Not long after she graduates from Union this month, Caroline Monaco ’25 will take her talents to the Hydrochemistry and Contaminants Group at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.
The Ramsey, N.J, native is the winner of a Fulbright Student Research Award. Starting in September, Monaco will spend a year on a project, “Studying the Fate and Transport of Per and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in Groundwater,” with Daniel Hunkeler.
PFAS are widely used, long lasting chemicals, components of which break down very slowly over time, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Because of their widespread use and their persistence in the environment, many PFAS are found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in a variety of food products and in the environment.
Caroline Monaco '25 is the winner of a Fulbright Student Research Award. She will work on her project at the University of Neuchâtel in Switzerland.
Scientific studies have shown that exposure to some PFAS in the environment may be linked to harmful health effects in humans and animals.
Monaco is a double major in French and Francophone studies, and environmental science, with a minor in chemistry. Her project builds on her academic background at Union. The University of Neuchâtel is located in the French-speaking region of Switzerland.
“The Fulbright scholarship provides me a platform to use interdisciplinary studies to an advantage and capitalize on the connections between things that are seemingly not related,” Monaco said.
She noted that her environmental analytical chemistry research and thesis project regarding environmental remediation strategies for PFAS under Professor Laura MacManus-Spencer “has given me invaluable tools that I will use synergistically with what I learn in Switzerland regarding these chemicals’ fate and transport in the environment to get a broader understanding of the question of environmental pollution at large.”
In addition, Monaco said her experiences studying abroad in Rennes, France, with Cheikh Ndiaye, professor of French and Francophone studies, allowed her to develop a love for exploring new cultures, and a close relationship with her former host mom makes the transition to a different continent easier.
She also credited Charles Batson, professor of French, who worked closely with her on her thesis, which focused on educating the Francophone public on environmental pollution.
“I am so grateful to have been given this opportunity, and I do not take lightly my responsibility as an environmental scientist to work as humans toward a more symbiotic relationship with nature and our planet,” she said.
This is not the first national fellowship Monaco has won. In 2023, she was selected for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship. Scholars receive a two-year academic scholarship for their junior and senior years, paid summer internship opportunities and funding to participate in two national scientific conferences.
“Being selected for a Fulbright Student Research Award in Switzerland is a testament to Caroline's devotion to the liberal arts and academic excellence,” said Lynn Evans, Union’s director of fellowships and doctoral pathways. “This opportunity will build beautifully on Caroline's majors, as well as her undergraduate research experiences.”
Union has been recognized among U.S. colleges and universities as a top producer of Fulbright students from the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
The Fulbright Program is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program.