Zack Padgett will graduate this week with his M.S. in environmental toxicology. We asked him to reflect on his time here at Clemson in Kylie Rock’s lab through a short Q & A.
Research?
For my master’s thesis I characterized microbial communities in estuarine sediments from two South Carolina estuaries with contrasting levels of urbanization, Charleston Harbor and St. Helena Sound, across seasons, and paired this with PFAS and sediment geochemistry to identify relationships between contamination, sediment properties, and microbial community structure. I also cultured native sediment microbial communities from Charleston Harbor and exposed them to PFOS to explore potential biodegradation.
What’s next?
I have already started my Ph.D. program in microbiology at Southern Illinois University.
What will you miss the most?
The people I met and the friendships I built are what truly made graduate school. Studying together, practicing presentations, celebrating successes and venting through the tough days are the moments I will remember most. As I move on to the next chapter of my life, I hope to continue supporting my friends from afar, and I look forward to seeing them whenever I come back to visit Clemson.
Accolades and Awards
1st place poster presentation at Carolina Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry at SCDNR in 2025
1st place poster presentation at Southeastern Society of Toxicology at Auburn University in 2024
Spring 2024 Undergraduate Nominated Teaching Assistant of the Semester
Engineering and Science Education Certification
Awarded 2 grants – The Graduate Travel Grant of $750 and the BSPDC-GIAR of $1307
