Paul Nam: Saving the world with green slime

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Dr. Paul Nam. Missouri S&T professor of chemistry. Photo by B.A. Rupert

Several glass containers filled with algae-stained water sit on a table in Paul Nam‘s laboratory. Next to the big green bottles are two much smaller vials containing an oily substance. At first, the amount of potential fuel in these little vials doesn’t seem too impressive. But Dr. Nam says algae could play a big role in the unfolding dramas associated with finding alternative sources of energy and reducing greenhouse gases.

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Samantha Filla

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Samantha Filla, Missouri S&T student. Photo by B.A. Rupert

English and secondary education student Samantha Filla says she came to Missouri S&T because, here, she’s a name and not just a number. When she was a little girl, she liked to play “school,” pretending she was the teacher.

“I know I want to be a teacher. I have always known that.”

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Phillip Mulligan: Master blaster

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Phillip Mulligan, Missouri S&T Ph.D. student. Photo by B.A. Rupert

Ph.D. student Phillip Mulligan is trying to make improvised explosive devices more powerful with the idea of eventually making them less deadly.

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Markell Mills

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Markell Mills, Missouri S&T student. Photo by B.A. Rupert

Architectural engineering student Markell Mills plays the drums in a band and is involved with Voices of Inspiration, a student choir. He is also the drawing expert for the Solar House Team at S&T.

“I participate in research with the Solar House Team. I’m working on design modeling and energy efficiency.”

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Jennifer Hoffman

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Jennifer Hoffman, Missouri S&T student. Photo submitted

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If it involves flying, count Jennifer Hoffman in. Since coming to S&T, this aerospace engineering student has worked with the U.S. Air Force on its B-52 and F-10 engines, traveled to Bolivia to lead an Engineers Without Borders team, and helped the Miners in Space team prepare for experiments in micro-gravity.

“I’ve been fascinated with spaceflight since I was 8 and it’s great to learn the things that engineers have done in the past and, hopefully, one day I will do myself.”

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John McManus: In praise of ‘grunts’

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John McManus, Missouri S&T historian. Photo by B.A. Rupert

Today’s military relies on a lot of technology to fight battles. But troops – not technology – win the wars.

So says Missouri S&T historian John C. McManus in his new book about America’s ground forces, Grunts: Inside the American Infantry Combat Experience, World War II Through Iraq.

The foot soldier has been the most indispensable – and most overlooked – factor in wartime victory, says McManus, an associate professor of U.S. military history.

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Garrick Johnson

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Garrick Johnson, Missouri S&T student. Photo by B.A. Rupert

Garrick Johnson has always been fascinated by how things work. It’s an interest that led him to major in mechanical engineering at Missouri S&T and helped him land an internship John Deere & Company in Waterloo, Iowa.

“Understanding the development behind these incredible machines as well as driving various models really made the summer worthwhile,” he says. “I learned how to manage my time, and I realized that I have to be prepared to resolve technical issues both efficiently and quickly.”

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Amy Cervantes

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Amy Cervantes, Missouri S&T student. Photo by B.A. Rupert

A first generation college student, Amy Cervantes is already using her education in environmental engineering to make the world a better place. During the past two summers, she has helped clean up hazardous waste sites. She loves to make hazardous or barren sites productive again. In fact, she likes to make productive use of everything in her environment.

“My favorite place to hang out on campus is the yearbook office. I love the painted walls – mostly because I painted them.”

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