Weekly Wave - WRRC Students Shine Brightly in Annual SWESx Symposium

Each year during the University's Earth Week festivities, undergraduate and graduate students within the UA Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science present research results in the "SWESx Symposium." Research talks and posters are evaluated by a panel of judges, and this year, WRRC students were prominent among the winners. Master's student Robert Lynch (pictured above) won first place for his SWESx oral presentation, "Might Recycled Water Inhibit Toxin-Producing Algae?" while Ph.D. candidate Valerisa Joe won third place with "Development of Native American Produce Safety and Agricultural Water Quality Trainings in Arizona." WRRC research scientist Dr. Jean McLain serves as advisor to Robert, and co-advises Valerisa with SWES scientist Dr. Channah Rock. Additional presenters included Ph.D. candidate Rebecca Bernat. who is advised by Dr. Sharon B. Megdal.  Rebecca presented "Meeting Arizona Water Management Objectives with Long-Term Storage Credits", while Ph.D. candidate Hany Almotairy, who performs research in Dr. McLain's laboratory, presented a keynote talk on "Accumulation of Heavy Metals in Aquaponic systems and Effects on Bacterial Antibiotic Resistance."