Featured on the cover of the 2016-17 ARCS® Foundation Annual Report: Realizing a Vision for Science in America, Catherine Kuhn is studying carbon cycling in freshwater systems to understand changes in the environment. Sponsored by ARCS Seattle Chapter, Kuhn focuses on carbon dioxide and methane emissions from large river systems. Her research has three components: geostatistical big data analysis, satellite remote sensing, and high resolution, and underway field campaigns. Using these mechanisms, Kuhn hopes to gain insight into the effect a changing climate has on water quality and the global carbon cycle. Because of its relevance and impact in the face of climate change, this work is supported by both NASA and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in addition to ARCS Foundation.  A former public-school teacher, Kuhn became interested in studying the global carbon cycle during her time teaching in the classroom before pursuing her graduate studies.

Kuhn is grateful for the impact ARCS Foundation funding has had on her work, “ARCS Foundation has played a significant role in my studies at the University of Washington (UW).  The continued support has enabled me to focus on developing innovative, cutting-edge research at the edge of my field and provided me with an amazing network of fellow awardees. Most importantly, the support and confidence in my scholarly abilities that this award represents has helped me build my own voice as a woman in the sciences.”