Years after receiving her undergraduate degree, Maggie Peterson ’22 was working in Traverse City at the Great Lakes Environmental Center and wanted more. She enjoyed her job as a toxicology and field technician, but she was ready to advance her career. Unfortunately, she lacked the applied research experience.

When she learned about the M.S. in Biology program at Grand Valley with the opportunity to do hands- on research at Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute, she knew she’d found the key to her future dreams.

“I worked on projects I never would have had the chance to experience otherwise, and learn from phenomenal mentors like Dr. Charlyn Partridge,“ she said. “The networking opportunities created at AWRI have been tremendously helpful in my career.”

In Dr. Partridge’s lab, Maggie studied the impact of microplastics on fathead minnows. Through this work Maggie gained hard research skills in toxicology study design, microbial communities, and molecular ecology. She also had the opportunity to conduct wastewater testing for the SARS CoV-2 virus in Dr. Rick Rediske’s lab. AWRI is one of 19 health and university laboratories selected by the State of Michigan for wastewater monitoring, and she now continues this work at Great Lakes Environmental Center, another participating laboratory in Traverse City, Michigan.

With her master’s degree completed, Maggie was promoted at Great Lakes Environmental Center and is currently in her dream research job. She also monitors beaches for sources of contamination, learning how to best keep them open for recreational and commercial use in Michigan’s critical northern west coast.

“The work I do today is directly enhanced by my experience at AWRI,” Maggie said. “I’m forever grateful for the faculty and staff there, the incredible facilities, and the donors who make it all available to students like me.”

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