| Faculty Advisor |
Martha Rhoades
|
|---|---|
| Contact Email | mrhoades1@unl.edu |
| Advisor College: |
Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources
|
| Potential UCARE Research Position? |
Yes! Student(s) must apply to UCARE by February deadline.
|
| Paid or Volunteer |
Paid by UCARE Stipend or Paid by Faculty Funding
|
| Paid Rate |
$15.00/hour (Faculty Funding)
|
| Hours Per Week |
10-20
|
| Acceptable Undergraduate Majors |
If something about our program sounds interesting, we have a place for you, regardless of major.
|
Opportunity Description
Water is the most important link between food and health. Understanding the relationship between drinking water containing agricultural chemicals and the risk for adverse health outcomes will ultimately lead us to exposure prevention measures. The Environmental Health and Toxicology Research and Teaching Program uses a One Health approach to address challenges that impact health and well-being at the interface of people, animals, plants and ecosystems. We provide research experiences to undergraduate students interested in any of the following topics.
Groundwater Monitoring for Public Health. This project aims to establish the magnitude of agrichemical contamination in groundwater supplies for the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD), a Nebraska public agency.
Birth Outcomes and Water. Birth Outcomes and Water (BOW) (https://bow.unl.edu) is an epidemiological study designed to investigate how maternal exposure to agrichemicals in drinking water affects the health of offspring.
Can Knowledge-Based Research Incentives Promote Health and Safety for Agricultural Communities? This community-based participatory research project builds on the BOW study. BOW participants were offered a water quality report as incentive for participation. This study will evaluate whether/how the report impacted their knowledge, attitude, understanding, and behaviors pertaining to health-related actions that mitigate exposure.
Using Survey Responses to Improve Teaching Methods in Environmental Health Courses. This project will analyze survey data collected from students in a junior-level environmental health course. The study findings will be used to enhance the course for future students.
Agrichemical Mixtures in Drinking Water and t(14;18)-defined Subtypes of nonHodgkin Lymphoma. In this project, we are identifying differences in NHL subtypes and the presence of a chromosomal translocation, t(14:18), tumor location and tumor markers as well as the relationship between exposure to agrichemicals in drinking water and these variables.
For these projects students can participate in:
• Data entry, management and statistical analysis.
• The use of mapping software to create visual representations of collected data
• Collect, process, analyze and interpret biological (human/animal) and environmental (water) data.
• Crafting digital/print products of research findings to enhance public understanding.
• Creation of visual aids to enhance student understanding of course material.
• Manuscript and grant proposal writing.
• Subject recruitment and conducting interviews.
• A multi-disciplinary team environment to collect, analyze, synthesize, and interpret data.
• Program development for future research and teaching activities.
REQUIRED MAJORS: If something about our program sounds interesting, we have a place for you, regardless of major.
Applicant Qualifications
The most important qualification is a passion for your project. While research can present an element of frustration, there is great satisfaction from discovery. Dr. Rhoades strives for your UCARE project to be fun. Successful applicants will have good organizational skills, an innate attention to detail, and motivation to put in the necessary time, even during challenging aspects of the project. Written and verbal communication skills are critical to student success.
Faculty Advisor Mentoring Philosophy
Long-term exposure to agrichemical mixtures through drinking water is a Grand Challenge for Nebraska. Understanding the relationship between drinking water quality and human health and well-being is imperative to improving quality of life for future generations. Students will be mentored by Dr. Martha Rhoades (School of Natural Resources) but will have opportunities to work with collaborators across the NU system and partner agencies with diverse expertise (e.g. cartography, medicine, public health, hydrology, chemistry, biology, epidemiology, (bio)statistics and psychology), study participants and the public. Martha works closely with students, frequently meeting one on one to ensure student progress and support the students’ professional growth and career goals. Dr. Rhoades’s mentoring philosophy is based on leading by example, open and honest communication, and personal growth. She is dedicated to nurturing the academic and professional development of students, ensuring they receive the holistic support necessary for a fulfilling undergraduate experience.
Previous student collaborators have gone on to careers in medicine, forensic science, statistics, actuarial science, public health, nutrition, and outdoor education.