Sebastian Ross
Bachelor of Science
Kendall Williams
A Summer Research Scholarship on Lake Rotorua steered Kendall Williams towards freshwater research. Now pursuing a Master of Science, she’s investigating algae blooms in the lake she grew up around.
Vivienne Cassie Cooper Prize in Algae
Sediment, algae and days spent out on the water: for Kendall Williams, the messier side of science is also the most exciting.
As part of her Master of Science (Research) (opens in a new tab) majoring in Ecology and Biodiversity, Kendall is researching what is triggering increasing algae blooms in Lake Rotorua.
Days in the field involve collecting sediment from various sites around the lake. Back in the lab, she uses the sediment to recreate different environmental conditions in hopes of predicting when and where blooms might occur.
“It’s really cool,” she says. “I’m seeing what conditions cause blooms. Like is it warmer temperatures during summer when there’s heaps of algae blooms, or is it the addition of nutrients, or something else entirely?”
Having grown up in Rotorua and watched the lake deteriorate over time, Kendall says the work is personal.
“My whole childhood was in that lake and now people think twice about swimming there,” she says. “I just want to give back and see it get better.”
Kendall’s research builds on work she began while studying towards a Bachelor of Science. As a recipient of a Summer Research Scholarship (opens in a new tab) she assisted Senior Research Officer Whitney Woelmer (opens in a new tab) and Professor Deniz Özkundakci (opens in a new tab) in their research of the lake.
The Scholarship is open to undergrads, final-year honours and first-year master's students, and provides recipients with $8,000 for 10 weeks of full-time research during C Trimester.
I got to go home and do a bunch of sampling there and built relationships with Te Arawa Lakes Trust and Bay of Plenty Regional Council. That experience really steered my post-graduate direction. I drew a lot from it.
When she’s not on the lake, in the lab or attending classes, Kendall is mentoring undergraduate students from the School of Science.
Her advice to students hoping to find their own path is simple: “Dare to be courageous.”
“Just take the opportunity. Email that person, say yes to volunteer events and mentoring,” she says.
For the girl who once stole her mum’s makeup brushes to dust off rocks in search of fossils, a future spent getting her hands dirty seems fitting.
I’m really enjoying getting stuck into the hands-on work. I just want to keep getting out there, seeing and doing as much as I can.
