Student Achievements
Graduate Student awarded NASA grant to continue work on the ecology of sand mine lakes
October 15, 2020
Grand Valley State University is one of 11 academic affiliate Michigan Space Grants Consortium (MSGC) institutions in Michigan. MSGC provides funding for research and educational opportunities for students, faculty, and staff in the form of seed grants, program grants, and fellowships.
Katy Sheets, MSGC fellow and Grand Valley graduate student on the lab staff at the Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute (AWRI) Steinman Lab, was recently awarded a grant from NASA to continue her research on the ecology of sand mine lakes.
Katy’s faculty advisor, Dr. Alan Steinman, chimed in on the most special thing about this research:
“What makes Katy’s thesis research most interesting and unique is that very little work has been done on the ecology of dune lakes. In her case, she is comparing an interdunal lake that was formerly mined for sand, and comparing to an interdunal lake that has never been mined. In addition, the formerly mined lake has just become part of the Ottawa County Parks System. So, Katy’s work will not only fill an important knowledge gap in our understanding of dune lakes, but it also has valuable applied benefits by providing baseline data on the ecological status and water quality of this new park asset.”
We asked Katy what she is most proud of throughout her entire research experience. Her reply:
“What I enjoy most about my research is being able to provide data that will inform leaders of local park systems and aid them in stewarding their water resources for community education and enjoyment.”
Congratulations Katy!
To learn about more student successes, check out: https://www.gvsu.edu/gs/module-news-index.htm?siteModuleId=912D659D-C029-9672-CD03149F25137C85