Profile
Michelle Valkanas
My CV
-
Education:
I went to Duquesne University for undergraduate, it is in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA. I am also getting my Ph.D. at Duquesne University.
-
Qualifications:
I have a B.S. in Biology with a minor in mathematics. I am also a Ph.D. Candidate in microbiology
-
Work History:
I worked at RJ Lee Group as a lab technician for 2 years before starting graduate school and was also a chemical analyst at a water testing lab, CWM Environmental, my senior year of undergrad.
-
Current Job:
I am a Ph.D. Candidate in Microbiology and also a teaching assistant teaching microbiology labs to juniors in college
-
About Me:
I am a currently getting my Ph.D. in microbiology and am a mom of 3!
-
Read more
I live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania U.S.A. I have been married 8 years to my husband, Tom. We have a 7 year old son, a 6 year old daughter, and a 11 year old chubby dachshund.
Our family LOVES hockey (let’s go pens!) and playing pinball! There is a local arcade dedicated to pinball alone and they have at least 10 different pinball machines at any given time.
-
Read more
Bioremediation is the study of any biological organism in the context of remediation (cleaning or restoring the environment). Biological organisms can be anything from plants to bacteria and restoration can be replacing damaged soil so that plants/trees can grow or removing contamination, such as lead or oil, from water. Did you know that microorganisms can actually “eat” oil from oil spills saving the oceans and the wildlife that live in it? I study streams and creeks that are polluted with coal mine drainage. Mine drainage is a result of industrial digging of coal that leads to water with low pH (acidic like orange juice) and metals such as iron and aluminum. These waters kill all of the fish and insects that typically live in them and often make them bright orange (they call this “yellow boy”). Despite fish and insects being unable to live in these environments, bacteria can still live and in fact can actually help to restore the water. I study how to encourage these good bacteria to grow so that we can more quickly clean the water and restore it to the condition it was previously.
-
My Typical Day:
Growing bacteria in mine drainage and seeing what happens over time
-
Read more
I grow bacteria in the lab that was collected from sites like shown above. The bacteria often cluster together to protect themselves. This results in pictures displayed here, yes that looks like a cloud and dippin’ dots but it is in fact bacteria! I then take the bacteria and place it in mine drainage to see if it can remediate the water. Through a series of colorimetric assays, where I measure changes in color, I can determine if the bacteria are decreasing or increasing the metals in the water.
-
What I'd do with the prize money:
Organize a hands-on STEM activity for inner city children that do not get a lot of science exposure.
-
My Interview
-
How would you describe yourself in 3 words?
organized, enthusiastic, funny
What did you want to be after you left school?
When I left high school, all I knew was that I wanted to help people. It was not until college that I realized I wanted to be a scientist!
Were you ever in trouble at school?
yes, I sometimes talked to much!
Who is your favourite singer or band?
Maroon 5, "Girls like you" is my jam!
What's your favourite food?
Tacos, I could easily eat them every single day
If you had 3 wishes for yourself what would they be? - be honest!
I wish I could learn a second language (or all languages?), I wish I had a way to never hit traffic like a hover car or a helicopter, and I wish could travel more.
Tell us a joke.
Why should you not trust an atom? ..... because they makeup everything!
-