In the future, the safety of the water that some Ohioans drink or swim in may depend – at least in part – on some unusual objects floating on the Milliron Research Wetlands at The Ohio State University at Mansfield.

The quiet setting behind Riedl Hall is where graduate student Zhaozhe Chen conducts the key research he needs as he works to add a master’s degree in earth science to his master’s in biochemistry.

As Chen has learned, fundamental elements of research include the ability to be flexible and to expect unexpected things; and sometimes the unexpected happens before you even get started.

When the COVID-19 pandemic reduced research activity to only the most critical, Chen had to rethink his original plan to use Mirror Lake and Chadwick Arboretum. Norman Jones, dean and director of Ohio State Mansfield, approved Chen’s request to use the Milliron Research Wetlands at Ohio State Mansfield during the summer growing season.

 

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Image via Ohio State University.