
The award is given to a UNR or UNLV graduate student who is working under the direction of a DRI faculty member. Applicants submit papers based on research related to an environmental problem. Mazzera's winning paper, "Quantification of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Soil at McMurdo Station, Antarctica," addressed the dramatic increase in the quantity of PAHs--known or probable human carcinogens--in the environment. He is pursuing a Ph.D. degree in the Environmental Science and Health program at UNR.