Field-Trip to Long Island Vineyard
3rd Agricultural Geophysics Workshop at Cornell University’s Long Island Horticultural Research & Extension Center
Reflections
Innovation Unedited
Kenneth Arrow: 1972
Nobel Prize in Economics
Robert Aumann: 2005
Nobel Prize in Economics
Julius Axelrod: 1970
Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology
Stanley Cohen: 1986
Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology
Gertrude Elion: 1988
Nobel Prize in Physics
Herbert Hauptman: 1985
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Robert Hofstadter: 1961
Nobel Prize in Physics
Jerome Karle: 1985
Nobel Prize in Chemistry
Arthur Kornberg: 1959
Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology
Leon Lederman: 1988
Nobel Prize in Physics
Arno Penzias: 1978
Nobel Prize in Astrophysics
Julian Schwinger: 1965
Nobel Prize in Physics
Rosalyn Yalow: 1977
Nobel Prize in Medicine
Lindsay Siegel
Executive Director
Zahn Innovation Center
City College of New York
Elizabeth Vilchis
Operations
Homer Delivery
Andrew L. Russell, Ph.D.
Director
Science & Tech Studies Prog
Associate Professor, History
Stevens Institute of Technology
Aaron M. Socha, Ph.D.
Director: Ctr for Sust Energy
Professor: Department of Chemistry
Bronx Community College, CUNY
Theo Vassilakis, Ph.D.
Founder & CEO
Metanautix
I am one of the co-authors of this project. Specifically, I helped author the abstract, the public health data, the challenges, and the references. I also edited the copy once we finished writing all the text, found and researched some of the photos used, and helped to design the poster’s overall layout. Creating this poster was an enjoyable experience. It was the first time I had the opportunity to create a scientific poster of this nature, and thus I learned about the inherent challenges that come with this task, such as writing while being mindful of the audience that the poster is aimed toward and presenting the pertinent information in a succinct manner. Moreover, on the issue itself, I learned about the various complexities of trying to intervene in a locale like Ijegun, where varying dialects and historical conflicts present obstacles to our efforts to help. Prior to my involvement, I did not know that oil spills occurred so frequently in this area and that local governments do not do much to stop them because of back-door deals with large oil corporations. Researching this issue extensively has made me more aware of the extent to which international support is needed to solve this problem for good, and has motivated me to lend a hand in doing so.
My main responsibilities for this poster project involved research and organization of the poster layout. Initially, I was interested in this subject because of the huge impact that this disaster had on both the wildlife and residents of the surrounding area. As a biology major, I wanted to learn more about how exposure to crude oil could impact ecosystems and human health, as well as how biological agents could aid in the remediation of this major issue. I searched for articles and journals that were relevant to our project and helped formulate opinions on how to remediate the issue based on our research. I determined that the most effective method of remediation would be bioremediation, due to its relative low cost, efficiency, and the fact that it would not release more toxins into the environment (like many other methods of oil remediation). In addition to researching and determining the best method of remediation for this project, I also helped create the template for our poster- equally spacing divided sections, inserting graphics, etc. This project was an incredibly enlightening experience. I was able to learn about a major issue that I previously did not know anything about. In addition, it was interesting to incorporate biological methods to remediate an issue that has a tremendous social impact.
I am one of the co-authors for this poster. I authored the first drafts of many of the sections on this poster including the “efforts to date” section, “equipment list and budget” section, “ultimate goals within budget” section and also the “opinions/recommendations” section. I also researched the health risks associated with the oil spill as well as the equipment and budget necessary to complete this cleanup effort. The creation of this poster was a very entertaining experience, especially now that I have seen the final edition of the poster. It was my first time creating a scientific poster on this scale and this experience has taught me a lot about making the information you present appealing to the audience. Prior to researching this incident and subsequently how to clean up the mess left behind, I did not have a very realistic understanding of how to cleanup an oil spill. This project has taught me how valuable naturally-occurring organisms can be in efforts to reduce the impact of an oil spill. They are much less expensive than the traditional cleanup methods I had in mind and can still be more effective than those methods.
The application of bioremediation here seems like a very reasonable solution. What really stuck out to me were the figures and charts that corresponded to previous bioremediation efforts. These really supports and justify bioremediation as an option for cleaning the oil. The images and charts also balance very well with the text in terms of design.
The poster was very well done, and I especially like the graph that showed how concentration would decrease with time. Based on that, it seems like bioremediation would be a good solution, since the concentration would be fairly low after only 35 days (assuming your solution is similar to the one shown in the graph). The biggest challenge that comes with this project is communicating effectively with people who speak over 300 dialects, but that type of challenge comes with any international project.
Overall, I found the poster aesthetically pleasing and laid out in a very well organized manner. The location maps, give a good idea of where Ijegun is located. It would have been nice though to have relevant statistics about the effects of the oil spill on the people of Ijegun in the “Public Health Data”section. In the “Efforts to Date” section it is made mention of how Alaska dealt with oil spills and I was just curious if one method is more effective or if it can only be used in certain climates.
I love the organization of the poster. The images are well spaced and informational such as not to be overwhelming, but to encourage attention and a natural flow around the poster. The equipment list and budget was very thorough and seems very well thought out and researched. I also liked how you directly addressed the symptoms of the various toxicities in the area to give an idea of what the conditions are truly like as the population suffers through the side-effects of the oil.
I really liked how your poster looks. The pictures you used really showed the extent of the problem and the. I also liked how you structured your solutions. The stages of raising awareness, collecting data, performing tests, and finally cleaning up the spill shows that your solutions were very well thought out.
It’s really cool how you were able to not only research the possible solutions to such a problem, but you were also able to find some useful and necessary equipment for the task and the prices associated with said equipment. Knowing the equipment needed adds a lot of depth to your proposed solution. Another thing about your poster that I really enjoyed were the provocative pictures. They really helped show how bad the oil spill actually was.
I really like the idea of bioremediation as a way to fix the problem. The thought of using living microorganisms to clean the environment is something that I find very interesting. I would like ask is how do these microorganisms dispose of the pollutants, and what do they release in the process, if there is something they do indeed release? My thinking is like the set-up a chemical reaction, there is the reactants being the pollutant, there is the reagent being the microorganism, so what are the reactants?
I thought that the goals for bioremediation on this project were clear, realistic given the regional challenges, and well-explained. I found the explanation of the process very engaging, and I would be interested in knowing which micro-organisms were most successful if this project came to fruition!
Working in a place like Africa is always challenging. That is why i like the fact that you acknowledge the language barrier. Since Nigeria has several tribes who speak several different dialects, it may be a challenge to communicate with them. Also, most tribes in places like Nigeria more often than not have certain internal conflicts which are sometimes suppressed for the greater good of the nation. However, doing a project like this to help perhaps one specific part of Nigeria where one specific tribe is concentrated may cause jealousy in other tribes. They may even go to the extent of vandalizing the materials being used for the cleanup activity.
The goals set for trying to fix the issue were very practical. I really like the idea of using microorganisms to biodegrade oil. Bioremediation sounds more natural as well as cost effective. I also like the color of the poster.
Your poster is clearly presented and very organized. One thing I wonder is if there are political or socioeconomical challenges that your solution may face? i really like your solution to the oil spills: Bioremidation. Essentially using nature to help clean up nature. I also found it interesting that you included an opinions/recommendations section. After explaining in the poster the best-case scenario of you solution, this section still presents more likely, or probable solutions. Goes to show that at the end of the day, you simply want more awareness for such a troubling issue.
I like the simplicity of the poster and how you made your recommendations in short, simple bullet points rather than using a large paragraph to do the same. I liked the use of pictures to show the reader what the situation really looks like rather than making them use their imagination. I also liked how you included an equipment list and budget, because it helped to add a tangible component to your proposed solutions.
The background gradient fill of the poster is unique and provides a peculiar emotional feel to the viewer when viewing, of which I cannot describe (not a bad thing, though). Why is it that the population seems unwilling to cooperate in an effort to cleaning the spill? Though the proposing of many solutions is a good step forward, it is always important to factor in economic costs of said solutions – it is good that the content covered this issue.
The poster had a great explanation of the challenges that would slow down progress in the area. I think it gives the audience a good understanding of the difficulties in cleaning up the issues in Ijegun. I liked the description of efforts to date as well as the ultimate goals. The use of a flowchart, diagram, and graph made it easy and clear to understand bioremediation process.
Great information and a great gradient!
What a problem!
I am a co-author of this poster. My primary focus was on the research on non-scientific aspects of the issue. While the scientific processes can contribute to direct problem solving, a greater synergy occurs when the political and social elements are considered. When we argue to clean up an area, we are not only focused on the ecosystem and the environment of the single location in single point of time. The problem presented is the combination and the culmination of human errors that made the tragedy nearly manifest. While frantically searching for maps, it occurred to me how unknown and unattended our site is. Many topographers must have imagined Ijegun to be insignificant in global scale. Yet, the sufferings that each person goes through will be as big as all the sufferings that I (or you) will go through in our lives. It is only after I have learned of the poverty, destruction, desperate thirst to survive, and the humanity of Ijegun that the issue seemed real. It is an empirical approach, like many other scientific experiments. We need a change, we designed a change, and now we pray that change does occur.
I’m glad that you chose an African country to research and discuss. Is it possible that native residents won’t collaborate because they are unaware of the damages arising from the spill? Also, it’s good to consider the economic status of those in the region — maybe they don’t have the funds to contribute. Who in the region feels the effects of this more?
The poster session was very helpful for getting valuable feedback, not only on the content we presented, but also about our poster presentation. With so many people there that created their own posters on numerous topics, many different perspectives and ideas were present. I also enjoyed the poster session because it gave me the opportunity to view other groups’ posters, which were often based on completely different topics.
My experience with presenting our poster this past Saturday was very positive. I enjoyed interacting with students and professors, hearing their feedback and insights on our research. Some students even shared similarities in their own research with ours, which was unexpected, but much welcomed. As this was my first time presenting a scientific poster, I felt that I culminated significant experience in explaining our research and process in a simplified manner while also letting the poster speak for itself. I felt quite prepared to answer almost all the questions that visitors had, which also made the experience positive for me. The best surprise of the poster session was winning the award for ‘Most Impressive Research and Data.’ I’m glad that visitors found our project well researched and well executed.
The most exciting part of this experience was definitely the poster presentation session. Presenting our work to fellow students and professors was much more fun than I expected it to be. People seemed to be very interested in our project and it was a very rewarding experience overall. Not only did we present the work that we spent a lot of time working on, but we were also able to educate many people about this major issue that most people do not know about. Receiving feedback from various professors helped us understand different ways that we could improve on presenting research and creating posters for future projects. Winning in one category was also a very rewarding part of this experience! In addition, I found it very interesting to learn about what students from different classes and campuses were researching and presenting on. The poster session included posters from a wide variety of subjects, so it was a pleasure to walk around and learn about different poster topics.
I love the arrows in your ‘goals’ section! They really provide a flow to that area and make me want to read all of your data there. The number of maps you used helped me envision where you were talking about and images you had gave me an understanding of your issue. Your commitment to having and sticking to your budget was great and probably absolutely crucial were you to pitch this to some kind of real world investors.
In the recommendations, oil regulation is proposed- should the environmental impacts of how oil companies use Nigerian land be controlled by the government? If so, is the government aware of the situation and are they doing anything about it?
The dispersants were mentioned as a usual way of remediation, why are they used if there are cheap ways that leave the water in a closer to natural state? Who is doing the remediation currently? Is it the Nigerian government or an outside source? I think the poster is informative and has a lot of pertinent information.
It is very sad how one incident can change a whole community. I like this poster and how it brings up all the possible aspects in remediating this location. I really like how it showed the decreasing of oil in respect to time during the remediation. Overall I really like this poster and how in depth they got with the remediation processes.
The technique of bio-remediation sounds good in theory but can take many decades to actually work and will still cause public health issues.
I agree with Lily, the arrows were amazing. The budget was also a great way of someone glancing at this, deciding it has a reasonable cost, and developing a remediation effort.
This remediation process is positive since it’s using the natural environment to clean the water. The approach is not as invasive as most remediation techniques.
The poster is very well organized, easy to follow, and the use of simple language makes it easy for the layman to get a good understanding of what the project is about.
Statistical data should be added in the Public Health Data.
Although the bio-remediation process is illustrated in the “Ultimate Goals Within Budget” section, it looks marginalized. It should be more highlighted as it is the heart of the project. One suggestion to consider is switching “Efforts to Date” with “Ultimate Goals Within Budget,” this puts the objectives of the project front and center.
Do we apply this technic in the USA?
Do you anticipate any problems dealing with the widespread corruption and instability in Nigeria right now?
Really organized and I felt like I was thinking with you as you presented the information. Great job!
The research was done in an organized manner. Its nice how there are flow charts which show the processes of ultimate goals within the budget. The recommendations were short and to the point which is nice.
Another aspect that could have been looked is the cost of the damages, to give the government an incentive to clean it up before it gets worst.
Its great to see the idea of using the ecosystem to combat an issue within the environment. It is important to solve problems internally, and it is very interesting to see the end product, so that we can use the same theory for other environmental hazards.
In Nigeria official business is transacted in English and getting affordable translators locally should not be a problem, so I think the language barrier challenge can be easily overcome. I agree that making sure regulations guiding plant operations are complied with is critical and could be partly responsible for oil spill events in Nigeria.
The title of this poster was very inviting and it pulled me in to read more and learn how such a process works. Very good one of my top 3 favorites
Nicely presented poster. Bio-remediation is one of the most appealing approaches to any problem as it is generally a lot less expensive than other options. Are there success stories using this method? i.e. dose it really work?
I like how you broke down the equipment list and goals within the budget. In addition, you did a good job in considering the lack of cooperation due to gang conflicts in Nigeria. I do think more attention grabbing statistics in the health section could have help with the urgency of the problem.
the topic here is very interesting, we know it would always be the best way to solve the pollution by apply natural organism. the man-made method would come out a new issue somehow.
Comment on previously raised question about how bio-remediation works:
Many scholars do question the process, as bio-remediation will not work if certain criteria do not meet. For example, if the size of the site is not suitable for this method, or if the ecology of the area is particularly unfavorable, the use of organism might even end up hurting the site. However, this does not mean that there is no success stories. There are cases which the sites are cleaned this way, having met all requirements.
For real life application of this process, we would probably need scientists skilled in this field, giving careful calculation and assessment of the site.
Great poster! Any data on the health hazards affecting the people living in Ijegun specifically? if these could be obtained and presented to the people maybe language barrier would be less obstructive and cooperation with the locals would be easier.