WRC Fellowship Recipients
2020-2021 Recipient
GARNER KOHRELL
Masters student working with Dr. David Mulla in the Twin Cities
Hometown: Appleton, WI
Undergraduate: BS in Environmental Science, Policy, and Management from the University of Minnesota (May, 2020)
Research: Quantifying the impacts of future variations in climate and land use management on soil erosion in Minnesota Watersheds. Also trying to Determine the impacts of Kernza (Intermediate Wheatgrass) plantings on water uptake dynamics and nitrate leaching in Southwestern Minnesota wellhead protection areas.
2019-2020 Recipient
KATHRYN CASSIDY
Masters student working with Dr. Chan Lan Chun in Duluth
Hometown: Bloomington, MN
Undergraduate: BS in Environmental Science from St. Louis University (May, 2019)
Research: Environmental impacts of potassium acetate as a road salt alternative
2018-2019 Recipient
KAELA NATWORA
Doctoral student working with Dr. Cody Sheik in Duluth
Hometown: Buffalo, NY
Undergraduate: BS in Chemistry from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF)
Research: Kaela's primary research is focused on understanding if nitrogen fixation aids cyanotoxin production in low nitrogen environments. Additionally, she is investigating the distribution of nifH genes across the Great Lakes and measuring nitrogen fixation rates.
2017-2018 Recipient
KIRSTEN RHUDE
Masters student working with Dr. Robert Sterner in Duluth
Hometown: Cross Plains, WI
Undergraduate: BS in Biology and Certificate in Folklore from the University of Wisconsin - Madison (2012)
Research: Kirsten researches the habitat preferences of Diporeia, a small shrimp-like organism vital to the Great Lakes food web. Diporeia live in the sediment at the bottom of Lake Superior and are most abundant at a particular depth. Kirsten has been working on determining the reasons that Diporeia are most abundant in this region, and what factors (food availability, food quality, physical habitat) contribute to Diporeia abundance.