ESU student wins EPA fellowship for groundwater contamination research

Tenacity eventually pays off, Rachael Lane has learned.

The Emporia State University junior slogged through a lengthy application process to win a lucrative research fellowship provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Lane, the daughter of David and Maria Lane of Emporia, is a junior working on her Bachelor of Science degree in environmental chemistry and also a minor in geospatial analysis. Her EPA Greater Research Opportunity (GRO) fellowship will pay tuition and a stipend for Lane’s junior and senior years of study at ESU.

“To tell the truth, I think Rachael probably got the fellowship by having the determination to stick with the process,” joked Dr. James Roach, associate professor of physical sciences. “The EPA only gives out a few of these fellowships across the nation, and the application process is pretty onerous.”

The result, though, is worth the effort. The fellowship provides up to $17,000 per year of academic support and up to $7,500 of summer internship support.

“Along with the fellowship funding my remaining time at ESU, it allows me to conduct valuable environmental research,” said Lane. “It’s undergrad experience I wouldn’t have otherwise,” Lane continued, noting that the fellowship provides funding to travel to professional conferences, where she will present findings of her research.

Lane’s research will involve ways to treat perchlorate contamination of ground water. Perchlorate is a chemical believed to interfere with the thyroid gland’s use of iodine, causing decreased hormone production. Most perchlorate made in the United States is used as the primary ingredient of solid rocket propellant, and the chemical waste is increasingly being discovered in soil and water near defense and aerospace industry manufacturing facilities.

“It’s an increasing problem, especially on the West Coast, and the EPA is looking to fund projects that will come up with novel ways to get perchlorate out of ground water,” said Roach.

The EPA has awarded more than 2,200 GRO fellowships since the program began in 1985. This year, more than 100 applicants competed for the 29 GRO fellowships.

Lane plans to pursue a doctoral degree in environmental chemistry after graduation, followed by work as an environmental chemist to implement economical solutions to environmental problems.

Last Updated February 4, 2008>