Contact: Bob Ratliff
Mississippi State graduate students took the three highest honors in a recent collegiate competition sponsored by the Mississippi Water Environment Association.
Allison P. Kirkpatrick of Gadsden, Ala., Rafael A. Hernandez of Guanica, Puerto Rico, and Katherine A. Taconi of Biloxi finished first, second and third, respectively, in the presentation of research reports at the association's annual meeting in Jackson.
MWEA is a professional, non-profit technical and educational organization devoted to preservation and enhancement of the state's water environment. Membership includes engineers, scientists, utility managers, and others.
Kirkpatrick, a 1999 MSU biological engineering graduate, reported on her research into the use of kenaf and other plant material in reducing the odor from swine production facilities. Her research is under the direction of associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering Tim Burcham.
She is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Kirkpatrick and a 1995 Southside High School graduate.
The reports of chemical engineering majors Hernandez and Taconi dealt with chemical contamination cleanups.
Hernandez, a 1993 graduate of the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, presented results of his work with an innovative process using iron and other metals to treat TNT-contaminated groundwater. He is the son of Juanita Santiago and a graduate of Franklin D. Roosevelt High School.
Taconi's research involves the use of biocells containing bacteria to clean up gasoline-contaminated soil. She is the daughter of Anthony Taconi and Marianne Powell-Taconi and a 1996 D'Iberville High School graduate. She received a bachelor's degree from MSU in December.
Hernandez and Taconi work with chemical engineering professor Mark Zappi in the university's Environmental Technology Research and Applications Laboratory.