TESC 495: Environmental research experience has been taught here at the Center for Urban Waters since the summer of 2019. In this course, students meet at the UW Tacoma lab space at CUW to work on microplastics research. At the end of the quarter, we host a symposium where our students will get experience presenting their findings. 

In 2019, students analyzed sediments from Puget Sound by measuring grain-size & total organic content, determining the presence & distribution of harmful algae, and isolating & characterizing microplastics within the sediments.  Data and analyses will be shared with the workgroup monitoring ecological systems within our region over time.

Check out the article below on the class and the students who participated!

research undergrad summer 2019 feature image

How They Spent Their Summer

A group of UW Tacoma students and one recent alumna spent their summer in the lab as part of Senior Lecturer Julie Masura's environmental research experience course.

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Here are some great reasons to take a class at CUW:

  • Contribute to a long-term research project 
  • Meet UWT research scientists and graduate students
  • See what it's like working in a university research lab
  • Enjoy the summer on the Thea Foss waterfront!