Bailey Bowers (S 2022)

(she/they)

About

Bailey Bowers successfully defended her dissertation in July of 2022 from Carnegie Mellon University, where she earned her PhD in Chemistry. Her research investigates hazardous ‘everyday everywhere chemicals’ like “per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), which are used in nonstick cookware, waterproof coatings, food packaging, personal care products and firefighting foams. PFAS are often called forever chemicals because the molecules have extremely strong bonds between carbon and fluorine, which makes them persist in the environment long after they are fabricated… Their widespread usage and extreme persistence have resulted in contamination of many environmental areas, including drinking water… ‘If these chemicals persist, they’re going to be in our environment forever, and they’re going to be in people forever,’ said Bowers. ‘We need to figure out a way to remove these from water so people cannot be exposed to them.’” Bowers is now transitioning into her new role as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Earlham College in Indiana.

Conference Presentations during PhD

Bowers, B.B., Stapleton, H.M., Sullivan, R.C. (2020). The Effect of Flame Retardants on Toxics Emitted From Foam Combustion. SETAC North America 41st Annual Meeting.

Bowers, B.B., Lou, Z., Xu, J., Gu, Y., Xu, X., Lowry, G.V., Sullivan, R.C. (2020). Transformation products and reaction mechanisms of UV/sulfite remediation of PFOS, PFOA, PFBS, and GenX desorbed from carbon nanotubes. AGU Fall Meeting 2020 Abstracts, H096-06.