Freshwater@UW Summer Program Leads to a Publication and Career Opportunities | Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin
Jonna Rosenthal is a go-getter. During their time as an undergraduate at Smith College, the environmental science and policy major conducted independent research on stormwater issues in Costa Rica and the effects of agricultural pesticide usage in Ecuador. They also studied aerosols in the environmental chemistry lab on campus.
But it was the mentorship Rosenthal received at UW-Green Bay that opened up professional opportunities they never dreamed of. As a 2024 Freshwater@UW Summer Research Scholar, Rosenthal conducted cutting-edge research with Kpoti Gunn, an assistant professor who is studying how to prevent PFAS contamination in agricultural soils.
Growing up in Maine, Rosenthal had learned about the effects of ocean acidification and salt-water contamination, but they wanted to work on freshwater systems. The Freshwater@UW program, coordinated by UW-Madison and supported by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, offers unique opportunities for undergraduates from around the country to conduct mentored research at one the Universities of Wisconsin campuses.
“If you’re going to work in freshwater, the Great Lakes is where you want to be,” Rosenthal says. “I am specifically interested in emerging contaminants, so I was excited to work with Dr. Gunn’s research on PFAS contamination in groundwater. It’s been amazing to see the things that have spung out of this experience.”
Rosenthal’s research was published in Soil Research in June, and they were awarded best undergraduate poster at the North American chapter of the National Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry in May.
Pretty impressive given that Rosenthal had only two months to complete the work and had no previous experience with scientific work at a research institution.
Rosenthal credits Gunn’s mentorship for instilling confidence to grow as a scientist.
“Having Dr. Gunn place so much trust in me to develop methodology and construct lab equipment and protocols was influential in my scientific process,” Rosenthal says. “I continue to use the skills I developed to write SOPs and experimental designs.”
Gunn says that during their time as research collaborators, he relied on Rosenthal to help start a lab and field research project. He was impressed by how they took charge in implementing procedures and often pointed out aspects that may have been initially missed.
“I believe Jonna has a strong work ethic and will be successful in their career,” Gunn says.
Rosenthal’s paper led to additional research projects for other undergraduates, including another Freshwater@UW scholar this summer. And Rosenthal’s experience presenting the research helped them land a job before graduation.
“I recently accepted an environmental scientist position with AECOM, [a global infrastructure consulting firm,] to work on groundwater contamination. This work includes testing and monitoring sediments and groundwater, a skill that I developed during my collaboration with Dr. Gunn,” Rosenthal says. “I know that the research I conducted with Freshwater@UW will help me achieve my career goals.”
