Alumni update extravaganza!

Sarah Mack - 2017

If you asked me one year ago where I would be in one year I would NEVER say that I would be working for a former NJ Senator. Life has a crazy way of making you think you know what is coming next, but then throwing a wrench in things and pushing you in a whole new direction. 

Strength in Numbers

Some of us canvasing at Freedom Fest, Wakanda Park.

It has been a great experience learning what everyone in the LAKES REU program is doing this summer. Over the past two weeks I got the chance to work with Josh and Yanira, the sociologists, and Megan and Lisette, the economists. I also spend Friday mornings with the geochemists at journal club where we discuss primary literature that will help us to better understand the problem at hand by looking at studies done on situations similar to ours. With both the economists and the sociologists we got together and ate pizza and stuffed envelopes with surveys to send to farmers and other members of the community within the Red Cedar watershed. With Lisette and Megan we also attended Freedom Fest at Wakanda Park to canvas. It was a great opportunity to interact with community members and it is something I have never had the chance to do before. Yanira, Josh, Lisette and Megan also came out on the boat with Lanna and I and helped us with water sampling. The two methods of data collection for our projects could not be more different but we are all working toward the same goal, to clean the lake. Lanna and I, as biologists, are working to obtain data that can make a statement about the lake’s health, how it changes over the summer months, how cyanobacteria blooms develop and how all of this is influenced by the changing concentration of phosphorous. Though without the work of the social scientists the research would end with the natural scientists and we would be stuck. We need to know exactly who to give the information that we find to, how to best present it and ultimately propose a solution that is best for the entire community. It is crucial that we continue to work together because that is how real change will happen. Seeing how our projects come together to meet our goal had been a really meaningful part of this interdisciplinary experience.

Be the Change You Wish to See in Menomonie

          All people have the right to live in an environment that has a healthy ecosystem and does not put them at risk for harm. Right now Tainter Lake and Lake Menomin are not in a state of health and the people of Menomonie suffer as a result. Dogs have died or gotten ill from drinking the lake water, children cannot enjoy hot summer days swimming and the smell drives boaters out of the county looking for cleaner lakes. These people are not able to use the environment around them in ways that they want to and this is not fair. 

          I like to think that my research will help the people of Menomonie find solutions to the cyanobacteria problem that plagues the water in late summer. The data that I collect will be used in policy creation. It is this thought that keeps me focused when in the field and lab. However, to make great change in the watersheds water quality the people within the watershed will have to be motivated to help. Getting people from all parts of the watershed to understand that their way of life affects the way of life of those all around the watershed is a challenging part of this project. When people realize the power that they hold and use it to change their practices to help others live a better life, that is when the greatest change to water quality will occur. Without this realization, adoption of new policy, and continued research there will not be an improvement in water quality and the people of Menomonie will face injustice.

Volleyball and Family Hikes: How This Makes Me Passionate About My Research

Pictured above are some players on my volleyball team, I am number 1.

Catrock, a view along the Appalachian Trail in Pawling, NY.

            I am a person who absolutely has to stay active. I have always been involved in sports and my family has always made a point to get outdoors and explore whenever we can. I play volleyball in college and although it makes my life very busy I have a beautiful family of teammates that I would not give up for anything. My family spends a lot of time hiking, boating, and swimming in New York, especially in the Catskills and along the Appalachian Trail.

So how does any of this relate to my research? Well, being a biologist in this program I am often out on Tainter Lake and Lake Menomin taking water samples and other readings to bring back to the lab and analyze. I am witnessing first hand the gradual increase in the algal bloom. There are less and less people boating and enjoying other forms of lake recreation. As a person who would love to take part in these activities, and see other people be active as well, this makes me passionate about cleaning up this watershed. When I get frustrated or overwhelmed while working on this project I often remind myself of why I am here and the potential impact that my work can have on the environment and the people in this region.

“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” - Mahatma Gandhi

Sunday's adventure featuring Eniola (top left) and Lisette (top right). 

     There is so much that I have learned already and there is so much I have yet to learn. Most of my learning so far has taken place in the lab. As I have been getting more experience in the lab I am now becoming comfortable doing things on my own, which is a great feeling. My feeling of independence makes me feel more confident in my work which is a necessary quality for a scientist.

     I have learned so much through my coworkers as well. I am happy to be working beside Lanna! Her and I each have different strengths and we make a brilliant team. We have also been working with two Stout students who have been so incredibly helpful in showing Lanna and I the ropes. The four of us do field work on Tainter Lake and Lake Menomin. We work as a team and keep it fun to avoid making 7 hours of water sampling seem like a chore. This week has reinforced what I have learned before, that working with great people makes working seem less like work.

     I can't wait to learn more lab techniques and start working on side projects with Dr. Nold. There are many opportunities available this summer that could expand my knowledge and competency in biology and applied chemistry. I hope to take advantage of these opportunities to make the most of this experience.

     My ultimate goal of this summer is to decide what my plan is when I complete my undergraduate degree next spring. There are many ideas floating around in my head and my goal is to choose in time to apply for graduate school in the fall. This means that I have to learn more about myself to make this decision. I know for sure that I am not done with school yet, although I am not sure if I ever will feel that I am ready to stop. I love to learn and I want a career that allows me to never stop learning. Learning about myself and what I really want my future to look like will undoubtably be the biggest challenge I will face this summer, however, I am happy to take it on and am excited to see how this experience will influence my decision.

Birthday Beer, Bikes, and Blue-Green Algae: My First Week in Menomonie

            Although I have only been in Menomonie for 5 days this project has proved to be a great learning experience already. Before traveling here I had never flown alone and the last time I had flown was almost 10 years ago with my family, so getting to Wisconsin on Sunday was an adventure in itself. That Sunday was also very special in that it was my 21^st birthday! After arriving on campus, getting unpacked and having a picnic, Dr. Nels Paulson offered to take me out along with some of the LAKES crew to a bar. Having my first legal drink be a Wisconsin beer was an opportunity all in itself.

            The next day we met as a group and got our bikes that afternoon. I have never ridden a bike as a means of transportation before and I love it so far. It is a new kind of freedom. I only have to depend on myself to get from one place to another. Slowly but surely I am feeling less and less lost and I am sure in no time I will feel comfortable getting around on my own. I am one of the few that think Menomonie seems like a big place. I graduated high school with 96 students and I attend a college with less than 600 undergraduate students. In time I am sure that Menomonie will feel smaller and more like home when I become more acquainted with it. Exploring the small shops and cafes in Menomonie has been fun and has reminded me much of home, giving me a sense of belonging.

            The biologists and geochemists have already been getting to work in the field and in the lab. I am part of the biology group and I will be working under Dr. Steve Nold this summer with Lanna Anderson. I have not done much fieldwork before coming here so there is so much I am already learning! Getting in the lab and learning alongside my new peers has been a great experience thus far. Coming from such a small school means that the equipment in our labs is often antiquated. I feel very glad that I will be using better equipment this summer.

            Talk to you soon gracious reader and goodbye for meow!