​We are proud to announce our newest recipient of the GEM Environmental Undergraduate Scholarship Award, Menelik James.

Menelik James is a Chemical Engineering senior who attends Prairie View A&M University located near Houston, Texas. He has a passion for environmental research with a focus on water treatment and renewable energy applications.

Menelik has conducted non-equilibrium plasma applications for water purification at the NASA Glenn Research Center, membrane and thin film research at his home institution, microporous polymer synthesis and development for carbon dioxide capture and separation from post-combustion flue gas at a U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory, and most recently hydrogen peroxide powered fuel cell research at Stanford University.

His primary research and career goal is to develop and deploy mature water treatment technologies at scale and in a cost-effective manner to developing nations. Aside from research Menelik enjoys cooking, attending live music shows, and skydiving.

​“I value STEM education because it serves as an opportunity to expose minority youth to exciting fields of study and potential career paths that were previously unknown to them. As a member of the collegiate 100 Black Men, I’m a mentor in our high school mentee program serving underprivileged youth in the greater Houston Area. Communicating my experiences as a 2nd generation Jamaican American, advising them on the college application process, various funding opportunities, and introducing them to STEM research are the primary ways I engage the youth. Inviting professors from my university and distinguished alumna to come speak with the mentees is an essential component of the mentorship process.”

​Menelik’s choice to pursue an environmental engineering Ph.D. stems from his desire to develop innovative water and sanitation (W&S) technologies that will improve humanity’s quality of life but also preserve and protect the planet. The primary focus of protecting humans from adverse environmental effects, such as pollution and improving environmental quality by advancing recycling, waste disposal, public health, and other green practices is critical for the survival and health of planet earth and the life it supports.

Environmental engineering’s focus meshes seamlessly with his desire to serve humanity by engaging in efforts toward providing solutions for issues like sanitation and wastewater purification to developing countries. As an engineer, he hope to engage in research and development efforts toward innovative technologies that can address emerging contaminants such as Perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in water treatment plant effluent and improving the long-term safety of engineered water sources.

​Menelik plans to gain valuable hands-on lab research experience that will allow him to contribute to innovative solutions. Following the completion of graduate school, his long-term goal is to become a professor. By being a professor of environmental engineering, he hopes to serve humanity by solving technical water research issues. It is his aspiration to educate future scientists and engineers about complex problems facing humanity such as clean water scarcities, population growth, and climate change.

To learn more about Menelik James check out:
www.linkedin.com/in/menelik-james

​G.E.M. Environmental is excited to share another new addition to our monthly blog series - Science Stories. Each month, we interview a STEM scholar, student, or community member and ask them things like why they believe the STEM fields are important, how they got started in their field, to what they would do if they hit the jackpot. We hope that our new blog series will inspire, introduce a variety of fields, and create new conversations.

This month our guest is Al Muense. Al is a native New Yorker who received his B.A. and M.S. degrees from Long Island University. After a one-year internship he took the registry exam and became a registered Medical Technologist with the American Society of Clinical Pathologists, MT(ASCP). His career began as Clinical Chemistry Lab Manager in a 300-bed hospital while he was doing his graduate research. This was an exciting time in laboratory methodologies. New protocols were being developed and the clinical laboratory was quickly becoming automated. Seeing this, Al decided to take his career in a new direction and took a job as a Field Applications Chemist with Beckman Instruments, Inc., a leading manufacturer of analytical instrumentation for clinical, bioresearch, biotechnology, pharmaceutical and industrial research. His career path with Beckman also included management positions in sales and marketing. Upon retirement he felt a void and knew something was missing. He wondered how he could be involved in some way with science once again. He followed his passion and is currently teaching Chemistry and Integrated Science at Tri-City College Preparatory High School in Prescott, AZ.

Why do you believe that the STEM fields are important?
I may be biased, but I feel that STEM fields are perhaps the most significant contributors to improving the health and quality of life. If one were to stop for a moment and look around at all in their environment that is the product of the various STEM fields, and then try to imagine life with them they would be amazed. If one were to have a life-threatening health issue and was hospitalized, they would quickly realize that, if not for STEM sciences, their chances of survival would be greatly decreased. STEM fields also give us our biggest hope for the future. We live on a kind planet in a hostile universe. Relatively speaking, the air we breathe is a mere sliver covering the earth. The number of animal species we share this planet with is declining. There is a finite number of atoms of all the elements of the Periodic Table. However, our population is growing! Keeping everything in balance to ensure all forms of life in the future is going to fall on the success of future STEM discoveries and the subsequent education of the populace of any need for changes in social policy.

How and why did you get involved in the STEM fields? 
I must thank my parents for getting involved in the STEM fields. They felt that science was the future and at an early age guided me in that direction. My favorite toys as a child were educational, though to me they were also fun. I had an Erector Set, a Chemistry Set, a Microscope Set, an Electrical Projects Set, and Electric Trains to name a few. My dad was equally interested in these subjects and was most helpful keeping my interest in them. One of my favorite subjects in graduate school was Biochemistry. This one subject seemed to tie all of the other life sciences together for me.

Can you describe another aspect of your life or career that is influenced or enriched by the STEM fields that people would find surprising?
When reminiscing about my career I can truly understand how STEM may have saved me from an untimely death and subsequently opened the door to many opportunities in my professional life. After graduating with my bachelor’s degree, I became eligible to be drafted into the Army to go and fight in Viet Nam. I did not know it at the time but when I appealed my draft status with the Draft Board, my internship in the hospital medical technology program was grounds for a continued deferment. Towards the end of my internship they went to a draft lottery system. I drew a very high number and was virtually guaranteed that I would not be drafted. I wasn’t drafted and the war ended. But STEM kept on giving. The field that I was in qualified me to apply for a grant for my graduate education. I received the grant and was able to earn my M.S. degree at no cost to me.

What inspires you in your current position/role?
I am currently teaching Chemistry and Integrated Science at Tri-City College Preparatory High School. What inspires me most is when I can get students excited about the subject and when they have those moments when everything that seemed so complex now comes together. My personal goal in this position is to get more students interested in STEM fields. We need them now and in the future.

Have you ever participated in an internship?
I did a one-year internship in a hospital laboratory. During this year I rotated through the different departments in Pathology, Microbiology, Chemistry, Hematology, Blood Band and Serology and Histology. This internship qualified me to sit for the Medical Technologist Exam given by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists. I took the registry exam and became a registered Medical Technologist, MT(ASCP). This designation would qualify me to work in any clinical laboratory in the country as well as providing me with expertise that companies in the industry desired in their recruitment.

What work experiences have been the most educational for you, and why?
The most educational work experience for me came when I left the hospital laboratory to work in corporate where all the new technology and applications were being developed. The various positions I held in corporate kept me on the forefront of emerging technologies as well as teaching me new management and interpersonal skills.

What project(s) are you currently working on?
Retirement is not what it is cracked up to be; at least not for me. I had to find something where I could use my STEM experience while working with others. Teaching was what I needed to do and fortunately I was able to have an opportunity to do so and I am currently teaching Chemistry and Integrated Science (Physical Science) at Tri-City College Preparatory High School. This summer it is back to school so I will be able to teach AP Biology next year. I will continue teaching at Tri-City Prep and if time permits maybe find a non-profit to get involved with.

What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
From what I have described about my career and love of science I want to emphasize one thing; I am not a “lab rat”. I’m my happiest and perhaps at my best when I am interacting socially. Just don’t get me started talking about science though, unless you have plenty of spare time!

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?
This is the toughest question on the survey. I love to laugh and laugh often. I believe in the adage, “Laughter is the Best Medicine”. But for the life of me, nothing comes to mind. I guess the laugh is on me!

You won $10 million in the lotto. What would you do?
Wow, I’d better start playing the lotto! Seriously, when working in the hospital the pediatric unit had the most profound effect on me. To see children fighting diseases when their lives are just beginning sticks in my mind to this day. I would donate a good portion of winnings to research of my choosing. The future/survival of these children is dependent on scientific breakthroughs, STEM.

We would like to thank Al Muense for taking the time to share his story with all of us. We feel it is important to promote STEM career paths and offer assistance and guidance to anyone interested in these fields. “It is through others that we develop into ourselves”.

Tuesday, November 12- Dr. Rebecca Brulet, and her biology class at Yavapai College, welcomed G.E.M. Environmental and our guest speaker, Dr. Crystal Hepp, into their classroom as part of our Guest Lecture Series. Dr. Hepp is an evolutionary biologist, working as an Assistant Professor at Northern Arizona University’s School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems in Flagstaff, AZ.

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Kali Plummer, our AmeriCorps State Member, opened the lecture with information about G.E.M. Environmental. She was able to explain our mission and speak to the students about our programs, internships and scholarships that are available.

Dr. Hepp opened her lecture speaking about her personal journey and the struggles she faced while obtaining her degrees. Students were able to relate to her on a personal level as she talked about the different ways she was able to balance school and life without losing sight of her goals. The main lecture was based on Dr. Hepp’s research into the West Nile Virus and how it spreads throughout Arizona. She shared data and research patterns of the virus and educated the students on different ways the virus is spread. Dr. Hepp’s research is providing much needed information on this deadly virus. 

For more information on how to volunteer for one of these classroom lectures, contact our Program Coordinator Madison Link at madison@gemenvironmental.org.

G.E.M. Environmental’s Guest Lecture Series is made possible by our many sponsors. If you would like more information on ways to help support these programs please visit www.gemenvironmental.org/sponsorship.

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 The first thing I did with G.E.M was  to help build the mobile office that we would call home for the duration of our internship. We took a toy hauler, salvaged the parts from the previous mobile office, and built a new one. After weeks of work we had a finished home base for the field that consisted of four folding beds, a bathroom, a shower, a kitchen, and an area to relax, eat, and cool off after a hard days work.
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We left in June for our first trip to the mountains where we stayed for a week and mapped out over 40 abandoned features. During this time we were trained on identifying features such as pits, shafts, and mine adits. We also learned how to use the handheld G.P.S devices to map and describe the features in front of us. There were some amazing views and some good laughs but the work wasn't nearly over.

​We came home for the 4th of July.  After a week, the break was over and we were heading back out into the field. For our second trip, we went to a desert region that was much drier than the mountains we previously studied . The days were long and the sun was hot but we always had a cold drink and a good meal waiting for us when we turned in for the day. We were in this area for about two weeks and everyday was a great experience, with new things coming our way all the time. It seemed like every day there was something new and it was always fun or super interesting. 

The G.E.M. Environmental team gathered this past Friday to install the Little Free Libraries at some of the local Prescott schools. The teachers and students were very excited about the opportunity to exchange their used books for a new story to read! Sticking to G.E.M. Environmental’s mission to get kids interested in the STEM fields, every Little Free Library has been stocked with books about science, technology, engineering, and/or math. Listening to a specific request, we have put a copy of Rachel Ignotofsky’s book Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World in every Little Free Library that we created! We hope that this book and all the other books that are being donated can inspire girls to find their own passion and help them learn that they have the power to change the world.

Kicking off our fall semester's GEM For STEM lectures, Anthony Araza gave an amazing lecture for Dr. Boyd’s Geology 101 class. Mixing humor with facts, Anthony explained the benefits of getting a career in the STEM fields. He included statistics that demonstrated the increase in STEM jobs as well as the discussing how the average salary for a job in a STEM field is significantly more than most non-STEM field careers. Many students expressed that they enjoyed the lecture and were happy to be exposed to a variety of different careers that they could enter after graduation. There were multiple students who asked Anthony for career advice after the lecture, and he was able to answer all of their questions with detailed examples from his own career as a transport engineer and budget specialist.

We at G.E.M. Environmental are very excited that our first lecture of the semester went so well and are excited to continue our G.E.M. For STEM lecture series! 
For more information on how to volunteer for one of these classroom lectures,
contact our Program Coordinator Madison Link at Madison@gemenvironmental.org.

Thank you to GEM's newest sponsor - Decals By Danelle. They provided some beautiful GEM for STEM decals at a huge discount.

A great big THANK YOU from all of us at GEM!

On September 7th, G.E.M. Environmental held a building event to create Little Free Libraries that will be posted at 3 different schools: Mountain Oak School, Primavera School, and a school with the Prescott Unified School District. In a great show of support, ten volunteers came to help with the building project!

Not only was it amazing to see the support that G.E.M. Environmental gets from community members, we also saw it through the incredible donations that we got to support the project.

Prescott True Value Hardware was the first to show their support by donating one gallon of wood primer, and Home Depot showed their support by donating the rest of the materials needed for free! We also got two dozen donuts donated to us for our hardworking volunteers by one of the favorite local shops, Outlaw Donuts.

it was amazing to see the Prescott community collaborating on a project that could benefit over 500 students! As this event was such a success, and also a lot of fun, we hope that members and supporters of G.E.M. Environmental will continue help us make sustainable impacts in our community.

Thank you to everyone who came out this weekend to help us build Little Free Libraries to be placed around Prescott for the community to enjoy.

Check out our Events page to learn more about upcoming events and how to get involved.

Curious what it's like to be a field intern? G.E.M. Environmental is pleased to share a success story from one of our former field interns, Elliott Hoy. Here’s his experience in his own words:

In the summer of 2019, I spent June and July in the desert exploring old mining districts to find and document abandoned mines for future closures. I worked as an intern through AmeriCorps at G.E.M. Environmental, led by Eric Welsh. This trip gave me the opportunity to learn about Geology and gain further perspective to my future.

I am currently a geology student at Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona. In the coming semester I will be transferring to NAU in Flagstaff, Arizona to finish my bachelor's degree in geology. Before my time at Yavapai, I spent some time traveling and working in IT. It took me a few years to discover a path in life that I enjoyed so much.

While out in the desert, we lived out of a large trailer built and designed by Eric for the expedition. We had a full kitchen, fold-down bunks, showers, a toilet, and a general living area. Our mornings started with breakfast cooked by one of the team members, based on a rotating chore list. We then prepped our gear and loaded the UTVs before heading off. While out in the field we each had a satellite tablet that was used to document the mining features we each found, then used flagging tape to mark them. Lunch was eaten each day out in the field, usually in the last few hours of each working day. Our goal was to be finished with the days work by 3 or 4pm to beat the afternoon heat.

The work was based around assigning danger ratings to mining features. Working with great geologists, such as Eric and Robert, I was able to learn much more about mineralization and localized faulting.

As the days passed and the life of a field geologist became my life, it put into perspective what future life could be like. Along with geology skills, the creation of a livable space in the trailer and dealings with the hardships of day-to-day life, I also developed life skills that will last well past my graduation date.

Whether you are going into field geology, research, or are unsure of your career direction, I would highly recommend an internship, such as this one. While in school and going to classes it is hard to fully grasp what geology means and the types of people that you will be working with unless you participate in an internship. The large variety of skills you’ll learn along with the unique challenges is a great way to further complete that picture. I hope you enjoyed my story.

G.E.M. Environmental is excited to share another new addition to our monthly blog series - Science Stories. Each month, we interview a STEM scholar, student, or community member and ask them things like why they believe the STEM fields are important, how they got started in their field, to what they would do if they hit the jackpot. We hope that our new blog series will inspire, introduce a variety of fields, and create new conversations. 

Our guest this month is Michael Link, who for the past 25 years has worked in the areas of survey research and data science, and as an executive who leads large teams doing contract work for the federal government. He earned a Ph.D. in political science at the University of South Carolina, where he learned about conducting survey research and opinion polls. This data is critical for researchers, policymakers, and others to understand how the public thinks about critical issues such as health, environment, education, and the like. It is considered an "applied research" field, where the results often have a direct impact on improving the lives of people not just in the United States but globally.

Why do you believe that the STEM fields are important?
We live in an exciting time of vast change in every facet of our lives and these are all driven by applied science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. The need for talented, energetic, and inventive people in these fields is critical. STEM related disciplines are fundamentally changing how we receive health care and finding new cures for diseases; helping to combat climate change and find new ways to generate renewable energy; improving our food supply to help feed growing global populations; as well as offering us a range of commercial technology to improve out lives, such as Siri, self-driving cars, interconnected "smart" devices of all kinds. STEM is driving change globally.

How and why did you get involved in the STEM fields?
Interestingly I made a switch in college from a focus on biology and genetics to more social science applications. I have always had an interest in research and analyses. While my initial foray into the medical field was interesting (I was a lab technician in several hospitals running patient tests), I found myself more drawn to the scientific understanding of how people think and behave. I made a switch in graduate school to political science & sociology, focusing less on academic research and more applied research -- that is, research primarily for federal, state and local agencies determining how people think about issues of interest and measuring how they behave when it comes to issues such as health, job seeking, educational attainment. I find this type of work very rewarding, particularly when the results of my research are used to improve policies that help improve people's lives.

Can you describe another aspect of your life or career that is influenced or enriched by the STEM fields that people would find surprising?
Drones -- I'm an amateur drone pilot and fascinated with the technology behind these amazing machines. I combine that with my love of photography and drones allow me to now takes pictures that give a unique view of the world. It a great hobby that combines both engineering with art in a fun and unique way.

What inspires you in your current position/role?
Easy - the opportunity to improve people's lives. I worked in market research for a number of years where the goal way primarily helping a client sell more goods. That's not a bad thing, but wasn't particularly inspiring. Now I work directly with government agencies (such as Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Housing and Urban Development; United States Agency for International Development) helping them understand how people think about or behave with regards to critical issues. This information is then typically used to develop or refine policies aimed at helping people in need. That's rewarding!

Have you ever participated in an internship?
When I first went to college it was for a 2 year degree in Medical Technology, working in hospital labs. As a part of this program, I did several 8 week rotations in hospitals and health clinics, learning first-hand how these organizations operate and what my job in this area would entail. It was of tremendous value in helping me understand what I did -- and did not -- like about that profession.

What work experiences have been the most educational for you, and why?
Without a doubt it has been the "hands-on" experiences. As a graduate student, I was fortunate to have an assistantship in a survey research lab where opinion surveys are conducted. I was able to learn all aspects of the job by doing them - how to write a questionnaire; training interviewers; conducting interviews myself; learning statistical analyses; and how to write up and present results to clients. Those lessons I learned decades ago stay with me as I now lead people in all of these types of positions -- I have a better understanding about what they do day in day out and the challenges they face. It helps me be a better leader.

What project(s) are you currently working on?
While I lead a division of 120+ people who work across more than 100 projects at any given time, I personally keep my hand in researching how new data technologies and statistical approaches are effecting my field. I recently gave a key note address at an international science conference in Taipei, Taiwan on the topic of how data science techniques (artificial intelligence, machine learning, natural language processing, image recognition) can help us improve traditional survey research work.

What is something that people might be surprised to learn about you?
I am obsessed with Halloween -- seriously. With three girls, I started decorating the yard with tombstones, webs, etc. Each year for more than 25 years I've added something new -- life sized ghosts, zombies, skeletons, etc. Now we have a yard full of creepy-crawlies .... yes we are "that" house in the neighborhood. But its great fun every Halloween when the kids come by amazed and want their pictures taken with our 8ft Sasquatch!

What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently?
When in Taiwan I was awoken by a 6.0 earthquake at 5:30 in the morning! I have never been in an earthquake before and can say it was terrifying (lasted a good 15 seconds). I quickly got dressed, grabbed my wallet, passport, phone (and extra charger) and ran down the hotel steps -- all 15 floors! When I got to the lobby there was no one there but the desk attendant who asked: "Can I help you?" I said "What do we do -- that was a big earthquake!" She explained that they have those often and that the buildings are made to withstand the shaking -- STEM at work! I could, however, still go the rest of my life without going through another earthquake!

You won $10 million in the lotto. What would you do?
Retire from my current job and get involved full-time with helping to address the climate change issue globally. This is THE issue of not just our lifetime but will determine the future for generations to come all across the globe.

To learn more about Michael and his work, please check out the following:
Abt Associates Profile
LinkedIn
The Relevance of "Data Science" for Survey Research PowerPoint Presentation

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