• Hometown: Carolina, Puerto Rico
• Faculty mentor/advisor: Tori Forbes, Associate Professor, Chemistry
• What is your degree program and expected graduate date? B.S. in Chemistry; I will graduate in May 2020.
• Please describe your research: I study how uranium interacts with molecules in drinking water.
• In simple terms, why does this research matter? Nuclear waste from the nuclear fuel cycle can end up in the environment, and this research hopes to provide insight into how uranium behaves in environmentally relevant conditions. If we understand uranium chemistry better, we will be able to better manage nuclear waste in the environment.
• How soon after starting at the University of Iowa were you able to participate in research? I started research the second semester of my first year at the University of Iowa.
• How has being involved in research made you more successful at the University of Iowa? Through research, I have been able to apply the concepts that I learned in class and gain a deeper understanding for these concepts. Being involved with research also taught me how to go about solving problems without giving up.
• What are your career goals and/or plans after graduation? After graduation, I hope to go to graduate school to pursue a Chemistry Ph.D., with the goal of becoming a Chemistry professor in the future.

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