Meng Ke: Preventing Health Risks from Contaminant Exposure
As an affiliate of a unique interdisciplinary program in Indoor Environmental Science and Engineering, Meng is researching methamphetamine exposure from indoor environments.
Graduate student Meng Ke is on a quest to improve the quality of people’s lives. As part of the Indoor Environmental Science and Engineering program, she is examining a fairly new societal problem: methamphetamine exposure from indoor environments. The majority of illicit drug labs manufacture methamphetamine (meth) in motels, houses, apartments, storage units, and vehicles. The hazardous chemicals that are used to produce meth contaminant structural materials, furnishings, wastewater systems, and soil, thus posing health threats to persons exposed to them. Methamphetamine itself is a particular concern as it can migrate into and stick to indoor materials and thus persist in buildings for long periods after its production.
Meng is an affiliate of a unique interdisciplinary program in Indoor Environmental Science and Engineering that is funded by the National Science Foundation and has included a network of over 35 graduate students across campus. As an affiliate of the program, Meng is researching secondary exposure to methamphetamine by trying to reach an understanding of clandestine meth lab contamination and how regulatory agencies can best remediate the indoor environment. While she is not working with actual contaminated houses or collaborating with the police force, she is studying the nature of meth contamination on indoor materials through the use of published data, modeling, and laboratory experiments with a methamphetamine surrogate chemical.
During the summer 2010, she is working with Missouri University of Science and Technology, performing preliminary lab tests on the surrogate chemical, one that mimics the properties of methamphetamine but that is not as toxic. She is hopeful to be able to estimate the physical and chemical properties of methamphetamine based on the results so that she can move forward on developing more effective methods for cleaning up contaminated homes.
Meng came to the U.S. from Wuhan, China when she was 17 years old so that she could attend college. Before arriving at The University of Texas at Austin, she attended a couple of smaller schools that didn’t end up meeting her needs. She fell in love with UT immediately and graduated with a BS in Mechanical Engineering in 2006. After finishing her undergraduate degree, she launched her career at a high tech company, where she worked as a manufacturing engineer for three years.
She is hoping to estimate the physical and chemical properties of methamphetamine so that she can move forward on developing more effective methods for cleaning up contaminated indoor spaces.
She found little fulfillment in her daily work and decided that it was more important to be involved in a field that has immediate benefits to society and people in general. The environmental engineering program at UT CAEE appealed to her as did the IGERT program, which provides an integrated educational experience and prepares students to be leaders in the emerging indoor air quality field. Now a master’s student working with advisor Dr. Richard Corsi, she feels right at home.
“I like the CAEE department a lot,” she says, “because the students here are well-rounded. They are more willing to work together and are outgoing instead of being competitive, and they also have great personalities and know how to have fun!”
“My advisor is Rich Corsi, and I’m extremely happy to work for him,” she says. “He has provided me with great support and guidance on my research project. His outgoing personality and spirit also make the research work exciting for me, and I’m glad that he’s our professor.”
Besides being an engineer, Meng is also a certified yoga teacher and wishes to visit India for more advanced yoga training someday. She loves playing guitar and folk music. She writes and records her own music and has even performed with local musicians in Austin.
Outside of school, Meng enjoys performing with local musicians and recording her own music.
“Austin is an amazing city! I like everything about it,” she says. “It’s the music capital of the world, there are great outdoor activities here, the people are friendly, creative and weird, and the city itself is beautiful in so many ways. After living here for 11 years, I’m calling it my home now.”
Outside of school, Meng has volunteered with Junior Achievement and Meals on Wheels. She was also part of a community–wide effort to save the Cactus Café (a live music venue on UT campus) from closing due to budget cuts. In the fall, she plans to volunteer with a non-profit organization that helps promote healthy eating and organic food from local farms. She would also like to help bring fresh produce to urban schools & low-income families in the future.
Meng’s long-term goal is to continue working on projects that can enhance people’s lives and to travel the world. “Since my research focus is on indoor air quality,” she says, “I would love to work as a consultant to help people or companies remediate contamination and make improvements on their indoor environment. Hopefully, when I graduate next May, I’ll be able to find a challenging job that can help better society.”