Dear Marquette community,
We have all heard of PFAS, or forever chemicals, that are found in food packaging, paints, carpet, nonstick pots and pans, and other common products. The same characteristics that have made PFAS popular commercially for decades make them slow to break down in our bodies and in the environment.
Dr. Patrick McNamara, Eng ’06, professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering, and doctoral student Jessie Calteux, Eng ’24, welcomed me to the Binsfeld Water Quality Laboratory to learn about their research on how drying affects PFAS in biosolids for a new Campus Connections video. This edition coincides with the celebration of Earth Day later this week.
Dr. McNamara, Jessie and other graduate and undergraduate students are among a select group investigating this specific research topic. Their research aligns with the Jesuits’ Universal Apostolic Preference “Care for our Common Home” and is an example of how Marquette’s talented and innovative faculty and students address the world’s challenges.
During my visit to Engineering Hall, Dr. McNamara shared that he knows the graduate and undergraduate students he works with want to make a difference in our community and our world based on the questions they ask in class and in the lab. How powerful seeing our Marquette mission animated in these young researchers!
President Kimo
Have a suggestion for Campus Connections? Send it to president@marquette.edu.
