Five undergraduate students from Purdue spent 10 weeks during the summer of 2019 working with Nexus groups on water-related research projects, sponsored in part by the Discovery Park Undergraduate Research Internship (DURI). These projects spanned from sampling isotopes in springs to understand the origins of water to sampling benthic macroinvertebrates and many water quality parameters in major rivers. This summer project was a unique opportunity for several Nexus teams to work together to build collaborations and synergies for future research.

This summer internship included a two-week trip to Arequipa, Peru, where staff and post-docs from Purdue led the DURI undergraduates in both field work and cultural experiences. Purdue students joined up with faculty and students from UNSA to collect samples throughout the city of Arequipa. A group of 17 also traveled up to the Colca valley to collect samples in the Colca River as well as in small springs, which are a main source of water in the area. At the end of the summer, Purdue students participated in an undergraduate poster session. They also created fact sheets to share with community members in Arequipa on what they learned.