After joining the research team for meetings and community events in the summer, I started my role as a research assistant with Dr. Charis Boke in the fall. My research aims to investigate how earth science methods can be more community-grounded. In the context of the 2023 floods, this question guided my attention towards water quality issues. The Ludlow town manager, Brendan McNamara, connected us with Joe Gaudiana, the head of operations at the Ludlow Wastewater Treatment Facility. Myself, Dr. Boke, and Aidan Silvestro ‘27 visited the facility in November to interview Mr. Gaudiana and learn how the facility was impacted by the floods.
Remaining flood damage at the Ludlow Waste Water Treatment Facility. Photos by Aidan Silvestro.
While I focused on water quality issues and wastewater treatment siting, my work this term has varied greatly. I helped Dr. Boke with logistics for the Disaster Justice Symposium, kept the website updated, and Aletha Spang and I spoke to Dr. Beth Reddy’s class about our involvement in the project. In the upcoming term I’m hoping to interview members of the road crews in Ludlow and Cavendish and continue research on earth science methods.