Home Country: Barbados

Grant Dates: 2012/2013

Megan Cox is a Barbadian who received the Fulbright NEXUS scholarship to continue her study on the impacts of karst sinkholes and suck wells on the groundwater quality in Barbados. Her NEXUS scholarship will enable her to learn analytical techniques used for trace analysis of pesticides in water and soil. She will be conducting her studies at the University of Southern Mississippi under the supervision of Dr. Alvin Holder. Megan was educated in Barbados up to secondary level and continued her education in the UK at the University of Leicester where she received a bachelor’s in science studying interdisciplinary science. Interdisciplinary science degree is very different from the traditional programs in the UK; it was taught through problem based learning (PBL). The basis of PBL is that the students develop key skills, namely problem solving, group work and research while learning, instead of attending lectures. Megan continued her education at Lancaster University where she completed a master’s in Environmental Biochemical Toxicology.

On completing University, Megan returned home and started working at the Caribbean Intuition of Meteorology and Hydrogen (CIMH) as the Technical Specialist for OAS project titled: Assessment of the Effects of Drainage Wells (Suck Wells) and Karst Sinkholes on the Groundwater Quality of Barbados. After two years of working on the OAS project, Megan realized that they had just scratched the surface and decided to study the problem further. To date, a great deal of research has to be done to fully understand what is occurring. A starting point for Megan’s NEXUS project will be to actually conduct the lab analysis in Barbados. CIMH recently reemployed Megan full time as the Water Quality Specialist. At CIMH, Megan designed and taught a module on water quality for the Hydrological technician’s course and Diploma in hydrology course. At CIMH she will continue her work on the OAS project and any other projects that come her way.