Marissa Loftus, Wilkes-Barre to volunteer for EPCAMR Summer Internship and use her Strength in Chemistry to Help Create New UpCycled Educational Exhibit Materials among other Tasks

Marissa Loftus, a Wilkes-Barre native recently graduated from Luzerne County Community College with an A.S. in Chemistry. Currently, she is completing a Bachelor’s degree in Geology at Kutztown University. Having grown up in Wilkes-Barre, Marissa has always had an interest in the history of coal mining in the Anthracite Region. She has an interest in the reclamation of abandoned mine lands and water testing. Coupled with this interest, is her experience with underground maps and chemistry. She has experience in tutoring children and adults in science and math learning environments and classroom-based experiences with microscopes, reagents, and organic chemistry.

Marissa Loftus taking a break on one of her caving expeditions.

Given her background, EPCAMR has asked her to come up with a comparison between several models of microscopes

Example of one type of compound microscope.

that we might be able to use in our office to support some of our STEM teaching opportunities in the future that may end up being more virtual experiences than personal as we go forward post-COVID-19. EPCAMR is looking for the best brand and model with a reasonable price point that will be able to have pictures taken of what we place on the trays, slides, or petri dishes as live samples or iron-laden water, macro-invertebrates, or plant cell walls. Marissa’s first task will be to put together a budget and Excel Sheet comparing models and prices to help us to decide what to purchase. It should have an exceptional zoom power and range for viewing macroinvertebrates and bacteria like blue-green and filamentous algae.

EPCAMR Executive Director Bobby Hughes asked her with her background in organic chemistry to come up with a creative way to recycle or upcycle some small items to create iron oxide and hydroxide molecules and aluminum oxide and hydroxide molecules for our EPCAMR exhibit, future environmental fairs, or to use as a hands-on learning tool and visual display item. “I’ve asked her to think along the lines of steampunk and the recycling of aluminum cans or recycled trash and plastics. I’m sure she can think of something creative. We look forward to her volunteering with us virtually at this time for a non-traditional internship approach that we’ve had to undertake, while we are continuing to work remotely until the PA Governor’s Order is lifted for Luzerne County that will allow us to slowly return to work and our Office opens up in a new way.

A piece of pyrite.

Pyrite (FeS2) would be another one that we would need and manganese oxide and hydroxide would be another. A water molecule too and a hydroxyl ion (OH), Sodium (Na), Calcium (Ca), Carbonate (H₂CO₃), Limestone (CaCO₃), Hydrogen Peroxide (H₂O₂) too, Sodium Chloride (NaCl), Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S) gas and Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) would all be others that we could use too. “

“I’ve asked her to convert our graphic of the pH Scale in our coloring/activity book, “The AMD Avengers vs The Pollution Posse” that would be cool to turn into a real-life display,” Hughes said with excitement.

The pH Scale graphic from EPCAMR’s The AMD Avengers vs The Pollution Posse Activity/Coloring Book.

Marissa will be assisting Kyle Argenziano, EPCAMR Watershed Outreach Intern from Bloomsburg University with on identifying historical areas within parts of the City of Wilkes-Barre that fall within the Mill Creek/Gardner Creek watershed boundary for our Coldwater Conservation Plan development that we will be starting since she knows the area very well having lived there most of her life. She’ll be looking for reference documents, photos, citations, reports, and various landmarks.

Marissa stated that “Through a volunteer internship at EPCAMR, I hope to utilize my knowledge of the area while gaining more experience in learning the methods of water quality testing, culvert assessments, and mine land reclamation.” In her spare time, Marissa spends time hiking and exploring and mapping caves. She has extensive experience in mapping 2D underground passages with both digital and analog tools.