Courtlyn Carpenter graduated in Summer 2020 with the MS in environmental engineering. Her thesis committee was chaired by Joe Kasprzyk and her research was directed by Kimberly Wickland from the USGS. Courtlyn's research explored the role of wetlands in the aquatic carbon cycle, comparing dissolved carbon exports in headwater streams draining wetlands in three contrasting ecoregions. She is currently a government contract with the USGS, performing data analysis and co-authoring a new study on how increasing precipitation affects carbon yields in northern temperate regions. About her time at CU, she said:
I'm not really sure how I got talked into staying at CU for a master's degree in engineering after finishing my undergraduate degree, but I think it was one of the better decisions I've made. In addition to learning more about water resources, my master's degree helped me gain confidence in my academic and problem-solving abilities, something that I will be grateful for at every job I hold.