GEORGIA-XH-CW

UGA graduate student pursues environmental justice in freshwater science

A woman smiles, holding a largemouth bass, grass and a river visible behind her.

For Jasmine Longmire, ecological justice feels personal.  During her junior year at Georgia Gwinnett College, she experienced a kidney failure that changed how she views her health—and her purpose. She had to take an entire year off, but the scare set into motion her current trajectory.  “That thought process of, ‘I’m gonna die,’ shook me […]

Toilets, taboos and turning waste into a valuable resource

Two people stand and present to a group gathered. A bright yellow plant is visible to the right.

Hayley Joyell Smith is on a mission to stop wasting waste. A doctoral candidate in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and River Basin Center affiliate, Smith serves as a geosciences educator and the board director of PHLUSH—a nationwide nonprofit that advocates for sanitation justice, public toilet availability and ecological systems that restore […]

Van Rees takes multidisciplinary approach to research, conservation outreach

Affiliate Charles van Rees, assistant research scientist at the UGA Odum School of Ecology, describes himself as a conservation scientist and naturalist. “I’m not just interested in doing science,” he said. “I want to specifically apply scientific research to promote conservation action and impact.”

Mussel conservation video released

The Georgia Department of Resources Wildlife Division just released an educational video on its mussel conservation projects throughout the state. “If you love the rivers, you’ve got to love the mussels,” said Ani Escobar, an aquatic biologist with whom the River Basin Center collaborates. Escobar works for the Wildlife Resources Division primarily in the Coosa […]

Wilde presents on invasive plant hydrilla

Hydrilla plant forms a dense mat in the water.

Everybody hates an uninvited guest. Affiliate Susan Wilde recently spoke to a group of Adirondack conservationists, managers and researchers about the the invasive plant hydrilla. The aquatic species is making its way toward the Adirondacks and hosts a cyanobacterium toxic to eagles and other wildlife. Wilde described the cyanobacterium and neurotoxin several years ago, calling […]

Grad student assesses alligators’ exposure to contaminants

Laura Kojima holding an alligator

River Basin Center student affiliate Laura Kojima was 15 years old the first time she held an alligator. The California native and Mexican American had decided to visit New Orleans in lieu of having a quinceañera. Now, Kojima assesses alligators’ exposure to contaminants.

Affiliates featured in essays, news

River Basin Center affiliates keep busy—something journalists and writers have noticed. From creative nonfiction essays to research profiles, several recently published pieces feature RBC scientists.