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Brittan Wilson
Graduate Program: Ph.D. in Environmental, Earth and Ocean Sciences
Field of Study: Conservation and Utilization of Water Resources
Academic Background: Not available
I moved to the University of Kansas for my Master’s
degree. I have been fortunate to work with supportive mentors in Val Smith,
Cynthia Larive and Jerry deNoyelles, who allowed me to create my own experimental
design while helping to keep me focused and directed. As a Master’s
student I experienced first hand the complexities involved in conducting
a long-term ecological experiment. I love the challenge of starting a
new project. It is always thrilling to try and understand a system then
have to put your ideas to work. Currently, I am working with Curtis Olsen
and Bob Chen on the fate and transport of pharmaceutical and personal-care-products
in estuaries. My research is based in the New York harbor area. This includes
the watersheds of the Hudson, Passaic, and Hackensack rivers. I am looking
at how these compounds are influenced by different physical and chemical
parameters found in estuaries. This is to create a predictive model for
how these compounds are maintained or broken down under these conditions.
Hopefully, this information can be used to similar urban estuaries and
may be helpful for remediation and policy uses. My research began this
summer.
I began my career as an engineer interested in policy and the applications
of scientific research. This is still true today. I attempt to design
projects that can be more directly used for policy decision or with management
application. I’m not always successful at this but it does keep
me focused. Eventually, my main goal is to teach at the college level.
I find teach to be the most fulfilling part of my career. I enjoy watching
students learn and experience things for the first time and learn from
them each year.
When I am not at school, I am usually traveling.
I spent around a month of each year on the road (sea, air etc.). My family
lives in Kansas City, Missouri so most of the travel is home to visit
them. However, I hope to complete my goal of visiting all of the continental
states this yea (only 4 to go!!). These trips are comprised of camping,
swimming, scuba, and hiking, but mainly seeing old friends.
Currently my research is centered on water resources, their conservation, and utilization. More specifically, I am interested in the treatment and effects of pharmaceutical and personal-care-products within coastal/estuarine systems. As a researcher I have focused on freshwater systems and their ability to be sustained as a natural resource. Recently, I have become interested on how these compounds are retained and transported through estuary and coastal systems. There are many questions that need to be asked and addressed in aquatic ecology and I look forward to exploring them in the future.