Senior thesis hones in on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch

For senior Sarah Kuegle, her thesis is not only a grade but a way to facilitate discussion about the environment.

Kuegle, a chemistry and German double-major, is preparing a thesis about environmental catastrophes and the causes behind them, as well as whether they are manmade or naturally occurring.

She said she mostly focuses on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, an area of ocean where debris collects, and how the micro plastic in the ocean is difficult to remove. She also studies the sources of the trash.

“I thought it was kind of interesting because the ocean is the kind of no man’s land,” Kuegle said. “It’s like tragedy of the commons.”

Istvan Gombocz, a professor of German, has had Kuegle as a student since she was a first-year student and said she admires her work on the thesis.

“Without knowing too much about the subject, I highly respect (the thesis) because it serves a good cause,” Gombocz said. “It’s not about protecting the environment, in general … but she found, really, a niche. I like the topic.”

Her German major has also played a role in her thesis. Kuegle translated her thesis topic proposal in German for a language newsletter.

Gombocz said the topic is important to discuss and he admires how Kuegle tied in both majors in her project.

“It shows her commitment to the common good beyond boundaries,” Gombocz said. “It addresses an important problem of the present and also that of the future.”

Kuegle began writing the thesis this past year at the beginning of her junior year and said the experience has had its ups and downs.

At one point during the process, her computer crashed which caused her to lose her saved progress and forced her to start the project over. She estimates her thesis will be around 70 to 100 pages depending on how far she gets, and right now she said she has around 10 or 20 pages written after the computer crash.

One course she’s taken advantage of is the honors thesis prep course, which allows her to prepare not only topics, but also a chance to organize a thesis committee for when she has to defend the project in the spring.

“And then it’s just a matter of sitting down and doing it,” Kuegle said.

Kuegle said one influential person who has helped her is her director Thomas Horton, whom she took an honors seminar with.

“Her thesis is a fascinating look at a cutting-edge topic of world interest,” Horton, a law professor, said. “Sarah has taken on a complex topic that’s going to require the best human thinking we possibly can bring to the table in the coming decade.”

After USD, Kuegle plans to apply to law school to study environmental law and also join the Peace Corps.

“I’m hoping either through law school or the Peace Corps to somehow work eventually with the State Department or the U.N., something where I can help make the changes that I’m exploring in my thesis,” Kuegle said.

She said she hopes the importance of her thesis is discussed for years to come.

“It’s important we look at and think about those things, especially our generation because we’re dealing with it,” Kuegle said. “We have to figure out and find solutions to the problems.”