Anthropocene Personal Statement

As a second, and soon to be third year student at Augustana College, I have already been able to immerse myself in a number of classes within my interest fields of Environmental Studies and Geography. The Anthropocene is no new topic among these classes, especially in Geography. We study the Anthropocene as a very real presence in our world and acknowledge the harmful effects on our environment occurring within this geological age. I have studied some of these effects directly in my environmental sustainability classes where we address solutions to ecological and environmental change as well as in soil science classes where I specifically researched the effect on and interaction between climate change and soils. Augustana is nestled in the heart of the Upper Mississippi Valley, so I have had many opportunities to learn and research within this region which has become a second home to me. We often take class field trips to areas along the Mississippi and recently I have had the privilege of working alongside several professors and peers in conjunction with the Rock Island Army Corps of Engineers to conduct archival research.
When thinking about my career goals, my first
I have always been more interested in the ecological side of environmental sciences and this summer research would provide me with the perfect opportunity to explore and deepen my interests. This REU is centered around research pertaining to modern and archeological fish records and changes occurring within those records as a result of the Anthropocene. My topic of interest within this research field would involve analyzing the possible connection between toxins found in the Mississippi, which may exhibit elevated toxicity due to rising river temperatures, and the effects increased toxicities is having on Upper Mississippi fish