荣誉项目 student 艾丽·佩特拉乔内，20岁 is using her senior research thesis to communicate why non-scientists should care about protecting the environment.
 

12月5日, 2019—艾丽·佩特拉乔内，20岁 knows that scientific research can be intimidating to non-scientists, 他们很难把它和自己的生活联系起来. 幸运的是, Marist’s 荣誉项目 has given her a platform help them make the connection, and she has devoted her Honors Thesis to translating her scientific research on the Hudson River into a digital format that can be readily understood by all. Petraccione hopes the result of her work will be more people taking action to protect the quality of life in the beautiful Hudson River Valley.

Petraccione applied to Marist’s Honor’s Program her sophomore year because she had heard good things. 例如, 这个项目不只是针对文科专业的学生, 毕业论文不一定要和专业挂钩. Says Petraccione, “I loved the idea that the 荣誉项目 focused on seminars and special projects. It’s more work, but there are so many opportunities for really high-level intellectual exploration.“作为一名荣誉项目的理科生, Petraccione is able to exchange perspectives with students from other academic disciplines and finds it a “really cool challenge” to communicate scientific research in a way that’s understandable to them. 她补充说, “The interdisciplinary aspect of the 荣誉项目 is so nice; I’ve met so many people I wouldn’t have met otherwise.” 

在斯克内克塔迪, New York native originally became familiar with Marist through lacrosse (she plays on the College’s Division I women’s team) and decided to attend because of her interest in the Physician Assistant program. 然而, her academic explorations soon led her to change her major from biology to environmental science. 为mer 荣誉项目 Director James Snyder noticed Petraccione’s great interest in the environment, and he encouraged her to develop that interest further by pursuing an environmental science pathway. 观察斯奈德, “埃莉不是一个单纯的理科生, 尽管她在课堂和实验室都很出色. She has consistently expressed an interest in deeply humanistic questions that resonate with some of the most pressing social and political challenges we face today.”

佩特拉乔内的研究重点是哈德逊河, in particular the harmful algal blooms and cyanobacteria that have been appearing there due to climate change. 哈德逊河含有大量的农业径流, 细菌在这种营养丰富的环境中茁壮成长, 损害水质.  佩特拉乔内的荣誉论文, 本港水域有害藻华的成因及影响, seeks to bring her research to life by transforming it into digital art. 通过照片, 信息图, 还有项目符号, the project helps laypeople easily understand the problem of algal blooms on the Hudson River watershed and how it can affect their everyday lives. Among Petraccione’s findings: Research and education on the Hudson River could become more difficult. 儿童可能无法在受影响地区钓鱼或划皮艇. 藻垫可能会干扰水库的运行, 导致经济损失和税收增加.

Assistant Professor of Environmental 科学 Zion Klos and adjunct instructor Lucy Holtsnider are overseeing Petraccione’s work, with Klos supervising the scientific research and Holtsnider advising on how to make that research approachable to a general audience through artistic forms. 指出绝, “Ellie’s abilities in scientific research are equally matched with her exceptional drive and determination to communicate her findings. It has been a real thrill working with Ellie as she works to figure out how she can move her abilities and passions forward through these projects that start her on a career focused on both researching the science and making the science matter.”

The Honors Thesis at Marist is an independent study completed with the guidance of a faculty mentor, providing the freedom to explore meaningful questions and solve problems of personal, 当地的, 以及全球意义. The central issue Petraccione set out to solve is how to get people’s attention when it comes to environmental degradation. 她承认, “Sometimes it’s a struggle to get people to care about climate change because it’s such a huge problem. I want to empower people to feel like they can actually contribute to the solution, 比如每年检查化粪池的水位, 不在草坪上使用化肥和杀虫剂, 选举关心水质的官员.斯奈德补充道, “埃莉愿意冒险接受教育, 尤其是当它们与她对环境的价值观一致时. 在这方面, she is the epitome of a Marist 荣誉项目 student – she has pursued an education that is broader, 更深层次的, 更复杂. 她对论文项目的选择给我留下了深刻的印象, 这个项目将她对科学和艺术的兴趣结合起来.”

佩特拉乔内即将毕业, she is grateful for professors who have been both great mentors and sources of inspiration during her educational career. 除了斯奈德, she also credits Klos with influencing her educational journey at Marist, 指导她寻找机会并监督她的研究. “Dr. 克洛斯真的知道如何利用哈德逊河来帮助我们学习. 他的生态学课有很多野外作业, 他向我们展示了很多不同的采样方法. 当你穿着涉水鞋在河上的时候, 你真的与环境联系在一起, 所以我才想保护它. 我希望人们关心我.从bet亚洲365欢迎投注大学毕业后, Petraccione plans to take a gap year to get more field experience before completing a doctorate and possibly becoming a professor. 正如她所说:“我的学业肯定还没有结束. 我想要更多.”

来自Petraccione荣誉项目的细节