Author Archives: Hannah Stuwe

The News about Roadway Runoff? It’s Wheely Bad.

In the Pacific Northwest, Salmon hold significant ecological, economical, and cultural importance. They are a significant part of cultural identity for many Columbia River Basin tribes (Importance of Salmon – Pacific Coast). For several Pacific Northwest salmon species, returning to spawning grounds may pose previously unknown and deadly threats. Mass salmon die-off events have been linked to roadway runoff and a particular toxicant that comes from leachate from tire tread wear particles. The compound, called 6PPD-quinone, is an oxidation product of an additive intended to prevent damage to tire rubber from ozone (6PPD-quinone in Science).

Miranda Jackson is a fourth year PhD student in the labs of Stacey Harper and Manuel Garcia-Jaramillo in the department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology at OSU. She is a self-described aquatic ecotoxicologist, and she’s been investigating the toxins making their way into our surface waters and eventually salmon habitats. Her research involves investigating the toxicity of micro and nano-sized rubber particles and 6PPD-quinone that are derived from car tires, elucidating their mechanisms of toxicity in various fish species, and working on remediation strategies for removing 6PPD-quinone from the environment.

Miranda Jackson dosing fish tanks.

Tune into KBVR 88.7 FM at 7 pm PST on April 13th to hear Miranda talk about the impressive and scary toxicity of 6PPD-quinone (that also somehow is incredibly species specific to salmonids), how to remove these toxins from the environment, and what we can do to limit it from the source.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, including on our KBVR page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else!

Written by Hannah Stuwe

Changes, Dreams, and Everything In-Between

Per- or Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of chemicals that are found in everything from food wrappers to the inside of firefighter turnout gear. Certain PFAS have been linked to things like high blood pressure, low infant birth weight, and an increased risk to certain kinds of cancers. Their toxicity mixed with PFAS’ resistance to breakdown in the environment means that a better understanding of their prevalence is necessary to keep people and the environment safe.

Derek Muensterman recently received his PhD while working in the lab of Jennifer Field as a chemistry graduate student. His research focuses on using various analytical techniques to quantitatively and qualitatively understand PFAS in various household products and environmental matrices. By creating a deeper understanding of PFAS, Derek hopes that his research can be used to further protect people and the environment from these emerging toxins. Derek is an Oregon native growing up in Bend, if he wasn’t snowboarding on Mt. Bachelor he was enjoy the natural beauty of the Cascades. Derek has always been a pillar of the Field lab and though we’re sad to see him go we’re excited to send him off with a great interview!

Tune into KBVR 88.7 FM at 7 pm PST on March 16th to hear Derek talk about the challenges of coming back to school after working in industry and his dive into the world of vinyl collecting.

Written by E Hernandez

Listen wherever you get your podcasts, including on our KBVR page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else!

PFAS? Seems a little zebrafishy to me

Per- or Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of chemicals that are known for their ability to contaminate our environment and be resistant to breaking down. However, there’s still a lot to learn about their potential for toxicity. One way scientists can better understand PFAS toxicity is by using the embryonic zebrafish models. These tiny fish have a genome that is around 70% similar to humans. This makes the zebrafish a powerful tool in understanding how some chemicals may express toxicity in humans.

Eli Cowan is a second-year PhD student in the lab of Robyn Tanguay, which is a part of the Environmental and Molecular Toxicology lab here at OSU. His research focuses on using the zebrafish model to understand how PFAS exposure may lead to adverse effects in development. With this data and using his in-dept knowledge of biology, Eli then can help answer questions about how PFAS may be toxic to people. Eli was raised in Vicksburg, Mississippi, where he first encountered zebrafish toxicology in a locally-based lab. Eli has always been a natural born scientist, and that curiosity has led him all the way across the country pushing the bounds of science.

Tune into KBVR 88.7 FM at 7 pm PST on March 2nd to hear Eli talk about cold calling researchers looking for a job and how he fell in love with organic chemistry from an Obi-Wan Kenobi doppelganger.

Written by E Hernandez

If you miss the show, you can check out the interview wherever you get your podcasts, including on our KBVR page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else!

Growing Crystals to Stop Global Warming

As global temperatures rise, ocean levels and extreme weather occurrences rise with it. One of the leading causes of global warming are greenhouse gases like CO2. However, if science could figure out cheap and effective methods for capturing CO2 humanity can start down the path of reversing the damage to our planet. Currently, there are many methods being researched to capture CO2, but most struggle with issues like being expensive to make and maintain or being difficult to scale up to useful size. This means that research on cheap, robust ways of CO2 capture are hot right now. Hotter than the rising global temps.

Emily Hiatt is a second-year PhD student in the May Nyman lab in the Department of Chemistry here at OSU. Her research focuses around creating organic/inorganic crystal clusters to be used in the capture of CO2 with the goal to create a renewable way to combat this potent greenhouse gas. Originally from Fredrick, Maryland, Emily has always been fascinated by science and now she’s using her love of chemistry and science communication to not only fight the good fight against global warming but inspire others to do the same.  

Tune in at 7 pm PST on KBVR 88.7 FM on February 23rd to hear Emily talk about everything from taking AP Chemistry out of spite to her love of the stars and beyond. It’s guaranteed to be out of this world! 

Written by E Hernandez

If you miss the show, you can check out the interview wherever you get your podcasts, including on our KBVR page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else!

Take a Deep Breath: Tracing the Carbon in our Air back to the Source

Carbon emissions in our air have long-term consequences for our health and our planet. Despite this, yearly carbon emissions are in the range of billions of metric tons. However, not all the carbon in our air is chemically the same, and the differences in these compounds can give researchers forensic evidence on where these pollutants are coming from.
Alison Clark is in the lab of Kim Anderson in the Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology. In her research she aims to answer the question “where do the things that we are exposed to over time come from and how can we tell?” In particular, she is investigating ways to detect and trace the origins of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). PAH are found in engine exhaust fumes, tobacco smoke, wildfire smoke, coal and petroleum products. Long-term exposure to PAH can lead to various cancers and cardiovascular issues.
Currently, Clark is investigating human exposure to PAH and how it moves through the environment by analyzing data from a town with a known source of PAH emissions.

Tune in at 7pm on January 26th at 7 pm PST on KBVR 88.7 FM to hear all about the sounds and silence of our forests and what that tells us about them! 

If you miss the show, you can check out the interview wherever you get your podcasts, including on our KBVR page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else!

Hear ye! Hear ye! Bioacoustics are telling us about the health of our forests

If you’ve ever recreated in the stunning forests of the pacific northwest, you’ve probably taken in a peaceful moment listening to the wind rush through the trees, the pattering of the rain, the buzz of insects, and the chattering of birds. What you may not have considered, is that these sounds could be indicators of forest health. Second year masters student in Fisheries and Wildlife, Anna Bloch Kohlberg, is assessing the health of Pacific Northwest forests with bioacoustics. Bioacoustics uses sound to study an ecosystem or species. From animal communication and behavior to coral reef health, the study of bioacoustics has broad applications.


Anna is specifically investigating forests covered by the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP). The NWFP is a series of federal policies and guidelines governing land use on federal lands in the Pacific Northwest. It was established to protect threatened and endangered species while also contributing to the social and economic sustainability of the region. In her research with Damon Lesmeister and Taal Levi, she analyzes bioacoustics data collected from 4000 recorders across the Northwest for acoustic signatures of indicator species. The processing and analysis of these massive datasets is aided by AI tools developed by the lab. From the analysis of these datasets they are able to get key information on the health of forests across the Northwest, which inform policy and conservation efforts.
Tune in at 7pm on November 10th at 7 pm PST on KBVR 88.7 FM to hear all about the sounds and silence of our forests and what that tells us about them!

If you miss the show, you can check out the interview wherever you get your podcasts, including on our KBVR page, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or anywhere else!

How do you like them NAPLs? Investigating the chemical properties of pollutants

Seneca Lake in New York is known for stunning views, wine tasting, and being the lake trout capital of the world. However, a threat lies unseen in its beautiful waters. Earlier this year the Seneca Lake Pure Waters Association put out a report showing positive tests for polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in water drawn from several sites in Seneca Lake. The report provides evidence that the known PFAS contamination at the former Seneca Army Depot is spreading beyond its borders. Seneca Lake is not the only community facing this issue. In Tucson, Arizona there has been an ongoing effort to remove PFAS from groundwater since the late 2010s when it was found that PFAS contamination was stemming from two nearby Air Force facilities. At K. I. Sawyer Air Force Base in Michigan, the Air Force is monitoring PFAS contamination in the water and soil with the help of the Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy.

PFAS are often used to make products grease-proof, waterproof, nonstick, or flame-resistant. They are also found in firefighting foams, which are commonly used to put out fires at airports and military bases. They are also known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down easily in the environment or the human body. PFAS have also been linked to several health problems, including certain cancers.

An additional factor becomes a concern when thinking about the impact from PFAS laden firefighting foams: non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPL). Common examples of NAPL are petroleum products, coal tars, and pesticides. In certain pollution sites there are both NAPL and PFAS present, which have the potential to interact in unexpected ways, impacting how these pollutants move through the environment, and potentially creating new NAPL-PFAS compounds of concern.

This week on ID we are interviewing Mireia Roig-Paul, a second year PhD student in Environmental and Molecular Toxicology, to learn all about these pollutants and the potential threats they pose. She studies in the laboratories of both Jennifer Fields and Serhan Mermer, and her research focuses on the intersection of PFAS and NAPLs, how they move through soil, and how they interact with each other. Tune in at 7pm on October 27th at 7 pm PST on KBVR 88.7 FM to hear all about it!

If you miss the show, you can check out the interview wherever you get your podcasts, including on our KBVR page, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

Pictured is Mireia Roig-Paul (provided by Mireia Roig-Paul).

Welfare, TANF, and Higher Ed: Students thrive when we remove the barriers

In 2023, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF) distributed aid to nearly 20,000 families, and approximately 40,000 individual recipients in the state of Oregon (FY2023 TANF Caseload). The families and individuals who receive TANF often face unseen difficulties and obstacles, especially related to higher education. This week on ID, we speak with Terese Jones, a recent PhD graduate in Human Development and Family Sciences. Terese’s dissertation work centered around TANF recipients, the challenges they face with higher education, developing a pilot program to address these challenges, and assessing the outcomes. 

Terese’s research identifies many common obstacles that TANF students face, a few of which are a lack of information about resources, stigma surrounding the use of these resources, and practices and procedures that discourage students from using these resources. In the program she developed, she sought to eliminate some of these barriers. For example, she removed a requirement that certain students receiving assistance needed to provide a state issued form that tracked their class attendance, which had to be signed by their professors. This change was the most positively received component of the program among the participants because it eliminated a significantly embarrassing and uncomfortable experience for the students.

Terese found that eliminating some of the barriers the students identified allowed them to expand what is called “possible selves” which refers to the futures that students can imagine and identify as possible for themselves. Students who initially sought to become phlebotomists changed their career trajectory towards nursing when they realized they would have the support to do so. Additionally, the participants also expanded their “public selves” which refers to how they see themselves within their community/public life. Many of these students saw themselves going back to their communities as health professionals, addiction and counseling professionals, and social service and welfare professionals. 

Terese says that she found herself relating to these students because she also has a background of poverty that drove her through her higher education journey. She is now continuing her work in a position at LBCC, where she is developing more programs centered around deep poverty in Linn-Benton county with the hopes of making a difference in the lives of people in our community. To learn more about Terese and her work, check out this week’s episode of ID. Also take a look at some of the resources Terese provided below!

Emergency Financial Assistance — Vina Moses Center

Family Support Program – Corvallis Public Schools Foundation (cpsfoundation.org)

South Corvallis Food Bank

The Spectacular Humpback Whales of Bahia De Banderas

Several species of humpback whales coalesce off the coast of Mexico to breed every Winter. Near Puerto Vallarta, in Bahia de Banderas (Banderas Bay), whale watching tours are abundant and the primary mode of transportation in this area is by water taxi. Water traffic is busy and this causes a unique risk for humpback whales in this region, particularly the Central American humpback which is endangered and the Mexican humpback which is threatened. These whales are at risk of boat strikes or entanglements in fishing nets, which could potentially be a factor in their low population growth rates. This is the central issue at the center of Charlene Perez Santos’ research. Charlene is a first year Masters student at OSU, working within the Marine Mammal Institute. Her work focuses on tracking humpback whale movement via satellite tags and comparing them with sea vessel routes in Bahia de Banderas in relation to habitat use and exposure to human impacts. 

Charlene has had a passion to work with marine mammals since day one. She was born and raised in Puerto Rico, where she also attended the University of Puerto Rico. While completing her bachelor’s degree in marine biology and  wildlife management, she sought out any opportunity she could to engage in research. Despite her passion for marine mammal research, she got involved in research experiences involving a variety of sea-adjacent animals and non-adjacent animals (including anoles) simply to gain as much experience as possible. Charlene was also the first Puerto Rican to receive the coveted NOAA IN FISH internship, which led to her establishing connections at OSU and eventually starting in the grad program here. 

Tune in Sunday, March 3rd to listen to Charlene’s interview live, or catch it online and learn all about humpback whales, navigating the science community as a Latina woman, and chasing your dreams.

Exploding Cheeses and Microbes at Work

For those of us who consume dairy products, we often don’t give much thought to the trials and tribulations that had to be faced to get that product on the grocery shelves. It’s probably a fair assumption to say that most of us have never considered that cheese could explode, but that is the center of Madeleine Enriquez’s graduate research. 

Madeleine (Maddie) is a master’s student in the laboratory of Joy Waite-Cusic, and she investigates dairy microbiology and spoilage, particularly mitigating “gas defects” in cheese. In semi-hard to hard cheeses certain microorganisms can cause build-up of gasses called “gas defects” which can eventually lead to blow-outs of the cheese in its packaging, or significant structural defects within the cheese (think Swiss cheese holes where they’re not supposed to be). Maddie works on practical and easy ways to mitigate these gas defects for small dairy farmers. Some of the variables include aging temperature, bioprotective cultures, or combinations of both. 

Maddie’s interest in this particular area of food science originally stemmed from her grandfather, who was a dairy farmer. She went to the University of Connecticut for her bachelor’s degree in animal science. While there she participated in undergraduate research on dairy farms, particularly focusing on dairy microbiology later in her degree. This eventually led to her coming to Oregon State to further her education in dairy food science. 


If you want to hear more about exploding cheese, making gouda on a weekly basis, and strapping wheels of cheese in for a CT scan, tune in for this episode of ID airing live on Jan 21, 2024.