and management. Students completing this option will be prepared for graduate school or for positions in environmental consulting, research, and natural resource management.
Past research projects (examples):
- Whole system perspective: Steelhead, Onchorynchus mykiss, glutathion S-transferase as a biomarker for chlorpyrifos exposure. Rachael Pecore. Mentor: Dr. Jeff Jenkins, Environmental and Molecular Toxicology.
- Antibiotic resistance gene transfer in oysters as a result of fecal pollution. Becky Cooper. Mentor: Dr. Kate Field, Microbiology.