Elizabeth Minor became fascinated with water while growing up on the Chesapeake Bay. As a University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD) professor who studies lake ecosystems, she hopes to pass along her love for the water to her students.

Of the 20 undergrads who’ve worked in her lab, at least seven have gone on to graduate school; two continued to work in the lab. Minor recently received UMD’s Sabra S. and Dennis L. Anderson Scholar/Teacher Award.

“My research lets me poke at the edges of knowledge, extend that knowledge to something new, then share that with students, and that’s fun,” she says.

Hear more from Elizabeth Minor about teaching students on UMD's Blue Heron: