Alma Anides Morales and Norma Villagomez Marquez selected as 2019 recipient of the CLIMAS Climate & Society Graduate Fellows Program
Alma Anides Morales and Norma Villagomez Marquez are both 2019 recipients of the Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS) Climate & Society Graduate Fellows Program!
Alma's project is in collaboration with Cochise Health and Social Services to sample and analyze the chronic untreated effluent flowing north into Naco, Arizona, a town of about 1,000 residents in the US-Mexico border. The sewage flows are a community concern as sewage flow is in close proximity to a school, private property, and eventually discharges into tributaries of the San Pedro River. The study will center on the determining potential environmental impacts and health risks for residents. Information produced will be used to help inform residents and assist CHSS in their preparedness and response to such events.
Norma's doctoral research examines the presence of emerging contaminants in roof-harvested rainwater using analytical techniques, particularly liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS). As a 2019 Environment & Society Fellow Norma will create an illustrative children's book that will spark interest in water conservation alternatives by addressing the global water crisis and the vital role rainwater harvesting will have when it comes to maximizing our existing water supply.