Get to know Mary
Please describe the UPP-funded or affiliated project(s) you are currently working on or have worked on in the past?
The main project I've been working on is the Bethany Lake project with Matt Yates, where we're looking at the interchange between Rock Creek and Bethany Lake in SW Portland. But this internship has allowed me to be involved with a multitude of USGS projects, including the National Water Quality Network, eDNA sampling for endangered mussels, HABs research, and a data project looking at turbidity in the Donner und Blitzen River.
Who are your USGS supervisor and PSU advisor?
USGS: Anne Timm (atimm@usgs.gov) PSU: Jen Morse (jlmorse@pdx.edu)
What are your primary responsibilities/roles of your research position?
A large portion of my work has been fieldwork, including sampling, surveys, and data collection. I have also gotten to work in labs processing water samples, and I have also gotten to be involved in the data processing side of several projects as well.
What skills have you gained from your research experience?
So many! My background is in chemistry, so all of the physical hydrology aspects of things have been a new experience. I've learned so much about the engineering behind sampling techniques and have gotten to employ a huge variety of sampling methods. I've also learned a lot about programming, calibration, and maintaining continuous sensors, how to use and analyze data in Aquarius, and have gotten to use tools and equipment that I've never used before.
What aspects of your project have you enjoyed the most?
Pretty much everything I've learned while working within UPP has been incredible. I love science, and seeing the way an agency like USGS upholds its standards and getting to experience the passion of those around me has been very gratifying and inspiring. I love the fieldwork, and I love how much I'm taught and shown every time I go out. Everyone within the Oregon Water Science Center has done an excellent job of making me feel like a part of the team.
What have you learned or hope to learn from this experience?
I hope to become more familiar with hydrologic modeling, which I'm sure comes with time, and I hope to learn more about the community of people interested in water science around Portland and beyond.
What are your academic and/or career aspirations after graduation?
In spite of the uncertainty in the world right now, especially within federal agencies, I fully intend to try my hardest to continue working for the USGS and hope to make a career out of it. I also intend on continuing my academic career to at least a Master's, although a PhD has also been a part of my plan since I first started.
What's your favorite way to use or interact with water?
I appreciate everything about the most biologically important and chemically interesting compound on earth.