A West Virginia University graduate student is being recognized for her research into production of alternative fuels in spent mine lands.
Officials at the Morgantown school say Carol Brown has received a $1,500 scholarship from the National Association of State Land Reclamationists.
Brown is a master’s candidate in soil science in WVU’s Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design. Her thesis research focuses on the quality and yield of switchgrass grown on reclaimed surface mines for biofuel production.
Even before beginning her graduate studies, she worked with a team to conduct natural resources research in the forests of China. And she conducted field work related to pollinator restoration on reclaimed mine land in Cumberland, Ohio.