Undergraduate Mentoring

Across several of my research proejcts, I have had the opportunity to involve undergraduate students in my work. This involvement has allowed me to provide a critical learning experience for students interested in research. Additionally, I have completed research mentor training as part of my Delta Certificate in Teaching, Learning and Research, further enhancing my ability to support and guide these students.

Microplastics on Beaches in Lake Superior

• Kallyn Batista (Spring/Summer 2021): Kallyn assisted with setting up and conducting field experiments to collect sand samples from Lake Superior. Additionally, Kallyn played a significant role in performing the microplastic separation procedures.
• Sabeel Samrah (Fall 2021 - Summer 2022): Sabeel assisted in identifying and counting microplastic particles from processed samples. Additionally, Sabeel processed raw beach sand and analyzed the sediment characteristics.
• Achievements: Kallyn and Sabeel both presented in the campus undergraduate research symposium. This research project, including the contributions of both Kallyn and Sabeel, was published in 2022.

Marine Debris Modeling and Experiments

• Jamie Brenner (Fall 2022 - Summer 2023): Jamie contributed to developing the 1D and 2D swash zone models for buoyant marine debris and further assisted with laboratory experiments at Queen’s University
• Ethan Steichen (Summer 2024): Ethan assisted with the laboratory experiments at Queen’s University.
• Achievements: Jamie presented a poster on the 2D beaching model at the 2023 Young Coastal Scientists and Engineers Conference - Americas. Additionally, the 1D swash zone marine debris model was published in 2023.