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June - July 2017
Summary: One week Navajo doctoral candidate, Ranalda Tsosie, and I traveled cross country, from University of Montana (UM) to Navajo Nation, AZ to collect water samples from private wells for a comprehensive chemical analysis that used ion chromatography (IC) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) instrumentation. In addition, we investigated an amino phosphonic acid functionalized polyallylamine for its capture and recovery of uranium and arsenic. I presented my contribution to this project at the American Indians in Science and Engineering Society Conference in Denver, CO, from which I was awarded Best Abstract for Undergraduate Students. The award included a travel scholarship to the American Chemical Society National Meeting in New Orleans, LA, where I participated in a poster presentation of this work. Featured in Missoula Current, Missoula's News Journal: https://www.missoulacurrent.com/um-news/2017/07/native-american-researchers/ |
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June - July 2016
Summary: We synthesized and characterized the surface structure of two types of magnetite-core silica polyamine nano-particles for its applications to capture and recover heavy metals (copper, palladium, and cobalt). This was a collaborative project with engineers at Montana Tech. Our goal was to eventually apply these materials at a larger scale for mining reclamation, e.g. the Berkley Pitt at Butte, Montana. I communicated the results of this work to diverse audiences including UM's chemistry faculty, peers and professionals at the 2016 Society for Advancing Chicanx and Native American's in Science National Conference in Long Beach, CA, and high school students at Mesa College's Sustainability Summit. This was my first research experience that taught me how to communicate science to a wide variety of audiences and meaningfully built my confidence in the laboratory as a scientist. |