CMOP Student Accepted into USGS Student Career Experience Program

01/15/09 Portland, Ore. Jami Goldman installs cabling on the Morrison Bridge that will connect to a sensor in the Willamette River.
View sensor data

OHSU graduate student Jami Goldman has been accepted into the United States Geological Survey, USGS, Student Educational Employment Program (SEEP) to investigate the effects of anthropogenic activities in the Tualatin and Willamette Rivers in Oregon.

Goldman majors in environmental science at OHSU's Division of Environmental and Biomolecular Systems and the Center for Coastal Margin Observation & Prediction (CMOP). She is investigating phytoplankton and dissolved organic carbon as environmental water quality indicators in the Tualatin and Willamette Rivers.

"This is an amazing opportunity," Goldman says. "I am looking forward to working with the USGS to investigate the potential links between climate and algal bloom events in the river."

Goldman's first project will be installing a high-resolution monitoring system in the Willamette River. This system will collect water quality data and transmit it in real-time to the USGS web site. Goldman will process the data to learn more about the health of the river ecosystem.

"Jami's student position at the USGS Portland office has provided us with exciting new opportunities for collaborative research," says her advisor Joe Needoba, Ph.D. "Jami's research project will benefit immensely by the direct application of our research interests to the real-world water quality problems that the USGS undertakes at a local and a national scale."

The Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) component of the USGS program offers valuable work experience that is directly related to a student's academic field of study. SCEP combines academic classroom learning with practical, on-the-job experience and provides students with paid work experience in their field of study.

Goldman's involvement with SCEP will last the duration of her education and she hopes may lead to permanent employment with the USGS.

Written by Jeff Schilling