Kirsten Olson (Environmental Engineering)
Kirsten Olson is an undergraduate student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Engineering at Florida International University (FIU). Her professional interests include environmental remediation, energy storage, and renewable energy sources. She is currently President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) at FIU.
As a DOE Fellow, part of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fellows Program at FIU’s Applied Research Center (FIU-ARC), Kirsten conducts research supporting the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s (PNNL) groundwater remediation program under the mentorship of Dr. Yelena Katsenovich. Her research includes the reoxidation behavior of nuclear contaminants in perched and groundwater, such as Tc(VII) comingled with NO3– and UO22+, when introduced to strong reductants such as calcium polysulfide. Her research aims to immobilize nuclear contaminants so they may be removed from water systems.