Charlotte Kuhl: Research Opportunities in Bloom

Environmental Engineering major Charlotte Kuhl always knew she wanted to try research. But when she finally worked up the courage to ask her professor, Dr. Ian Bradley, if there were any opportunities in his lab, even she had no idea just how far her research could take her.

She spent her junior year at UB working in Dr. Bradley's lab, brushing up on her microbiology skills as she studied a regional phenomena closely tied to climate change issues: algae blooms in the Great Lakes. As global temperatures rise, these hazardous blooms increase, endangering the people, wildlife, and vegetation that depend on the water in the Lakes. Dr. Bradley and Charlotte are looking into sustainable ways to turn this danger into an asset, and potentially use the algae in both wastewater treatment and biofuel generation. 

With her experience in this lab at UB, Charlotte was able to obtain a research position for the summer in a lab at Cambridge University in England. She was also awarded the prestigious Gilman Scholarship in order to make this opportunity financially feasible. Charlotte continues to develop her skillsets and her passion for sustainability; inspired by her experiences and her mentor, Dr. Bradley, she plans to pursue a graduate degree, and no doubt her achievements at UB will continue to carry her far in the world. 

If you would like to gain experience like Charlotte's, check out the Project Portal for experiential learning opportunities.