   - We're sort of at the
   forefront of a lot of the
   energy development that's
   going on in the country.
   (upbeat electronic music)
 Argonne National Laboratory's
 main mission is developing
 different types of energy
 sources for the United States.
  Nuclear energy, development
  of alternative energy,
 wind turbine energy, biofuels,
 the research runs the gamut.
   The division that
   I'm in at Argonne,
   which is the environmental
   science division,
I primarily evaluate the effects
on ecological resources,
mostly aquatic ecology.
  The College of Charleston
  taught me a lot of important
skills that factor into
the types of activities
   that I do here at Argonne.
  While I was a graduate
  student, I was able to spend
   a lot of time in the field
   researching the estuary
 with nets and trawling
 as well as diving
 and spearfishing to
 collect the specimens.
   After I graduated from the
   Marine Biology Program,
I pursued a PhD at Miami
University in Ohio.
I then obtained a post-doctoral
fellowship at Argonne
  to conduct some research
  in the Colorado River Basin
 to evaluate the
 effects of hydropower
on aquatic ecosystems downstream
of hydropower facilities.
   In order to produce
   energy, we want to be sure
  that we're doing it in an
  environmentally responsible
 manner, so that there's a lot
 of satisfaction in feeling
   that I'm doing something
   that really is important.
