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Student Staff

The following students are currently working with WVWRI as undergraduate or graduate student workers. WVWRI offers many exciting and unique student positions. Continue to check back on our opportunities page to see current student worker or staff openings!

Sarah Nelson is a sophomore majoring in both Civil Engineering and Environmental Engineering. During the summer of 2023, Sarah completed the SURE program with WVWRI. Under this program, she completed and presented research on Monongahela River water quality as part of the 3RQ program. Currently, she assists with field and lab work, creating infographics, writing, research, and data analysis. Sarah is also completing WVU’s Research Apprenticeship Program and hopes to continue environmental research during her career at West Virginia University.	Colin Street is a sophomore pursing majors in Political Science, Environmental & Energy Resources Management, and History as well as a minor in Data Science. While coordinating logistics and organizing workflow for the West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center, he is also in the process of evaluating the feasibility of solar energy implementation on the WVU campus as apart of the Research Apprentice Program. A Morgantown native, Colin hopes to use his experience as a student worker to make a positive change on communities throughout West Virginia and beyond!
Adam Gratton is in his senior year in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental and Natural Resource Economics. As a student worker for WVWRI, he assists with the Three Rivers QUEST program, including data entry and developing biweekly newsletters. During his freshman year, Adam completed WVU's Research Apprenticeship Program with WVWRI.	Hannah Bentley is a senior majoring in Environmental Soil and Water Science with a minor in Conservation Ecology. For the past three years, she has worked in the Morrissey Research lab focusing on microbial ecology, biogeochemistry, and soil health. She is extremely excited to finally shift over to water research. Upon graduation, Hannah's dream job is to join NASA or the EPA to work on the conservation, protection, and management of water resources such as streams and wetlands, and returning polluted waterways to their natural state. Additionally, she is from Stafford, VA, and loves to play outside! She will also be part of the Three Rivers Quest Program assisting with field sampling.
Jolie Mongeau is a graduate research assistant pursuing a master’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Resource Management. She graduated from WVU in 2024 with a bachelor’s in Environmental Soil and Water Science. She has been with WVWRI for a little over a year now but in the past, she has worked at an environmental consulting firm, she was a student leader for the E3 Summer Camp (Energy, Environment and Excitement) hosted by WVU, and worked as a greenhouse assistant. Additionally, Jolie is from Philadelphia PA and when not at school, she loves hiking, fishing and she is an active sister of Omega Phi Alpha and dedicates a lot of her time to community service. In the future she hopes to continue graduate school and receive her PhD or attend law school to study environmental law.	Chayce Hill is a freshman from Preston County, West Virginia that is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical engineering and a minor in Photography. Currently, He works as a lab assistant to aid in the day-to-day operations in lab and on site. He often enjoys the chance to photograph nature and West Virginia’s environment. He hopes to continue pursuing chemical research opportunities with WVWRI.
Nick Marino is a graduate research assistant for WVWRI pursuing a master’s degree in Civil Engineering. He received a bachelor’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from WVU in 2018. After graduation, he worked with SNF Holding Company for five years before returning to graduate school. SNF is a global water-soluble polymer manufacturer. Nick worked in the mining department with the direct sales and technical support group, where he managed multiple existing coal mining accounts, supported customer’s application concerns and technical difficulties, and assisted in new product trials/new business acquisitions. Nick was born and raised in Clarksburg, WV. He loves coaching youth football with his brothers, playing golf, hunting and fishing, picking around on the guitar, and spending time with his family. He is especially excited about being able to contribute to a cleaner environment and the advancement of engineering practices due to WVWRI’s research and positive impact.	Mackenzie Ramsey is a senior in the Environmental and Community Planning major. She is a student worker with the West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center at WVU. She has a background in community redevelopment, watershed assessment, and spatial analysis. As a West Virginia native, Mackenzie is excited to assist communities around the state with the technical processes involved in redevelopment.
Julia Schmidt is a sophomore majoring in Political Science, with an emphasis in elections. She's also minoring in Women and Gender Studies and Organizational Leadership. She is pursuing a research apprenticeship position for the Fall 2024 semester with the WVWRI and hopes to garner valuable experience. In 2022 before attending WVU, Julia spent a year traveling across the United states and South Africa volunteering with different local non-profit organizations; she's looking forward to interacting with different local communities.	Paulina Aler is the Graphic Designer for the West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center. In this role, she designs print and digital media, supporting the centers outreach and internal efforts. She is currently pursuing her B.F.A. in Graphic Design with a minor in marketing at West Virginia University. When not working or studying, Paulina is an active sorority sister of Omega Phi Alpha, the national service sorority.
Charlie Hogan is currently a junior majoring in mechanical engineering with an area of emphasis in dynamics and controls. Charlie is a part of the Critical Materials team as a student worker. Through this, he aids in lab testing and any day-to-day tasks. Charlie hopes to use this experience as an opportunity to broaden his knowledge on both environmental and material science.	Sarah Rizer is a senior majoring in Environmental Soil and Water Science with an emphasis in Land Reclamation and a minor in Sustainable Design. She was first introduced to research when she assisted a PhD student in their Plant and Soil Science lab. She is a WVU Research Apprenticeship Program Graduate who worked in a hydrologic modeling lab under the WVU Civil and Environmental Engineering department. In addition to her studies and research, Sarah has completed a summer EHS internship for Viatris, a global pharmaceutical company, within their research and development department. She is a critical materials student worker for the WVWRI. Originally from York, PA, traveling and learning about water resources around the globe is a priority to her. After she graduates, Sarah hopes to attend graduate school and continue conducting water research.