From Streams to Science: Saint Vincent Student Explores Water Pollution and Health Impacts

Saint Vincent College junior Maura Jodkin turned a summer internship into an opportunity for real-world scientific discovery—and a chance to share her findings with the academic community. In December 2025, she presented a research poster at the Student Symposium on the Environment at Westminster College in New Wilmington, an event celebrating student-led environmental studies across the region.

Her presentation, titled “Factors Affecting Phosphate Release from Mine Drainage-Impacted Stream Sediments,” grew out of an internship from May to June 2025. Working alongside Dr. Peter Smyntek, associate professor of environmental education and biological science in the Herbert W. Boyer School of Natural Sciences, Mathematics and Computing, Jodkin investigated local water quality issues.

“I hope to earn my master’s in public or environmental health,” Jodkin said. “Dr. Smyntek helped me find a project that connects with those interests—even though opportunities like that can be hard to find.”

The hands-on research took Jodkin and her peers to two area streams—Fourmile Run in Unity Township and Jacks Run near the Greater Greensburg Wastewater Treatment Plant. Fieldwork brought surprises along the way. “We saw a lot of wildlife, and I even got to hold a baby snapping turtle,” she said with a smile. “That might have been the best part of my summer.”

Back at the Saint Vincent lab, the team analyzed samples for pH, oxygen saturation, and alkalinity to study how two major pollutants—abandoned mine drainage and phosphate nutrients from fertilizers and treated wastewater—interact in local waterways. The findings revealed that as pH levels increase, phosphate bonded to iron can detach and re-enter the water, potentially fueling algal blooms and complicating stream restoration efforts.

Jodkin worked closely with Eli Duvall, a sophomore double major in environmental chemistry and engineering, while continuing the research that previous students—Trenten Ferree and Josh Hartner—had begun in 2024. All contributed to the study and were credited as co-authors on the poster.

“Maura is an inquisitive and diligent researcher who enjoys sharing her enthusiasm for the natural environment,” Dr. Smyntek said.

For Jodkin, a 2023 graduate of Plum Senior High School, a love of nature sparked her career path early. Saint Vincent has deepened that passion through opportunities such as her work-study position at the Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve, where she assists with animal care and education programs. She has also served as a teaching assistant for General Biology Laboratory II, helping students learn lab skills like micropipetting and bacterial culturing, and as a tutor supporting her peers.

“I really enjoy helping younger students,” Jodkin said. “It’s rewarding to see their ideas and excitement for learning.”

Outside the classroom, she serves on the Biology Student Leadership Council, welcoming prospective students during recruitment events and sharing her college experience. She also embraces the College’s liberal arts approach, pursuing minors in history and public health and participating in the Scholar Honors Program. A fall course in Native American history with Dr. Tim Kelly led her to explore how environmental themes connect with world history and global development.

Looking ahead, Jodkin hopes to build a research-based career that examines the link between environment and human health—particularly its effects on children. When she isn’t in the field or lab, she babysits and coaches young gymnasts. “Kids are so vulnerable to environmental factors as they grow,” she said. “I want to help protect that.”