Recent graduate Ali Boardwine received a particularly special accolade before graduating on May 11 with a Bachelor of Science in bioprocess engineering and minors in business and public health.
The Career Discovery and Success office within the Office of the Provost participated in the National Student Employment Awards with a dinner to honor student workers on and off campus. Each spring, the National Student Employment Association coordinates a selection process and chooses the National Student Employee of the Year to recognize the outstanding contributions and achievements of students who work while attending college. Nominations begin at the institutional level and advance to national levels.
Boardwine received the Technology & Innovation Competency Award. She was nominated by her supervisor Associate Professor Tham Hoang.
“Receiving this honor was a deeply humbling and meaningful experience for me,” Boardwine said. “The integration of technology into our research has allowed us to gain a better understanding of the environmental challenges we face and how to mitigate them. This award is a validation of the work we’ve done in the lab, and it is encouraging to continue pursuing innovative solutions for the preservation of our environment.”
Boardwine has worked in Hoang’s lab — the Ecotoxicology and Risk Assessment Lab in the School of Fisheries, Aquaculture & Aquatic Sciences — since May 2023. Her work in the lab included researching the effects of human-made pollutants such as heavy metals and microplastics on aquatic environments and organisms along with technical writing for research publications; collaborating with professionals on all aspects of aquatic toxicology test designs while following regulations to pursue new research topics and effectively document progress and present results; and conducting field sampling work for microplastic surveillance in the Alabama River including recording water quality parameters.
“This opportunity to contribute to this research and publications has been something I will cherish forever, and this award is not only a testament to me, but also Dr. Hoang and all my colleagues,” she said.
