Congratulations to EWU McNair Scholar Lucia Roussa! Lucia has been selected by the Seattle Association for Women in Science for the Leon and Emma Solomon Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is named for Leon and Emma Solomon who supported their daughter, now Dr. Fran Solomon, in pursuing her education and career goals. Dr. Fran Solomon is an environmental biologist and Lucia is looking to go to graduate school in a similar field.
Currently, Lucia is finishing a dual Environmental Science and Biology major at Eastern Washington University. She works with Dr. Camille McNeely on her project investigating the relationship between freshwater algal abundance and diversity through analyzing the eutrophication of wetlands in Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge. Lucia’s research interests include phycology, marine microbiology, and conservation science in coastal marine ecosystems. In future projects, she would like to explore the various roles that algae play in our world and potential solutions to environmental problems related to algae. Her goal is to obtain a PhD and be a role model for those who feel like STEM fields are limited to those with economic privilege, or those who feel insecure entering a male-dominated field.