The Institute for Watershed Studies (IWS) supports a wide variety of interdisciplinary projects that provide exciting opportunities for students to engage in relevant watershed research and make important contributions to the community. One example of this is the Northwest Lakes Monitoring Project, a community service project that provides water quality data and other information for over 60 lakes in our region. This project was instrumental in Western Washington University being awarded the National President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction Award in 2013 and 2015. Your donation to the Institute for Watershed Studies will help ensure the continued success of this and other student projects that benefit our local community.
The Institute for Watershed Studies supports student research by providing hands-on learning opportunities, as well as exposure to cutting-edge scientific techniques and analytical equipment. Many graduates from our institute have gone on to use these skills in professional careers and graduate school.
MEET THE UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS WHO BENEFIT FROM YOUR GENEROSITY
Payton Bovee (she/her) is an undergraduate in her senior year studying environmental science with a freshwater and terrestrial ecology emphasis. Originally from New Mexico, Payton came to Western Washington University for the Secondary Education Program but quickly changed majors after taking an evolution and ecology class where she fell in love with the interdisciplinary aspect of Environmental Science. She joined the Institute of Watershed Studies in the summer of 2024 where she and a fellow student visited and collected water quality and algae samples from 60+ lakes throughout northwest Washington as part of the Northwest Lakes Monitoring Project. She then analyzed these samples for a variety of water quality parameters, including alkalinity, dissolved oxygen levels, pH, and chlorophyll to characterize and understand land-use impacts on water quality.
Payton says her involvement with the Institute for Watershed Studies cemented her desire to pursue a career related to watershed studies, exploring the interactions between freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. This experience allowed her to build valuable skills in both a lab and field setting as they pertain to water quality assessment. Payton says she feels equipped with the skill set and knowledge to pursue other scientific research opportunities and graduate school in the coming years.
Evelyn Carroll (she/her) is an undergraduate in her senior year studying Environmental Science with an Environmental Toxicology emphasis. Originally from Eastern Washington, Evelyn moved to Bellingham to study Environmental Science. She joined the Institute for Watershed Studies in the summer of her junior year and had a wonderful experience doing field work at numerous delightful small lakes. Learning about the impact of land use on water quality parameters and algae gave her a sense of the beauty and value of our northwest freshwater lakes.
Working on the Northwest Lakes Project gave Evelyn her first experience as a paid research assistant and field technician, allowing her to build lab and field skills. The Institute for Watershed Studies helped her gain a greater understanding of how scientific research is done and prepared her well for graduate school and other future jobs.
