Biography and MS Research Topic: Amanda Laskoskie is a geology M.S. student at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV. She earned her B.S. in geology at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Native to Sunbury, Pennsylvania, Amanda’s first cave experience was at the age of 24 in the Puerto Rican karst system where she contracted histoplasmosis, or Caver’s disease. Taking it as a sign of great things to come, she is now working on a method to better understand contaminate fate and transport in karst systems. Her research focuses on the development of the hydrogel tracer bead for mimicking nonaqueous phase liquids. The hydrogel tracer bead is innocuous and readily altered by a variety of inclusions. In her spare time, Ms. Laskoskie enjoys geochaching, crafting, and the great outdoors.
