Joel Pierson: I was born and raised in the Midwest and enjoyed the sand dunes on the shores of Lake Michigan near Traverse City, MI. After receiving a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at Hope College in 2007 I followed my lovely girlfriend, who is now my lovely wife, to Alaska and taught chemistry and earth sciences for four years.My interest in water quality took hold in Alaska while learning about legacy contamination on military bases near Fairbanks, AK and oil spill remediation efforts throughout the state. Observing efforts to preserve pristine and sensitive wilderness from mining development also pointed me towards a Master’s of Science in geology at the University of Utah, focusing on geochemistry and water quality. I participated in several geochemical investigations of the Great Salt Lake and its surrounding wetlands. I also enjoyed a study abroad trip to Ecuador where we assessed the impact of mining on surface water and groundwater resources.

My thesis focused on the Willard Spur and simulating nutrient loads to assess the impacts of effluent from a wastewater treatment plant on the Willard Spur water and sediment. I feel very fortunate to have conducted research in the context of caring about the health and resiliency of a beautiful place. With free time I enjoy building something useful and being outside on any sort of human powered adventure including skiing, biking, hiking, and packrafting.