Rodrigo is a Ph.D. student in Environmental Engineering at the University of Arizona. He has been in Tucson for 3 years. He got a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the Universidad Auónoma de Querétaro and a master’s degree in Environmental Geochemistry from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM).

During his masters he studied the mobility of mercury in soils in abandoned mines. Working with the commnuties sorrounding the mines made him realize that he wanted to continue preparing  to help solve that kind of environmental problems.

His research in the UofA is focused on improving bipolar membranes to generate acids and bases from salty streams. The objective of his project is to model the water dissociation reaction when a voltage is applied using computational chemistry. This will help to improve the design of the membranes and possible in the near future reduce the amount of waste during water treatment.  Even when his current research is not involved with contaminants,  he is planning to combine this modeling knowledge with his previous lab and field experience.

When he is not in his computer drawing molecules he is also a Spanish instructor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese. In my spare time he likes to play videogames, watch sports and attend comic conventions.

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Your hosts for the program are Mónica Ramírez-Andreotta, Assistant Professor, Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, and KXCI host, producer and instructor Bridgitte Thum, who will be interviewing two students per week.

Tune in for twice the Thesis Thursday, our main featured mini-program on that day of the week!

Broadcast times and departments:
4:55 a.m. – Thesis Thursday Department of Soil. Water and Environmental Sciences with Monica
9:55 a.m. – Thesis Thursday  UBRP with Bridgitte
11:55 a.m. – Thesis Thursday Department of Soil. Water and Environmental Sciences with Monica
12:55 p.m. – Thesis Thursday  UBRP with Bridgitte
2:55 p.m.-Thesis Thursday Department of Soil. Water and Environmental Sciences with Monica
5:55 p.m. – Thesis Thursday  UBRP with Bridgitte

 

History: Since 2013, The University of Arizona’s Undergraduate Biology Research Program has partnered with KXCI 91.3 to produce “Thesis Thursday,” a weekly segment featuring student researchers talking about their undergraduate thesis projects, or research projects while working with University professors. Students describe their research, their overall goals and career interests and where they think their research will lead. They also get a chance to share their music and interests that motivate them.

Created by Cathy Rivers, engineered and produced by Bridgitte Thum.