A Force for Good

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The intersections of environmentalism and policy can be found everywhere, but at the federal level, they’re found on Capitol Hill.

Stephanie Houser, a PhD student at IIHR and the University of Iowa, returned to campus in February 2022. She is working with her advisor, Assistant Professor of Occupational and Environmental Health Kelly Baker. Houser had spent a year stationed on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., as a Knauss Sea Grant Fellow, working for Pennsylvania Representative Matt Cartwright. She is returning to her studies after a year on the East Coast assisting Cartwright with legislative work, helping constituents, and writing speeches.

Houser’s path thus far has ranged from dual degrees in engineering and international relations at Bucknell University, to a master’s degree in engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, to her fellowship in D.C., and finally back to the University of Iowa to complete a PhD in civil and environmental engineering. She has studied all across the United States, expanding her knowledge in hopes of using science as a force for good.

Houser says she was inspired to pursue science at a young age when a teacher encouraged her to join after-school academic activities and clubs, including Future Cities, Science Bowl, and Solar Sprint. These activities piqued her interest in science at a young age.

“I really wanted to help people, and I saw engineering as a way to do that.”

As she grew older, Houser noticed ongoing inequities in communities without access to clean drinking water. Sustainability through science became her goal, and she saw a path forward in engineering. From there, she searched for a way to apply her knowledge and make a difference in the world. Recently, Houser has noticed a need for clean water in her own backyard. Many counties in Iowa offer free well water testing to residents through the Grants to Counties Program, though a recent study at the University of Iowa found that much of that grant money goes unused each year. Houser’s research group has partnered with Dubuque County in northeastern Iowa to test private wells in the area for microbial and chemical contaminants. Some of the more recognizable contaminant names include Giardia, Salmonella, and E. coli. The researchers will also be using microbialsource tracking markers to attempt to locate the source of contamination, whether it be from livestock, runoff, or a septic tank leak.

In her absence, David Cwiertny, an IIHR research engineer and a member of her PhD committee, contacted locals in the Dubuque County area to ask for access to their private wells for testing purposes. Cwiertny and his students will use these wells in their research as they search for answers about local microbial contaminants during Houser’s final year of study.

When she completes her doctorate, Houser has a few ideas for her next venture, including heading back into scientific policy.

“I see myself working probably in an agency or a nonprofit, trying to make sure we’re enforcing good use of the science to protect human health and our environment,” she says.

Houser says she enjoyed her time in D.C. with the other fellows. They got together for bike rides on the National Mall and to explore the area. On her own, she enjoyed searching the farmers market for breakfast or fresh fruit and taking her dog out for walks in the city. For now, Houser is happy to be back in Iowa, a place she says has an active volleyball community she is excited to reconnect with.