Jennifer Nyman of Great Falls was in Washington, D.C., April 14 to tell U.S. senators and representatives about her research involving the use of bacteria to clean up groundwater contamination. She was one of 80 students chosen by the National Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) to participate in the group’s third poster session.

"I enjoy science and math a lot," said Nyman, a junior majoring in chemical engineering and minoring in music performance. "I like fixing problems in the lab."

Research has helped her studies by illustrating the concepts she’s learned in class, Nyman added.

Nyman has been involved in her bioremediation research for two years through MSU’s Center for Biofilm Engineering. She has also served internships at Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Mich. After graduating from MSU, she plans to go to graduate school and continue her involvement in research.

MSU students who previously presented their research projects in Washington, D.C., were Sean Sandborgh of Bozeman and Jason Kuhl of Helena. Last year, Sandborgh explained his research involving large-scale magnetic systems found in the sun’s atmosphere. The year before, he described his work with corn genetics. Kuhl presented his research last year on the pituitary glands of rats.

MSU’s latest representative in Washington has received many honors. Nyman was one of three MSU students who recently received the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship. She is a Presidential Scholar, the university’s largest merit-based scholarship. She is a National Merit Scholar, the recipient of the Lloyd Berg Outstanding Junior in Chemical Engineering, a recipient of the Great Falls Tribune’s Silver Pen Award for writing, and a member of Septemviri, a group of the university’s top seven seniors.

Sharon Eversman, director of MSU’s Undergraduate Scholars Program, added that Nyman is an excellent violinist with the Bozeman Symphony and MSU Chamber Orchestra.