Report from Isis, Global Grant Scholar

Posted by Ernest Hauser 
 
Here is a report from Isis, a Global Grant Scholar that we helped to host.
 

Howdy Rotarians!

Hope everything is well in Houston with your family and loved ones. I had a great time this past Monday giving my second presentation to a club in São Paulo, the Moema Rotary club. Every Rotarian was very welcoming and helpful, and Daryl was awesome at introducing me to everyone. But most importantly, everyone understood my Portuguese! J

I am delighted to say that I am amongst a great team of people who are active at engaging in humanitarian community projects, so I am very excited about what is to come.

Rotarians Paulistas have a great network of people who are working in sanitation projects in Brazil, from various disciplines, and who have a common goal to involve Rotary in these projects. It is very exciting!

My host sponsor, Luiz Carlos, and his wife have also offered their support continuously throughout my stay here. In fact, my Portuguese continues to improve, largely because they always correct me.

My research project (biosorption of metals from water) is also going well. I have started working with a consortia of bacteria, to test their metal removal capabilities, provided by a Chemistry professor, Solange, from the Institute of Energy and Nuclear Research at the University of São Paulo (IPEN-USP: https://www.ipen.br/sitio/). She is also very helpful and has kindly opened her lab for our collaboration. She has been a tremendous guidance during my stay in São Paulo. I meet with her weekly to talk about the updates of the project, and follow up on the technical aspects of the upcoming experiments. My co-advisor at Escola Politécnica da USP, Sidney, is not only brilliant as a professor but also an exceptional human being. So, I am enjoying extremely working with everyone at USP, and looking forward to getting results to publish.

I have recently moved to a new location, my new address is:

Rua Armando Brussolo, 135

Vila Romana, São Paulo.

CEP 05048-050

Brazil

Many hugs!!

Isis Mejias

+55.11.5227.3282

Rotary Districts 5890 & 4610

Global Grant Scholar 2012-2013

São Paulo, Brazil