Spelunking for a cause

Michael Bradford, senior in geology and geophysics, works with several organizations to improve caves. Photo by Sam O'Keefe.

Michael Bradford, senior in geology and geophysics, works with several organizations to improve caves. Photo by Sam O’Keefe.

Michael Bradford, senior in geology and geophysics with a minor in geological engineering, does not shy away from dirty work. Currently, he is doing research with the Missouri Bat Census that involves checking caves for bats with White Nose Syndrome (WNS), a disease that causes abnormal behavior in bats and eventually leads to their death.

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A ‘down-to-earth’ scholar

Krista Rybacki is a graduate student in geochemistry and environmental geology  from Nashville, Ill. Photo by B.A. Rupert.

Krista Rybacki is a graduate student in geochemistry and environmental geology from Nashville, Ill. Photo by B.A. Rupert.

Krista Rybacki was an exceptional student in high school and continued the tradition with a 4.0 GPA in her undergraduate years as a geology and geophysics major. Now, as a graduate student in geochemistry and environmental geology and a Chancellor’s Fellow, she is conducting research on soil contamination near a lead recycling smelter for her master’s thesis.

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