FEATURED SCIENTIST OF THE MONTH: Dr. Henrieta Dulaiova - 05.29.2013

Hometown : I grew up in a small town in the former Czechoslovakia, but my big dreams led me to the capital city, Prague, where I went to college.

Occupation: Assistant Professor at the University of Hawai?i Department of Geology and Geophysics

Research Interests: I study coastal hydrological processes, which is how water transports solutes, including land pollution, from the land to the ocean and how geochemistry of the coastal ocean changes due to these inputs. Things like urbanization and agriculture are increasing the amount of anthropogenic pollutants in the groundwater and I work to better understand how these land-use changes affect coastal ecosystems.

Interests Growing up: I tried many things but I really enjoyed sports. I was Captain of my school's handball team and I went on to play in college. I loved the team spirit and enjoyed the thrill of the game.

How I got into Marine Science: No-one in my family has a PhD and it really wasn't my dream to get one growing up. I always loved chemistry though and I had very inspiring teachers. That motivated me. Growing up in a land-locked country and the ocean being a mysterious big body of water that I have only seen on TV, I was drawn to it.

Scientific Mission: Most people have a fear of radioactivity, but I take advantage of natural radioactivity and use it as a natural tracer. People care very much about the health of the coastline. I try to provide scientific information on land-ocean interactions and the transport of pollutants from land to the ocean so that the best management decisions can be made to preserve sustainable coastal ecosystems.

Advice for Young Scientists: Dream big and work hard to achieve your goals!

Questions for Henrieta? Contact her here: hdulaiov@hawaii.edu

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