Geology, chemistry students explore skills, careers during visits to DNR, EPA laboratories

Geology, chemistry students explore skills, careers during visits to DNR, EPA laboratories

The diversity of geology and its applications in everyday life came into focus for Northwest Missouri State University students during spring semester visits to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) laboratory in Lee's Summit and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Laboratory in Kansas City.

Students enrolled in hydrogeology and chemistry courses at Northwest traveled with Assistant Professor of Geology Dr. Onema Adojoh and Professor of Chemistry Dr. Michael Bellamy in April to observe how scientific principles they learned in the classroom are applied to protect public health, manage environmental resources and address real-world environmental challenges.

At the DNR laboratory, students gained firsthand experience with analytical tools and techniques used to detect and evaluate water contaminants and determine the chemical, physical and biological properties of waste materials. Laboratory scientists demonstrated how environmental monitoring and testing support regulatory compliance, water quality protection and responsible resource management throughout Missouri.

"The most interesting part of the lab visit for me was seeing how my major can be applied to things I use every day in things as simple as my faucet," said Will Trabal Kierscht, a senior geology major from Tabor, Iowa, who wants to pursue a career in environmental monitoring and quality. "The lab visits enhanced what I learned by taking concepts such as contaminant transportation and filtration and seeing how those are used in real life. Textbooks diagrams are one thing, but seeing all the parts of a system in person help to lock in information."

Similarly, at the EPA lab, students toured facilities and learned about the work of the agency's Land, Chemical and Redevelopment Division, which implements portions of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and oversees programs related to hazardous waste, solid waste, underground storage tanks and Brownfields redevelopment initiatives.

While interacting with Northwest alumni employed at the EPA, students heard firsthand about career pathways, professional growth and the impacts of their Northwest education.

Favour Adewuyi, who completed her bachelor's degree in the spring in chemistry with a biochemistry emphasis, said she enjoyed visiting the microbiology lab and seeing similarities to work she practiced in a Northwest molecular biology course.

"It was really interesting to have conversations that I could 100 percent relate to and talk about with my professor," said Adewuyi, who wants to have a career as a pharmacist. "My key takeaways from hearing from Northwest alumni was the reassurance that Northwest did set us up for success, and I have enough to start a career."

Adojoh said the visits reinforced the growing importance of hydrogeology and chemistry professionals in addressing environmental and societal challenges.

"These experiences help students understand the critical role scientists play in safeguarding water resources, monitoring environmental quality and supporting sustainable development," Adojoh said. "Seeing Northwest alumni succeed in these organizations also demonstrates the career opportunities available to our students."

Additionally in April, Adojoh, along with geology faculty Nathan Limbaugh and Dr. Brandon Weihs, guided students during an immersive four-day field study of a diverse range of geological and industrial sites in southeast Missouri, including Johnson's Shut-Ins State Park, Hawn State Park, Hughes Mountain, Elephant Rocks State Park, the Millcreek Igneous Contact, Rolla's Ordovician rock exposures, the Jefferson City Dolomite and the globally recognized Great and Grand Unconformities.