APSU engineering physics student tackles plastic pollution at University of Pittsburgh
Keira Scott, an Austin Peay State University engineering physics major with a minor in mathematics, spent her summer at the University of Pittsburgh. Keira Scott, an Austin Peay State University engineering physics major with a minor in mathematics, spent her summer at the University of Pittsburgh researching biodegradable alternatives to petroleum-based plastics. She was selected for the National Science Foundation's Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, where she developed coatings to combat plastic pollution, a serious environmental issue that can take hundreds of years to break down in the ocean and release harmful chemicals that reach the food chain. The team developed a protective coating that would keep moisture out long enough for the material while allowing it to biodegrade quickly once discarded. The research involved constant trade-offs, including too much beeswax improving water resistance but making the material cloudy and less appealing for food packaging. This is Scott's second REU opportunity, after studying hydrophobic thin film coatings for space telescopes at Brigham Young University in 2025. She credits Austin Peays faculty for encouraging her throughout the process and opening doors to campus involvement. She plans to share her knowledge of research opportunities with other students interested in research and encourage them to see REUs as a path to graduate school.
Publicerad : 2 dagar sedan förbi ClarksvilleNow.com i Environment Science
CLARKSVILLE, TN – Keira Scott, an Austin Peay State University engineering physics major with a minor in mathematics, spent her summer at the University of Pittsburgh developing coatings to help addre... [3992 symbols]
Ämnen: Academia, Environmental Crime
