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News Archives
Graduate student Taylor Busch receives award from National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS)
October 7, 2021
Taylor Busch is a Diné woman and a first-year master’s student in the UNM Department of Civil Construction and Environmental Engineering. She works in the Environmental Engineering Lab under the mentorship of Dr. Jose Cerrato and Dr. Eliane El Hayek. She has been awarded, from the National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS), the SRP Research Supplement to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research, supporting scientists from diverse backgrounds. This supplement funds the first year of her master’s degree as she conducts research to investigate the role of fungi on the accumulation of U and As relevant to the Jackpile-Paguate Mine on the Laguna Pueblo. This work expands upon the research she conducted with former UNM METALS trainee Dr. Cherie DeVore on the role of fungi in As accumulation in plants native to the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation. Her research will provide perspective to the UNM METALS team to collaboratively conduct research that will help the Laguna Pueblo community understand how metals interact and mobilize in their environment.