Holly Waldecker Presents Research at National Geological Conference

2012 Oct 24

Holly Waldecker, first-year pharmacy student in the College of Pharmacy at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED), is presenting her research "Heavy Metal Analysis and Geochemistry of Sediment on the Great Miami River" at the Geological Society of America (GSA)'s 2012 meeting and exposition in Charlotte, N.C., Nov. 4-7.

During her coursework at the University of Toledo, where she focused on pharmaceutical sciences with an emphasis in pharmacology and toxicology, Waldecker took part in a research experience for undergraduates (REU) in ecology. Under the direction of Mark Krekeler, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Geology and Environmental Earth Sciences at Miami University, she spent her 10-week research experience collecting sediment samples from the Great Miami River, analyzing what metals were present, and determining the correlations between metals, which could give a background for further research, such as connecting them to pollutants from local sources.

In addition to presenting the results of her research during an open session talk at the annual GSA conference, Waldecker will be the first author of an upcoming paper on the topic that will be published next year.

Waldecker is from Grafton, Ohio, and a graduate of Keystone High School. She is the daughter of Susan Waldecker.

Northeast Ohio Medical University is a community-based, public medical university with a mission to improve the quality of health care in Northeast Ohio working in collaboration with its educational and clinical partners. With a focus on scientific and medical research, and the interprofessional training of health professionals that is unique to the state of Ohio, the University offers a doctor of medicine (M.D.) and a doctor of pharmacy (Pharm.D.) degree, in addition to graduate-level coursework and research opportunities leading to master's and doctoral degrees in other medical areas. Northeast Ohio Medical University is a founding member of the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron. Visit www.neomed.edu.