The ERI scholarship is awarded annually to an outstanding undergraduate or graduate student whose academic focus aligns with the mission of ERI in areas such as civil and environmental engineering, GIS, land use planning, and related fields. Scholarship winner is chosen through a competitive screening process that considers recommendation letters, a written essay, and academic performance.

Using complex geophysical analysis, machine learning and environmental risk assessment models, Shahnul’s study focuses on assessing the ecological and human health concerns associated with the toxicity of environmental heavy metals. His efforts enhance the stability and health of the urban environment.

The Scholarship Committee, Principals and Partners of Environmental Resolutions, Inc., had the opportunity to learn about Shahnul’s research and career goals at the formal award ceremony held at the ERI offices in South Jersey in August.

Your were fabulous! Everyone left buzzing about glaciers and the cliffs and boulders in our beloved South Mountain Reservation. Thank you so much for taking the time to explain it all – twice! We deeply appreciate it.

With both AMAs and general discussion forums, there is an art to making sure that information is communicated effectively and succinctly.

We’re trying to keep it as scientific as possible, but in layman’s terms, so that non-scientists can understand cutting-edge science that’s coming out right now

Nathan Allen, a synthetic chemist based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and a former moderator at r/science, likens it to writing a persuasive e-mail. “On Reddit, you have got to convince the general public that this has some general interest to them, and you’ve got to develop it and build the message and make sure people stay on point,” he says. “You get a lot of practice writing concise explanations of complicated things that people who aren’t necessarily scientists are able to digest and understand.”

When using Reddit in any capacity, Zimmerman encourages scientists to make sure to read the rules before making a post or comment, and to mind their manners, just as they would on any other social-media platform. “Be polite,” she says. “Just because you’re an anonymous username doesn’t mean you should be rude to other people.”

Jennifer Cole, a biologist and anthropologist at Royal Holloway University of London, notes that using Reddit for scientific communication is not without its problems. Moderators do a lot of work behind the scenes and often face a torrent of abuse for trying to maintain standards, says Cole. And although using people’s real names can help with credibility, it can also make academics and experts targets for harassment and abuse. Although the site does not provide support for users who experience abuse, a spokesperson for Reddit noted that the platform has policies to prohibit both harassment and the sharing of personal or confidential information, and that these policies are enforced by the internal safety teams.

It can also be used to spread falsehoods. R/conspiracy has repeatedly posted misinformation about COVID-19 and vaccines. Climate deniers are also present on the platform, although a decade ago the science forum specifically banned climate change deniers. Asked about misinformation, the Reddit spokesperson said that because Reddit is governed by upvotes and downvotes, quality and accurate information tend to rise to the top.

Interviewees agree that Reddit is at its core a social media platform, and social media has the potential to be toxic. But when scientists engage, there’s also a lot of great scientific communication and debunking of misinformation.

Don’t be afraid to talk to the people. Those who are not scientists are just as curious as we are. There’s nothing special about being a scientist. We are like everybody else, and sometimes folks forget that.

This prestigious award is presented to a WEF member who demonstrates a unique application of basic research or fundamental principles through the design or development of a wastewater collection or treatment system. The Camp Applied Research Award, originating in 1965, is named after Thomas R. Camp — an eminent American environmental engineer, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the founder of the renowned consulting firm CDM Smith.

Dr. Deng’s recognition stems from his creative contributions to physicochemical treatment technologies and inventive engineering design strategies. These contributions enable innovative engineering solutions in the areas spanning from drinking water treatment, wastewater reclamation, groundwater remediation, to stormwater management and harvesting. Besides this esteemed research award, Prof. Yang Deng’s outstanding contributions have garnered other global and national recognitions. He was honored with the Project Innovation Award (Gold Winner) by the International Water Association (IWA) in 2022 and the Superior Achievement Award by the American Academy of Environmental Engineers and Scientists (AAEES) in 2019.

Watch Dr. Cui’s Segment

https://youtu.be/2SvZO_idnkM?si=kK–B1aPbY5LERRz&t=1192

The project, Curriculum Co-Development/Mentoring Graduate Students: A Short Course on Groundwater Modeling and Petroleum Hydrogeology, will have Ophori developing a curriculum for groundwater and contaminant transport modeling.

Over the course of five weeks, Ophori will teach, train and mentor 20 master’s and doctoral students who are practicing hydrogeologists, petroleum engineers, civil and environmental engineers, groundwater professionals, water resources managers, geologists and hydrologists.

The goal of the project – and the CADFP program – is to create capacity building for young scientists in Nigeria who will be tasked with the investigation, management and protection of groundwater and petroleum resources. Mentoring of these students will carry on over the next five years.

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Oluwafemi Soetan is a doctoral student in environmental science and management at �鶹��ý����. Femi’s studies focus on environmental toxicology, water resource conservation, water innovation, sustainability, and environmental policy. He has been involved in water quality monitoring research in the Raritan and Musconetcong watersheds as well as the aquatic connectivity program with the New Jersey Center for Water Science and Technology. His research is focused on investigating the efficiency and sustainability of remedial measures applied to ecologically imbalanced freshwater ecosystems that have been negatively impacted by anthropogenic input and human activities. He is passionate about influencing policies on water resource conservation and global water security.

Amanda Baksa

Amanda Baksa worked with the NJDEP for ten years, currently managing the AmeriCorps New Jersey Watershed Ambassadors Program. She is a proud graduate of �鶹��ý����, where she recently returned to pursue a master’s degree in sustainability science and leadership.

She spent her first year with DEP providing Superstorm Sandy recovery assistance in the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, helping residents of Monmouth County and Ocean Counties recover. She then worked with Pesticide Compliance and Enforcement, where she was responsible for conducting agricultural pesticide use inspections and enforcing the Worker Protection Standard. Prior to joining the DEP full time, Amanda served as an AmeriCorps NJ Watershed Ambassador in 2011-2012. She is a proud graduate of �鶹��ý����, where she earned her BA in geography with an environmental studies concentration and a minor in environmental justice.

Amanda lives in Florence, NJ with her husband Joe and their two pups, Dunkin and Khloe.

Hermann Bermúdez will present evidence of this “mega-earthquake” at the upcoming GSA Connects meeting in Denver this Sunday, 9 October through the presentation, The Chicxulub Mega-Earthquake: Evidence from Colombia, Mexico, and the United States. Earlier this year, with support from a GSA Graduate Student Research Grant, Bermúdez visited outcrops of the infamous Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) mass extinction event boundary in Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi to collect data, supplementing his previous work in Colombia and Mexico documenting evidence of the catastrophic impact.

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