海角社区

College of the Coast & Environment senior Aine O'Nuanain was recently named to the Tiger Twelve Class of 2023
Hometown: Bossier City, Louisiana
CES Concentration: Applied Environmental Sciences

Aine O鈥橬uanain has a passion for water. 鈥淚t鈥檚 so paradoxical,鈥� she says. 鈥淭here are two sides to it. It鈥檚 such a precious resource, and a right--so many people don鈥檛 have access to clean water--and at the same time, there鈥檚 so many people threatened with flooding every single year. It鈥檚 interesting to me that these problems can coincide in the same place. In Baton Rouge, we've had flooding, but we also have problems with saltwater getting into the drinking water systems. We're facing both sides of the issue.鈥�

This paradox speaks to O鈥橬uanain鈥檚 pursuit of a combination of hard science and social impact, which has become a defining characteristic of her time at 海角社区.

She first realized her interest in the intertwining of scientific questions and social issues when she became a Louisiana Service and Leadership, or LASAL, Scholar in the Ogden Honors College. There she began to learn more about Louisiana鈥檚 coastal issues, and how they impacted lives. And the Coastal Environmental Sciences, or CES, major, allowed her to fully marry the two.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 where I want to be, is in coastal work. That鈥檚 the way I can truly combine all of my interests, combine everything I really care about within the realm of environmental science.鈥�

As a CES major also enrolled in the Honors College, she has fully explored the complexity and importance coastal work already. She recently completed her Honors Thesis, under the direction of Michael Polito, an associate professor in the Department of Oceanography & Coastal Sciences. She looked at the effects of freshwater siphons鈥攅ssentially miniature freshwater diversions鈥攐n the decomposition of species of coastal marsh grass.

O鈥橬uanain plans to continue on this path after graduation. Earlier this year, she became the recipient of a Rotary Global Grant Scholarship which she is planning to use to attend Utrecht University in the Netherlands, to get a Master鈥檚 Global Challenges for Sustainability.

Ultimately, her plan is to return to Louisiana, and continue her work in coastal resiliency in some capacity. 鈥淚 know what I want to do鈥攃ome back, help Louisiana communities be more resilient to the fact that water levels are going to continue to rise,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 want to help the communities that are the most vulnerable here prepare for that.鈥�

Being a member of the Tiger Twelve is just another marker of the service to Louisiana that she holds as so important. 鈥淚 feel like the definition of it is someone who contributed positively to 海角社区 and the surrounding community. I feel like to be acknowledged for that when I was striving for it all along without knowing it is really special, a really cool bookend to this experience and the journey this has been.鈥�

Each year, 12 seniors are selected to be members of the Tiger Twelve, based upon their positive contributions to campus life, the surrounding community, or society in general. Aine O鈥橬uanain is the third CC&E student to receive this honor. Check the Tiger Twelve webpage for a complete list of winners.