Students attending the Remediation Technology and Emerging Contaminants Summit got the opportunity to present their research during poster sessions and flash presentations. Judges also reviewed 20 posters submitted for the annual student competition at the Oct. 15-17 event in Westminster, Colorado. 

“It was a very engaged group of students, and it was a very competitive year,” said Megan Houlihan of Geosyntec Consultants. “Everybody did a really wonderful job, and I really appreciate your engagement with the program. So thank you."

Earning third place for her poster, "evaluating novel adsorbents for removal of trace organic contaminants from municipal wastewater," Emma Shapiro of Northwestern University was the first to walk up and shake hands with the panel of judges.

Then, second place winner Nayantara Joseph from Cornell University walked up to accept her award for her poster, "identifying diagnostic chemical fingerprints for different PFAS sources by integrating broad sample characterization and machine learning techniques."

First place winner Shuping Wang from the University of Toronto then walked up to shake the judges hands for his poster, "microbial kinetics of dehalobacter during anaerobic biotransformation of 2,3-dichloroaniline to aniline using a mixed methanogenic enrichment culture."

Houlihan thanked and listed the judges as follows:

  • Jason Hnatko, Allonnia
  • Stephanie Fiorenza, Arcadis
  • Rysen Shirzadi, ASRC Energy
  • Tamzen MacBeth, CDM Smith
  • Dr. Shilai Hao, Colorado School of Mines
  • Nadine Weinberg, ERM
  • Chapman Ross, FRx
  • Hannah McIntyre, Geosyntec Consultants
  • Beth McDonald, Langan
  • Dr. Dan Bryant, Woodard & Curran

Houlihan also thanked mentors who volunteered their time with the 20 student poster presenters to provide career guidance. These include: Dr. Kent Sorenson, Mary Cooke, Bill Diguiseppi, Caitlin Bell, Greg Gervais, Beth McDonald, Kris Chapman, Dr. Nadine Weinberg, Dr. Erica R. McKenzie, Dr. Kurt Pennell, Dr. Anita Thapalia, Dr. Shaily Mahendra, Dr. Mahsa Shayan, Dr. Hooman Vatankhah, Dr. Erica Pensini, Jeff McDonough, Drew Baird, Dr. Megan Hart, Dr. Natalie Cápiro, Dr. Lucas Ribiero, Dr. Lucas Hellerich, Dr. Mahsa Modiri-Gharehveran, and Kirk Craig.

Sponsors for the program included Allonnia, Arcadis, ASRC Energy, Langan, FRx, ERM, CDM Smith, and Woodard & Curran.