Denali capstone and microplastic research.

Students from PWSC are gearing up for an exciting capstone adventure this spring: climbing Denali, North America's tallest peak. Their expedition will aim for the summit and contribute to critical research on microplastics in remote environments.

Recently, the students had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Dee Barker, associate professor of chemistry and environmental sciences at Alaska Pacific University (APU) and a NASA-funded researcher. Barker shared her expertise on the importance of studying microplastics in pristine, isolated locations and explained the methods used to collect and analyze snow and ice samples from Denali. She highlighted the significance of understanding how microplastics have entered such untouched regions.

The students intend to apply for funding through an Alaska Space Grant to support their research. They will have the opportunity to conduct part of their research at the APU chemistry lab, with support from the NASA MIRO Cooperative Agreement Award that APU has received. Barker, who supervises the analysis of melted snow samples at APU's lab, will continue to guide them in developing their sampling protocols for the climb.

As they prepare for this challenging adventure, the students are committed to integrating environmental research into their journey. With Barker's mentorship, they will work together to ensure safe and effective data collection on the impact of plastic pollution. Motivated by both the physical challenge of the climb and the critical nature of their research, these students are ready to make a meaningful contribution to environmental science.