Kristin Woycheese has always been fascinated by the natural world. She is mesmerized by how life began on earth. Her love of the environment has lead her to pursue a PhD in the department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.
Kristen says, “I love the interdisciplinary nature of my work; as a geomicrobiologist, I incorporate chemistry, geology, and biology methods in an attempt to determine how microorganisms survive in unique habitats.” She studied hydrothermal vents in Italy and hot springs in Yellowstone National Park to look for clues of life’s earliest origins. What pushes her every day is learning something new.
After graduation she plans on attaining a postdoctoral position NASA as an
Astrobiologist, which is studying plausible environments where life may have
begun. She would also like to become a professor after her postdoctoral.
Katie is also the president of Terra society. She started attending Terra Society meetings her first year at UIC. She says, “I really liked the idea of a student-run lecture series that gives other students a chance to showcase their research.” Terra Society has professionals and UIC Alumni to come speak at Terra. As President of Terra Society, She invites speakers to come speak and plans eco-friendly activities with their events coordinator.
“I grew up near forests and spent a lot of my childhood outside, which helped foster a love of the environment. When I got to college, I started learning a lot more about how pollutants enter our air, soil, and water and can cause harmful effects on human health.” An internship study on Lake Michigan made her more environmentally conscious. The internship was a study on toxic algae that was growing into massive quantities because people were putting too much fertilizer on their lawns to keep them greener.
“In my own research, I try to incorporate a message of environmental stewardship. My study site in Mexico, for example, is at risk of being overrun by an invasive species (very similar to the zebra mussels we have in the Great Lakes).” She has concern on habitats and species are being destroyed everyday because of human activity. She thinks we all have a responsibility to change that.
Some of her environmental friendly tips are to recycle, reusing items, and donating items to Good Will. Try to avoid products with a lot of packaging and individually package items, which you can by in bulk quantities. She also recommends looking at chemicals in products for your home. She looks for cleaning products and cosmetics with the least amount of ingredients as possible. She says, “If I can’t pronounce it, I try not to buy it.” She says this website http://www.biggreenpurse.com/is good source to use.