Plastics Research Presented at Great Lakes Conference
Dr. Lorena Rios Mendoza and students Felagot Abebe (middle) and Kristen Johnson of Superior, WI (right) at the conference in Burlington, Vermont.
By Tom Hansen, UWS Dept. of Communications
It might be summer vacation for some, but UW-Superior students and faculty were represented at the 58th Annual Conference on Great Lakes Research in Burlington, Vermont at the end of May.
The International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGRL) invited Dr. Lorena Rios Mendoza to showcase her plastics research. She and two UW-Superior students were invited to participate in the conference in the special session of plastic pollution within the Great Lakes Ecosystem.
Dr. Rios Mendoza presentation was “Microsynthetic plastics in air, water, fish and sediments in the Great Lakes.” She was accompanied on the trip by two students who took part in poster presentations:
- Kristen Johnson featured “Are we Breathing Plastics”, and
- Felagot Abebe presented “Persistent Organic Pollutants on Microplastics Debris from Great Lakes.”
“This was a great opportunity for the students to showcase their undergraduate research and highlight their work at UW-Superior,” said Dr. Lorena Rios Mendoza.
Kristen Johnson, Superior, Wis. was honored for her research by earning the Information Impact Award at the conference. This was significant according to Dr. Rios because she was competing against many other students who have advanced degrees. “It was great to see her get rewarded for her hard work. Perhaps this could also inspire others in this subject.”
Dr. Rios Mendoza will also be heading to Cleveland in June to feature a workshop for K-12 teachers in collaboration with NOAA. She will give a seminar in plastic pollution and will lead the collection of plastic for them.
Contact: Tom Hansen, Marketing and Communications, (715) 394-8260
