Researcher Biography

Audrey Allen joined Dr. Krekeler’s research group as a freshman to immediately engage in pollutant and geotechnology research. Her ability to communicate scientific findings has improved by developing two first-author manuscripts. She completed two research posters and collaborated on four others for two Geological Society of America (GSA) meetings. She has also given oral presentations, including one at the 2024 Southeastern Section GSA meeting. For her initial research, she identified mercury pollution in northern Indiana by characterizing road sediment samples collected near a coal combustion plant. Her second study pertained to environmental remediation, wherein she analyzed sand from Puerto Rico to determine its viability in water filtration technology. To ensure the application of these findings, she pursued the current study to further characterize Puerto Rican sand to validate its adsorption capacity and develop a geologic medium optimized to mitigate urban runoff.

  Regarding traditional academic efforts, Audrey majors in environmental earth science, co-majors in sustainability, minors in entrepreneurship, and is earning her GIScience certificate. She has also supplemented her education with additional activities. She has been a part of the Miami University Marching Band color guard for three years, and is the founding president of the Miami University chapter of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG). Audrey also studied abroad in Luxembourg during the 2023 Spring semester. She achieved the 2024 Goldwater Scholarship, the 2024 Miami University Provost Student Academic Achievement Award (PSAAA), and university nominations for the 2024 Astronaut and Rhodes Scholarships. To support STEM-based sustainable development, Audrey intends to pursue a graduate education in soil science, focusing on sustainable agriculture.