Brody in front of his research poster titled “Breaking ground: Construction impacts on nutrient loads in an urban stream.”
Author: Brody Wilson | Major: Environmental, Soil, and Water Science | Semester: Spring 2025
My name is Brody Wilson, and I am an undergraduate honors students studying Environmental, Soil, and Water Science, along with a minor in chemistry, and I had the chance to attend and present at the 2025 Society for Freshwater Science (SFS) annual meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico. In San Juan, I presented my ongoing undergraduate honors thesis research as a poster, titled, “Breaking ground: Construction impacts on nutrient loads in an urban stream.” My research is looking at how a large-scale hotel construction project in Fayetteville is affecting the water quality of a small-order urban stream, specifically the Nitrate and Soluble Reactive Phosphorus Loads. I received lots of valuable feedback from numerous freshwater science professionals, professors, post-docs, graduate students, and even other undergraduate students from across the world.
Each day, I got to attend oral presentations, where freshwater scientists presented research in many areas, such as biogeochemistry, hydroecology, plants and algae, and aquatic macroinvertebrates. This trip was the most valuable professional development activity I have done. I learned many new things and terms that might help with my research currently, or in the future. I also had the chance to network with many graduate students and professors from across the country. I got to attend a business lunch, and recruiting event, and social events where I got to meet new people and network as much as possible. I also got to attend an Endowment reception, where I was awarded the SFS Undergraduate Travel award, where I got to network with many freshwater professors. I also had lots of fun with my lab mates and mentor. We got to go to the beach, go to fun dinners and lunches, play cards, and hang out by the pool. I got to support my mentor and lab mates in all of their oral presentations and help them practice and prepare as much as possible.
At the conference, I got to present my research as a poster, where I got lots of feedback from many individuals. This was my third time presenting my research, so I was very prepared to answer questions and present. I had a lot of interest in my poster, and this was the busiest out of all the three posters I had been, which was a lot of fun. I got to talk to many professors and students about my research, and it was very validating seeing their genuine interest in my research. If I had any advice for anyone who wants to share their research, is to talk with your mentor and share your desire to attend a conference and ask them for help on the numerous ways you can receive support to travel to a conference. SFS was a great experience to see what a large (800+ people) conference was like, and I hope to attend in the future. I plan to serve on a subcommittee in the Student Resources Committee for the upcoming year, and I am very excited to get started! I have one more year left of school, and I hope to continue conducting research at a graduate program, either studying freshwater science or agronomy.