Environmental Internship Program - 2023 Booklet
Anna Pinkerton ’24 GEOSCIENCES WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENT PROJECT TITLE Study of Rock and Water Samples From Mpala Research Centre ORGANIZATION(S) Niespolo Research Group, Department of Geosciences, Princeton University LOCATION(S) Princeton, New Jersey MENTOR(S) Elizabeth Niespolo, Assistant Professor of Geosciences My project aimed to help establish a comprehensive geologic analysis of the Mpala Research Centre in central Kenya. The goal of this long term project is to determine the viability of groundwater in the region for use as drinking water or for crops. The field samples for this project are still in transit from Mpala Research Centre, so the majority of my work was to conduct a literature review and to gain familiarity with the necessary laboratory methods, for example thin section analysis and basic petrographic and geochemical analysis. Through this research experience, I have gained experience in fieldwork, lab work and literature review. My contributions to the project are in its groundwork, and understanding the rocks in this region is essential to future research on the water found in nearby aquifers. The project is of a much larger scope than I had originally anticipated, and I have chosen to continue with the project as part of my senior thesis research. * This internship is connected to the HMEI Water and the Environment Grand Challenges project, “Initiating Natural History and Groundwater Research at Mpala Research Center.” 106
Alyssa Ritchie ’25 CHEMISTRY Certificate: Applications of Computing PROJECT TITLE Design of Light-activated Catalysts for Wastewater Contaminant Degradation ORGANIZATION(S) Sarazen Research Group, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Princeton University LOCATION(S) Princeton, New Jersey MENTOR(S) Michele L. Sarazen, Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering; Samuel Moore, Ph.D. candidate, Chemical and Biological Engineering Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been the subject of much research in recent years due to their many applications and tunability. One subset of water-stable MOFs, the zirconiumbased UiO series, has shown promise in the photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue when used in combination with hydrogen peroxide. Methylene blue is a dye used in many industrial applications and can be used as a probe for removing other dyes from wastewater. Allowing dyes to be released into the environment can harm aquatic ecosystems. While some methods currently can remove methylene blue from wastewater, using MOFs could allow the dye to be recovered and reused, presenting a cost-effective and eco-friendly alternative to current approaches. Over 8 weeks, I ran reactions testing methylene blue degradation under various conditions. I gained knowledge in using many different instruments, laboratory techniques and the overall research process. I look forward to continuing to learn about environmental chemistry and metal-organic frameworks. WATER AND THE ENVIRONMENT * This internship is connected to the HMEI Water and the Environment Grand Challenges project, “Design of Light-activated Catalysts for Wastewater Contaminant Degradation.” 107
- Page 55 and 56: Alliyah Gregory ’25 ECOLOGY AND E
- Page 57 and 58: Noe Iwasaki ’26 UNDECLARED PROJEC
- Page 59 and 60: Chien Nguyen ’25 COMPUTER SCIENCE
- Page 61 and 62: Martina Qua ’25 CIVIL AND ENVIRON
- Page 63 and 64: Angelica She ’26 CIVIL AND ENVIRO
- Page 65 and 66: Sarina Wen ’26 CHEMICAL AND BIOLO
- Page 67 and 68: Rees Barnes ’26 ELECTRICAL AND CO
- Page 69 and 70: Leilani Bender ’24 CIVIL AND ENVI
- Page 71 and 72: Yagiz Devre ’26 COMPUTER SCIENCE
- Page 73 and 74: Helena Frudit ’25 MECHANICAL AND
- Page 75 and 76: John Kim ’25 PHYSICS Certificates
- Page 77 and 78: Nicholas Lim ’24 SCHOOL OF PUBLIC
- Page 79 and 80: Stephane Morel ’25 ELECTRICAL AND
- Page 81 and 82: Chloe Park ’25 CHEMISTRY Certific
- Page 83 and 84: Azhar Razin ’26 CHEMICAL AND BIOL
- Page 85 and 86: Maya Avida ’26 PHYSICS Certificat
- Page 87 and 88: Rebecca Cho ’26 GEOSCIENCES OCEAN
- Page 89 and 90: Dylan Epstein-Gross ’25 COMPUTER
- Page 91 and 92: Lindsay Anne Pagaduan ’26 CHEMIST
- Page 93 and 94: Sophia Villacorta ’24 GEOSCIENCES
- Page 95 and 96: Tienne Yu ’26 MOLECULAR BIOLOGY O
- Page 97 and 98: Braeden Carroll ’26 CIVIL AND ENV
- Page 99 and 100: Ashley DeFrates ’25 CIVIL AND ENV
- Page 101 and 102: PROJECT TITLE Molecular Simulation
- Page 103 and 104: Wiley Kohler ’25 MATHEMATICS PROJ
- Page 105: Christopher Li ’26 CIVIL AND ENVI
- Page 109 and 110: Acknowledgments FUNDING FOR THE 202
Alyssa Ritchie ’25<br />
CHEMISTRY<br />
Certificate: Applications of Computing<br />
PROJECT TITLE<br />
Design of Light-activated<br />
Catalysts for Wastewater<br />
Contaminant Degradation<br />
ORGANIZATION(S)<br />
Sarazen Research<br />
Group, Department of<br />
Chemical and Biological<br />
Engineering, Princeton<br />
University<br />
LOCATION(S)<br />
Princeton, New Jersey<br />
MENTOR(S)<br />
Michele L. Sarazen,<br />
Assistant Professor of<br />
Chemical and Biological<br />
Engineering; Samuel<br />
Moore, Ph.D. candidate,<br />
Chemical and Biological<br />
Engineering<br />
Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) have been<br />
the subject of much research in recent years due<br />
to their many applications and tunability. One<br />
subset of water-stable MOFs, the zirconiumbased<br />
UiO series, has shown promise in the<br />
photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue<br />
when used in combination with hydrogen<br />
peroxide. Methylene blue is a dye used in<br />
many industrial applications and can be<br />
used as a probe for removing other dyes from<br />
wastewater. Allowing dyes to be released into<br />
the environment can harm aquatic ecosystems.<br />
While some methods currently can remove<br />
methylene blue from wastewater, using MOFs<br />
could allow the dye to be recovered and reused,<br />
presenting a cost-effective and eco-friendly<br />
alternative to current approaches. Over 8 weeks, I<br />
ran reactions testing methylene blue degradation<br />
under various conditions. I gained knowledge<br />
in using many different instruments, laboratory<br />
techniques and the overall research process.<br />
I look forward to continuing to learn about<br />
environmental chemistry and metal-organic<br />
frameworks.<br />
WATER AND THE<br />
ENVIRONMENT<br />
* This internship is connected to the HMEI Water<br />
and the Environment Grand Challenges project,<br />
“Design of Light-activated Catalysts for Wastewater<br />
Contaminant Degradation.”<br />
107