UCSC-GEOPATHS SUMMER INTERNSHIP: Protecting California’s Groundwater Resources

Abstract:

UCSC GEOPATHS is an NSF-supported initiative to improve student success in the geosciences, driven by a desire to broaden participation. One component of the program is undergraduate student internships that provide authentic, career-relevant experiences – across all employment sectors – to increase student engagement in the geoscience pipeline.

My GEOPATHS Internship at Weber, Hayes & Associates (WHA) focused on providing hydrogeologic and environmental engineering consulting services to clients throughout Santa Cruz county and neighboring counties within central California. I was cross-trained by staff geologists and engineers on a wide range of job sites, in the processes of sample/data collection, as well as in consultation reporting. Soil and groundwater that has been contaminated with hazardous waste must be remediated, monitored, and given a clean bill of health before any development can take place. The monitoring of a contaminated site involves groundwater sampling via water monitoring wells to detect hazardous constituents such as petroleum hydrocarbons, and soil vapor sampling via vapor monitoring wells to detect volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as trichloroethylene, an industrial solvent used in dry cleaning.

This internship was an opportunity for me to gain hands on experience in the field, using sampling equipment and analytical technology, as well as gain insight on the interconnections between geology and engineering through environmental consultation. I will share my experiences in the program.