Dr. Bridget Ulrich is the inaugural recipient of the Deborah L. Swackhamer Early Career Award. Bridget is a Minnesota native, and as an undergraduate was nominated by Deb herself for the UMN Presidential Student Leadership and Service Award to recognize her efforts to promote campus sustainability. After graduate and postdoctoral training in Colorado and Switzerland, Bridget was drawn back to northern Minnesota to begin her career at the Natural Resources Research Institute (NRRI) at UMD. Bridget is a trailblazer much like Deb in finding new ways to protect Minnesota’s water resources. She is currently developing an Environmental Analytical Chemistry facility, that specializes in analysis of many of the contaminants that Deb focused on, as well as other emerging contaminants that are highly relevant to Minnesota including poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Bridget is also on the cutting edge of developing stormwater treatment technologies using filter materials derived from Minnesota wastes, including biochar and iron-mining byproducts. She is dedicated to service and science communication, having organized a special session on biochar at the 2021
WRC, and co-authored an article about PFAS for Lake Superior Angler magazine. She has shown willingness to create diverse partnerships, including current collaborations with CFANS, Lake County, and the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization. She also actively promotes diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in workplaces and communities: she sits on NRRI’s DEI committee, and is steadfast to engage and support women in spaces where they are underrepresented, including engineering and mountain biking.
Dr. Bridget Ulrich is the recipient of the 2022 Deborah L. Swackhamer Award at the Minnesota Water Resources Conference.