- CMC = Claremont McKenna College
- SCR = Scripps College
- HMC = Harvey Mudd College
- POM = Pomona College
- PTZ = Pitzer College
Student-led Research
EnviroLab provides opportunities to students interested in conducting research during the academic year.
Some examples of student-led research include:
Alison Hong (Biology & History, CMC ‘19), Examining molluscs as bioindicators of shrimp aquaculture effluent in mangroves. For her senior thesis, Hong examined the influence of trophic position on metal accumulation in mangrove mollusks under the direction of EnviroLab Postdoctoral Fellow Kathryn Hargan and Professor Branwen Williams. Hong began her research in the mangroves during the May 2018 Clinic Trip to Thailand, with students helping her collect specimens for analysis.
Allison Joseph (Environmental Analysis & Psychology, SCR ‘20) worked with Professor Anne Harley and multidisciplinary artist Ruth Pongstagphone to organize, design, and curateThe Ideal Woman: An Exploration of the Women’s Movement in Myanmar, a photographic exhibition which opened at the Hive in October 2018. Joseph also authored an accompanying article in the EnviroLab journal and has since hosted a 5-episode webinar on Myanmar Democracy titled #RespectMyanmarDemocracy April – May 2021 in collaboration with Pongstaphone, Sian Huai, New Yangon Theater Institute and The Image of Woman. Read more about her research here: https://envirolabasia.claremont.edu/2019/07/10/qa-with-allison-joseph-gender/
Summer Research
EnviroLab has provided summer research opportunities for students at the 5-Cs.
- Kyra Madunich (Biology, POM ’21) was advised by Wallace Marty Meyer (Biology, PO) and received funding for travel in Kyoto to continue the study of Urban Trees as Bio-Filters.
- Isabelle Rogers (POM ’20), Gabriella “Gigi” Buddie (POM ’22) [This is a River]
- Jiaxin (Julie) Xu presented about her initial findings from her work with Wallace Meyer (Biology, POM) in the Japan Research Lab. She presented “Urban Trees as Bio-filters in Kyoto, Japan” at the Student Conference on Conservation Science-New York (SCCS-NY) by the American Museum of Natural History Oct 7-9 2020.
- Caitlyn Louzado (Economics and Psychology, CMC, ’21) was advised by Marc Los Huertos (Environmental Analysis, POM) and received funding to continue analysis of data about carbon footprints of farms from Japan Clinic Trip.
- Alicia Ngo (Computer Science, HMC ’20) and Mai Nguyen (Math, PTZ ’19)were advised by Shannon Randolph (The Hive) and were awarded funding for travel to Vietnam to continue Alternatives to Bear Bile-Use in Traditional Chinese Medicine utilizing Human Centered Design approaches.
- Isabelle Rogers (POM ’20) and Gabriella “Gigi” Buddie (POM ’22) were advised by Giovanni Ortega (Theatre and Dance, POM) and James Taylor (Theatre and Dance, Pomona) and received funding for travel to meet with Kayan scholars and communities to complete their project, This is a River: Theatricalizing Environmental Challenges Facing Indigenous Communities in Borneo.
- Nicole Talisay (POM ’20) was advised by Marc Los Huertos (Environmental Analysis, Pomona) and received support for summer travel to the Philippines to study Water Pollution Mitigation: Analysis of the Iloilo River.
- Giang Nguyen (Economics Major, PTZ) attended 2017 2nd Asia Conference on Environment and Sustainable Development (ACESD 2017) in Tokyo Japan
- Samantha Murphy (International Relations & Environment, Economics, Policy, CMC ‘21) received summer internship support from the cost-share, which was funded by CMC’s Soll Center for Student Opportunity. Murphy went to Singapore and participated in CMC’s Yonsei program activities and met with Birdlife International.
Student Conference Travel
- Will Cullen (CMC) & Lude Rong (CMC) Energy, Economics, & Environment for Industry 4.0 during the 2017-18 academic year
- Ryan Drover (PTZ) Environmental benefits for blending ethanol into gasoline for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Los Angeles, United States (Ryan also will be presenting his poster at the AsiaNetworks Conference) during the 2017-18 academic year
- Emma Stacy (SCR) & Emma Su (SCR) Environmental Impact from Renewable Energy Technologies System during the 2017-18 academic year
- Conference travel: ASIANetworks Conference in San Diego, CA in April 2019:
Luyi Huang (Environmental Analysis, Pitzer, ‘19), Jahnavi Kocha (Science and Management, Claremont McKenna College, ‘19), and Allison Joseph (Environmental Analysis and Psychology, ‘20) presented a poster on interdisciplinary research methods and learning about environmental issues in Southeast Asia. - Conference travel: ASIANetworks Conference in San Diego, CA in April 2019
Ryan Drover (Chemistry, PTZ, ‘19) presented a poster session “Environmental Benefits for Blending Ethanol into Gasoline for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Los Angeles, United States.” - Mudit Murarka, Geology, POM ’19
After the Thailand Clinic Trip, Mudit Murarka (Geology, POM ‘19) began his internship at Esri, the maker of the ArcGIS mapping software, where he developed a mapping tool to trace non-source pollution. His project was inspired by his experiences in the Thailand Clinic Trip, where Murarka met organic farmers who wanted to be able to trace pollution originating upstream. During his internship at Esri, he developed and demonstrated a new ArcGIS Tool using publicly available data on Thailand. The Clinic Trip experience motivated him see himself potentially linking his geology interests with policy work.