Resourceful Research
Ohio Wesleyan Student Examines Water Quality Trends in a Lake Erie Tributary Watershed Over Two Decades
Name: Samuel Baer '27
Hometown: Mt Gilead, Ohio
High School: Mount Gilead High School
Major: Environmental Science and Geography
Minor: Zoology
OWU Connection Experience: Participating in Ohio Wesleyan's 10-week Summer Scholarship and Research Program (SSRP), concluding Aug. 9, 2026.
My Research
"I examined how the land use and cover have changed over the past 22 years in the Old Woman Creek Watershed in northern Ohio. The watershed discharges into Lake Erie and is surrounded by agricultural land. We then tied these findings to changes in various water quality parameters."
Why This Opportunity?
"I wanted to gain experience in conducting research on water quality and put to use the GIS and remote-sensing skills I have learned in many of my Environmental Science (ENVS) classes. I began this research as an independent study in the spring, and so I was excited to continue studying the area."
My Favorite Moment
"I loved visiting the watershed itself! Since all of my data has been online and remote, my favorite moment was getting to physically see the watershed that I have been researching for the past six months. We got to tour their research facility and even canoe up the creek!"
This research has taught me how to connect different parameters to make one story.
Lessons Learned
"I have been able to learn new applications in GIS mapping systems and remote-sensing techniques. This research has taught me how to connect different parameters to make one story, whether that be precipitation increasing runoff, which can increase phosphates in a water body, or the increase of cover crops in the area, which has been known to decrease nitrogen. It has shown me just how much data analysis is able to investigate an area, even though we are two hours away."
What's Next
"I will be continuing this work going into my senior year. While we're not entirely sure what the next steps are, we are looking into possibly using our data to create predictive models, or investigating how satellite imagery can help evaluate water quality."
My Mentor
"Dr. Carolina Barbosa (The GOAT) was my project mentor. She taught me all about R coding and how to analyze water quality data." (Besides being the "Greatest Of All Time" mentor, Barbosa, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Environment & Sustainability.)
My Campus Involvement
Baer's involvement includes ENVS Sustainability and Groups manager, Office of Admission event intern, OWU Catholic president and founder, and Delaware City Adopt-A-Drain student manager.
Why Ohio Wesleyan?
"I loved the professors. They were all so kind and personable. When I met them, they treated me like I was a student, and I hadn't even applied yet."
My Plans After Graduation
"I plan on continuing my education in graduate school. OWU has given me the resources I need to prepare a strong application, and the faculty have helped guide me as I look for programs."