The Uintah Basin can breathe a little easier thanks to the efforts of a local. USU student Makenzie Breitenbach has received the Undergraduate Research and Creative Opportunity (URCO) grant that will allow her to conduct research on local emissions and air quality. Makenzie is a mother of two who manages two small businesses, helps at her father’s medical practice, and trains show horses. USU Uintah Basin helps students find research and internship opportunities. With the help of her mentor Dr. Seth Lyman, Makenzie was awarded the grant. She will work with the team at the Bingham Research Center to carry out the research, partnering with scientists and experts to ensure she has all the needed resources and gain hands on experience. “The main goal of my research is to aid in producing useful data in updating emissions inventories used in our area and throughout the nation to better understand and predict air quality during winter inversions,” shares Breitenbach. “I spent the summer learning how to operate the lab equipment, like the Gas Chromatography, the Flame Ionization Detector, and the Mass Spectrometer, and I’ll spend most of my time analyzing ambient air samples with these tools.”
