Marcus Lopez (he/him)
BS 2026 Biological Sciences, Additonal Major in Environmental and Sustainability Studies
Bio
Marcus Lopez wanted to enhance his environmental knowledge, drawing on his biology background, as biology in higher education tends to prioritize organisms that aren't plants: bacteria, animals, and viruses. The ESS program has enabled Lopez to dive into ecology and the environmental issues surrounding our planet — areas he wouldn't have explored if he had strictly focused on biology.
Lopez's capstone project/MCS honors research thesis is his largest project focused on ESS. He learned how many social issues can be overlooked in traditional quantitative research projects. Lopez said "It was nice to produce work that combined quantitative and qualitative research to offer a well-rounded perspective and gave me an idea of how beautiful/impactful efforts can become when multiple disciplines are brought together."
As Lopez pursues his PhD in Cancer Biology this coming Fall, he plans to take more time to examine the social issues behind the research he conduct and will encourage other scientists to do the same. After graduating from CMU, Lopez is excited to grow a beautiful garden, as the ESS program has made him yearn for a stronger connection with Earth's ecosystems—journaling what he learn about the organisms he encounter every day.
Research
Lopez's ESS Capstone Project & MCS Honors Research Thesis
\Abstract: Brownfields, former industrial sites, are environmental and public health hazards that contribute to economic disinvestment, crime, environmental injustice, and poor health outcomes. Brownfield development is complex, often originating from an area’s socioeconomic challenges and industrial use. This is especially true for Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood community, formerly home to Jones and Laughlin’s steel coking plant along the Monongahela River between 1883 - 1997. Decades of industrial pollution and discriminatory practices such as redlining have transformed Hazelwood into a brownfield whose surrounding community remains economically challenged to modern day. The Heinz Endowment partnered with various organizations to pursue the Hazelwood Green revitalization project, investing millions of dollars for development, whilst mitigating the displacement and disruption of its current residents . These remediation efforts have enabled the collection of environmental analysis data that can be used for experimentation purposes, enabling the empowerment of the Hazelwood community. Polluted soil microbes can adapt to contaminant exposure to degrade environmental toxins, and Hazelwood’s lengthy industrial history suggests its microbiota had decades of potential evolutionary selectivity. Metagenomic analysis suggests this is indeed the case, depicting contaminated soil samples enriched with degradative pathways. Although more experimentation is needed to uncover possible taxa with novel, efficient degradative pathways, this data suggests Hazelwood to be the epicenter of bioremedial progress and empower the community after the lasting socioeconomic consequences it’s experienced.