Summer Program at CNR for High School Students
Three high school students from Houston Texas
Two high school students from Union City, New Jersey
Summer 2023
High school students helping out CNR team
During the summer of 2023, students in the Environmental Engineering program led by Dr. Michel C Boufadel secured grant funding from the NJ Department of Environmental Protection to develop watershed management plans for a few impaired lakes in New Jersey. Spearheading this research were Sam Solomon and Meghana PJ, both prominent members of our environmental engineering cohort. Joining them are three high school students from Houston, Texas, and two from Union City, New Jersey, collectively engaging in this project during their summer program at CNR.
Providing students with the chance to experience a typical field day, they donned laboratory gear, journeyed to Passaic County, NJ, and conducted water quality tests for reference. They conducted meticulous sampling from water bodies to identify nutrients and organic matter. Then they returned to Colton Hall to utilize the Center for Natural Resources Lab to analyze these collected samples.
CNR Team and high school students team
Many regions, particularly bodies of water influenced by urban inflow and outflow, face pollution challenges. Among the questions these students are investigating, a key focus is on identifying incoming pollutants that contribute to contamination. Such contamination can adversely affect aquatic life and vegetation, while also depleting the dissolved oxygen levels in the water. Elevated levels of nitrates or phosphates can lead to complications, highlighting the essential nature of laboratory analysis. The primary objective centers on amassing lake data to ascertain the necessity for watershed interventions. While the students from Texas have returned to their home state, there remains a substantial amount of work to be accomplished to fully develop these watershed management plans.
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