Water Science Poster Presenters

2019 poster presenters

The Adopt-A-Stream Water Science Poster Session at Confluence showcases student and volunteer research projects and monitoring results. Topics vary and include freshwater and coastal ecology, monitoring analyses, stream restoration, and nonpoint source pollution. 

2023 Presenters

  • Undergraduate

    • Sahil Bardai and Melis Akkan, Kennesaw State University, Water Quality Monitoring using Cutting-Edge Technology in DNA Sequencing

    • Madeline Gregory, Kathleen Stephens, Cierra Kimbrell, Georgia College and State University, The effects of heavy metals on water quality in Champion Creek, Middle Georgia

    • Bloo Mitchell and Priscilla Dickey, Dalton State College, Assessment of the macroinvertebrate community and water quality in Mill Creek

    • Joshua Chatham Pate, Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology,  An Evaluation of Estuarine Macroinvertebrate Sampling and its Implementation in Monitoring the Health of Georgia’s Coastal Environments

    • Imani Vincent, Piedmont University, Factors that Influence Groundwater Chemistry from a Wetland Environment

  • High School

    • Chantel Boney and Jasmine Crouch, Newton College and Career Academy,  A New Generation of Pollutions: The Quantification of Microplastics of Local Watersheds

    • Kyleigh Conley, Elite Scholars Academy, Does Freshwater Location Affect Dissolved Oxygen?

    • Nathaniel Phelps, South Paulding High School, Bacterial Monitoring of Paulding County’s Natural and Man-made Water Systems

    • Emily Grace Royal, Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology, The Effect of Kelp and Basalt on Ocean Acidification

  • Adopt-A-Stream Volunteer
    • Debra Dooley, Upper Oconee Watershed Network, Using Technology Resources to Improve Access, Interactions and Interpretation of Long-term Water Quality Data Generated Through Citizen Science
    • Victoria Clower, Georgia Southern University,  Release of VOCs, gasses, and bacteria from contaminated landings and creeks of Ogeechee River

Download this pdf file. View 2023 Abstracts

 

2022 Presenters

  • Graduate
    • Mary Elizabeth Sailors; Georgia College and State University: Tracking the Source of Helicobacter pylori in Watersheds of San Juan, Puerto Rico
    • Megan Robertson; University of Georgia: Aeromonas Prevalence in the Upper Oconee Watershed
  • Undergraduate
    • Wesley DeMontigny; Georgia College and State University: Tracking the Sources of Leptospira and Nutrient Flows in Two Urban Watersheds of Puerto Rico
    • Eden Grasa, Alana Stevens, & Cyaira Vest; Georgia College and State University: Macroinvertebrate Biodiversity Presence and Stream Health Within Riffle and Pool Microhabitats at Tobler Creek, Georgia
    • Imani Vincent; Piedmont University: Aqueous Ion Concentrations in Groundwater from a Wetland Environment
    • Katie Wilhelm; Piedmont University: The Effects of Beaver Dams on E. coli in the Water
  • High School
    • Claudia Castle; South Paulding High School: Limited Geotechnical Environmental Survey of Wetland Soil Composition Classification, Texture, and Nutrient Load Compared to Educational Partnerships Locally and Trans-Atlantic
    • Jaden Jones; Whitefield Academy: Identification of Members of a Freshwater Plankton Community in Cobb County
  • Volunteer
    • Julia Schmitz and Debra Dooley; Upper Oconee Watershed Network: Fire Leads to Chemical Spill: A Case Study in Understanding Water Quality
    • Kevin Spingler; Whitefield Academy: Comparison of Measurements using LaMotte Dissolved Oxygen Test Kits to Vernier Optical Dissolved Oxygen Probes

Download this pdf file. View 2022 Abstracts

2021 Presenters

 

  • Undergraduate
    • Sabrina Hodges; College of Coastal Georgia and Glynn Environmental Coalition: Water quality evaluation to assess the impact of waste transfer facility on a stormwater drainage system.  
    • LaTosha Walker; Georgia Aquarium: How do the Properties of Cigarette Butts Influence the Quality of Fresh Saltwater?  
  • High School
    • Isabella Powell; Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology: The Effects of Submersible Aquatic Plants on Stream Water Quality 
    • Annabelle Stultz; Kennesaw Mountain High School & Cobb County Watershed Stewardship Program: Chemical Effect of Schools Re-Opening on Allatoona Creek 
    • Amy Pham; Elite Scholars Academy AAS Group: G-2873: Microplastics everywhere: Quantifying the difference in the number of microplastics in point and nonpoint sources of pollution in Metro-Atlanta.   
  • Volunteer
    • Pragya Bhadani and Riya Bhadani; Clean and Beautiful (G-2829): Targeted Monitoring at Level Creek, an Impaired Stream 

Download this pdf file. View 2021 Abstracts

 

2020 Presenters

  • Graduate
    • Philip Moore; North Carolina State University: Impacts of Climate Change on Stream Temperature in the Southern Blue Ridge.  Download this pdf file. Click here for poster.
  • Undergraduate
    • Rachel Pesaresi and Rachel Tempia; University of North Georgia: A Comparison of Benthic Invertebrates in the Etowah River 1958 & 2018. Download this pdf file. Click here for poster .
    • Kelly Jackson; Clayton State University: A Small Stream with Big Problems: a Chemical Investigation into the Contaminated Headwaters of the South River. Download this pdf file. Click here for poster . 
    • D. Filiccichia, B. Kenney, M. Escamilla, B. Campbell, E. Howell, M. Cowart, J. Nachtrieb, J. Howington, M. Downs; Young Harris College: Connecting Volunteerism, Science, and Community Engagement to Protect Water Quality in a Southern Appalachian Watershed. Download this pdf file. Click here for poster.
  • High School
    • Kimiya Rezaiamiri; Woodward Academy: Water Contamination in Atlanta Area. Download this pdf file. Click here for poster . 
    • Bodey Gray, Aubree Goff, and Tema Hoskins; South Paulding High School: Dissolved Oxygen, Chlorophyll Patterns, and E. coli in Spartan Swamp. Download this pdf file. Click here for poster.  
  • Volunteer

    • Luke Morneault and Ken Morneault; Oconee Water/Upper Oconee Watershed Network: Analysis of Macroinvertebrates found in Upper Oconee Watershed: 2001 - 2016. Download this pdf file. Click here for poster. 

Download this pdf file. View 2020 Abstracts

 

2019 Presenters

  • Graduate
    • Cassidy Lord; University of Georgia and Upper Oconee Watershed Network: Oconee Confluence Clean Water Alliance (OCCWA): Forestland Protection in the Upper Oconee River Basin to Protect Drinking Water Sources. 
  • Undergraduate
    • Blake Lindner; Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Microplastic and microbial load along a rural-to-urban gradient within the Chattahoochee River. 
    • Camille Mosley; Emory University: Determining Aquatic Biodiversity and Stream Health of the Proctor Creek Watershed Using eDNA Technology and Citizen Science. 
    • Devin Filicicchia; Young Harris College and Hiawassee River Watershed Coalition: Interwoven Community: A Framework for Restoring an Ecological Fabric. 
    • Cody Beavers and Michael Cuprowski; Dalton State College: A two-year study monitoring macroinvertebrate assemblages and leaf litter breakdown rates to assess the impact of Dalton State College campus on College Creek.    
    • Hannah Walker and Caroline Cox; Young Harris College and Hiawassee River Watershed Coalition: The Southern Appalachian Snorkeling Trail: Preserving Water Quality in Appalachian Communities by Promoting Native Fishes. 
  • High School
    • Renee George; Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology: Optimizing Water Filtration Using Biochar and Polymer Additives. 
    • Luke Morneault; Oconee county High School and Oconee Waters: Impact of Upgraded Wastewater Treatment Plant on Water Quality. 
    • Jose Ayala and Jorge Chavez; Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology: Effect of Environmental Conditions on Algal Biofuel Production. 
    • Gloria Bradley; Rockdale Magnet School for Science and Technology: The Effect of Mass of Trametes versicolor on Lead (II) Nitrate Concentration in Riverbank Soil. 
    • Annabelle Renner, Melinda Downey, Destini Chambers and Montgomery Blake; South Paulding High School: The Viability of Soil Near a Wetland for Vegetation. 
    • Hannah O’Driscoll and Jessie Turner; Villa Rica High School: Exploration of Wildcat Creek.
  • Volunteer
    • Natalie Ladd; Hiawassee River Watershed Coalition: Collecting Sediment Samples during a Rainstorm. 

Download this pdf file. View 2019 Abstracts

 

2018 Presenters

  • Graduate
    • Denzell Cross; University of Georgia (PhD): The Watershed Learning Network: A Path Towards Sustainability And Public Engagement In Urban Watersheds.
    • Morgan Teachey; University of Georgia (PhD - Microbiology); Upper Oconee Watershed Network: Pelagic bacterial community dynamics in a temperate, urban stream.
  • Undergraduate
    • Diana Gambone; Georgia Southern University:Implementing a Green Infrastructure and Water Quality Project at Savannah Country Day School.
    • Michael Cuprowski and Cody Beavers; Dalton State College: Quantifying the effects of the Dalton State College campus on leaf litter breakdown rates and the macroinvertebrate community of College Creek.
    • Seth George and Mackenzie Devine; Piedmont College: Can Citizen Science be used to Develop a Predictive Model for Water Quality?
  • High School
    • Hannah O’Driscoll and Jessie Turner; Villa Rica High School:  Bacteria Spike in Wildcat Creek.
  • Volunteer
    • Vicki Soutar; UOWN/oconeewaters Group ID: AAS-G-2206:  When the $#*! hits the creek…increase your reach!  
    • Moira Salazar; Chattahoochee Riverkeeper: Evaluating Effectiveness of Strategic Stream Sampling for Contamination Source Identification.

Download this pdf file. View 2018 Abstracts

 

2017 Presenters

  • Graduate
    • Sohyun Cho; University of Georgia, Microbiology:  Phenotypic and Genotypic Characterization of Salmonella, Escherichia coli, and Enterococcus Isolated from the Upper Oconee Watershed, GA.
  • Undergraduate
    • Adiba Khan; Department of Chemistry and Physics, Oglethorpe University: Nanoparticles Matrix on the Removal of Heavy Metals from Surface Water.
    • Ashley Deal, Aubrie Goodson and Candace Moon; Georgia Southern University Freshwater Ecology Lab, AAS-G-2114: Education, Outreach, and Monitoring at Beautiful Eagle Creek in the campus of Georgia Southern University.
    • Whitney Hudson; Georgia Gwinnett College: Analysis of heavy metal concentrations in the Conasauga, Oostanaula, and Coosa Rivers utilizing a PerkinElmer NexION 350D ICP-MS.
    • Sanjay Patel and Shayna Markel; Georgia College and State University: Monitoring the Water Quality of the Oconee River Greenway.
    • Zamara Ruby Garcia Truitt and Brennan Poon-Kwong; Georgia College and State University: Assessment of the impact of fecal pollution on streams of Puerto Rico.
  • High School
    • Rachel McNeil, Maeva Makendi and Taylor Cook; Paulding County High School: Biodiversity Analysis with Environmental DNA.
    • Kylah Brabson; Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy/AAS group ID:  AAS-G-2205: Effects of Grey Water on Plants.
  • Volunteer
    • Jessica Warren; UGA Extension -- Camden County:  Water Quality Education and Outreach Improves Coastal Communities.
    • Luke Morneault; Oconeewaters Group ID: AAS-G-2206:  Water Quality Analysis of Three Oconee County Creeks.

Download this pdf file. View 2017 Abstracts

 

2016 Presenters

  • Undergraduate
    • Lara Gardner; Anderson University: A Comparison of Two Aquatic Invertebrate Collection Methods in the Rocky River Water System. 
       
    • Russell Maddrey; Berry College: Establishing Baseline Water Data Sets for Headwater Areas of the Coosa River Basin, Rome, GA. 
       
  • High School
    • Krystl Wood; Woodstock High School: Use of Carbon Nanoparticles for Aqueous Heavy Metal Remediation Yr2. 
       
    • Ramie Williams; Eagles Landing Christian Academy: Are There Dangerous Levels of Lead in Local Soil? 
       

Download this pdf file. View 2016 Abstracts

 

2015 Presenters

  • Undergraduate
    • Mary Freund; College of Coastal Georgia: Water Quality and Plankton Communities of the Blackwater Satilla River.
       
    • Susan Scrivner; Reinhardt University: Investigation of Bisphenol A contamination in Sharp Mountain Creek from a construction waste disposal site.
       
  • High School
    • Paula Ruiz; Woodstock High School: The Use of Vibrio fischeri as an Indicator of Water Quality.
       
    • Aksal Vashi; Collins Hill High School: Waste-Based Runoff Pollutant Biosorptive Permeable Barriers.
       

Download this pdf file. View 2015 Abstracts