McKenzie Blaine is a graduate student pursuing a Master’s of Environmental Science at Yale’s School of the Environment. McKenzie is interested in analyzing how industrial activities influence environmental hazards and how these hazards impact the health of individuals, especially for underrepresented communities. Specifically, she is focusing her master’s thesis on water quality concerns from industrial activity.
During her studies for her Bachelor’s degree at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University, McKenzie published a research paper regarding the best ways of mitigating lead exposure within contaminated soils of the Lead Superfund Site in Omaha, Nebraska. In her paper, she details two case studies of mitigation efforts taken by other cities as well as a list of strategies for the city of Omaha to better address continued lead exposure in the community.
In addition to her research interests, McKenzie enjoys spending her time on long bike trips, cooking and sharing meals with others, and creating jewelry.