UA SRP Trainee Wins Outstanding Senior Award
May 7, 2015
Catie Gullo is a trainee in the environmental microbiology laboratory of University of Arizona Superfund Research Program Director, Dr. Raina Maier. She joined the lab as a rising junior in June of 2013. She recalls, “My first day on the job was a bit of a whirlwind, because I was recruited into the summer trip to the Iron King Mine field site to help get through all the annual sampling of the mine tailings revegetation project. But that was great because I was able to get to know a lot of the people on the project right away.” After that, she started an independent study, which focuses on the dynamics of the microbial populations in the Iron King mine tailings in response to the variability of vegetation success across the replicate field treatments.
Gullo, who graduated in May 2015 with a major in Environmental Science and a focus in Microbiology, was recognized by the Department of Soil, Water, and Environmental Science as the year’s Outstanding Senior. She was awarded an engraved wooden plaque at an awards luncheon, and was also recognized at the graduation ceremony.
Since graduation, Gullo was hired into the Maier lab as a Research Technician. In addition to providing research support for other projects in the lab, she continues to combine molecular biological techniques with soil chemical analysis in pursuit of her independent project, which she hopes to publish. For her next step in the spring of 2016, she plans to apply to environmental monitoring firms in Phoenix, AZ. “I want to learn and apply industry lab techniques (and save some money) before I continue on in grad school,” says Gullo. “Eventually I want to study marine microbiology and bioremediation of the oceans.”
Please join us in congratulating Catie and wishing her continued success!