Paula Mouser

Dr. Paula Mouser, P.E., is an associate professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. She joined the University of New Hampshire (UNH) in August 2017; her teaching specializations are environmental engineering microbiology and environmental pollution, and her research focuses on microbial transformation of environmental pollutants. She conducts research related to emerging contaminants, such as PFAS and PPCPs, that is funded by the NH Sea Grant. Alexis’s project dovetailed with research on this broader topic. Dr. Mouser enjoyed mentoring Alexis, who is one of the most motivated, independent undergraduate researchers she has mentored. She felt that Alexis took advantage of opportunities to work in the lab and the field and to learn from graduate students. Alexis is Dr. Mouser’s first Inquiry author, and she feels that the process of writing for Inquiry is similar to writing a paper for a peer-reviewed journal: it requires substantial time to develop, multiple iterations of writing and editing, and patience to polish the paragraphs in a way that improves readability. In her words, “It’s an awesome experience for a student to be mentored through this process and to have an opportunity to see their work in print for a wide audience to read.”