UWEC CERCA 2026: Full Schedule

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11:00am CDT

Poster 077: Microbiology of Cold Plunge Tanks

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:00am - 1:00pm CDT

Cold plunging has been gaining popularity recently due to its health benefits such as muscle recovery and mental focus. Cold plunging involves emerging the body in 50 deg F for up to 10 minutes in a tank that varies in volume (100 – 1,000 gallons). Despite its popularity, little is known about cold plunge water quality and treatment efficacy. In this study, water from three cold plunge sites in Minneapolis, MN was collected over a 6-month period in addition to one cold plunge tank in Eau Claire, WI. Cold plunge samples were analyzed for pathogens and indicator organisms, including Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, fecal coliforms, and heterotrophic bacteria. Samples were collected by City of Minneapolis environmental health staff and transferred on ice to the UWEC ENPH lab within 24 hours for analysis. Samples were processed using membrane filtration and plated on different media types including; Mannitol Salt Agar, Pseudomonas CN agar, mFC agar, and Tryptic Soy Agar. Samples were incubated at 35 deg C for 24 - 48 hours dependent on media type. Bacterial colonies were counted and recorded, including negative controls to check for contamination. This project helps understand bacterial levels in cold plunge tanks and could guide future recommendations for best management practices at cold plunge facilities.

Presenters

Ariah Borchardt

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Michael Peterman

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Bryn Romeis

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Faculty Mentor

Laura Suppes

Public Health & Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:00am - 1:00pm CDT
Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330) 77 Roosevelt Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701, USA

CERCA Posters, 1 Wednesday

Department Public Health & Environmental Studies
College CAS

11:00am CDT

Poster 078: A Comparison of Aquatic Health and Safety Standards

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:00am - 1:00pm CDT

Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330)

Aquatic safety is a vital part of public health. There are many ways in which public swimming pools, hot tubs, and water parks impact the safety of those who use them. Aquatic safety is governed by the law, with each state having their own specific set of standards and rules. These laws should be based on the most up to date scientific knowledge and best practices, but it can be difficult for states to keep up with any changes that might appear in the understanding of aquatic safety. The Model Aquatic Health Code (MAHC) is the CDC's summary document of best practices for aquatic safety. This project is designed to create a better understanding of how states differ from the MAHC as well as from each other in terms of aquatic safety regulations, and help states determine how, if at all, they should update their legislation. Aquatic safety legislation was gathered from different states, and a comparison report was created for each state and the MAHC. Results show a mix of consistencies and differences between the MAHC and state pool codes selected for this study.

Presenters

Anna Maher

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Faculty Mentor

Laura Suppes

Public Health & Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:00am - 1:00pm CDT
Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330) 77 Roosevelt Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701, USA

CERCA Posters, 1 Wednesday

Department Public Health & Environmental Studies
College CAS

11:00am CDT

Poster 097: Evaluating Hibbard Hall's HVAC System

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:00am - 1:00pm CDT

Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330)

The demolition of Zorn Arena and adjacent buildings during the 2025 summer, combined with Canadian wildfire smoke, raised concerns over air quality on UW-Eau Claire’s campus. Demolition of older buildings releases hazardous materials such as asbestos, silica dust, and lead, posing serious respiratory and cardiovascular health risks when inhaled. Similarly, wildfire smoke contains fine particulate matter and irritants associated with exacerbated asthma, chest pain, and other concerns. As such, we must ensure campus facilities protect individuals from the detrimental effects of poor air quality. Hibbard Hall’s proximity to the demolition site and its over fifty-year-old infrastructure raised concerns over the effectiveness of its HVAC system in protecting staff, students, and faculty from increased air pollution. To assess indoor air quality, PM2.5 concentrations were measured over 58 days via AirAssure and EPA monitors – one located in Hibbard Hall and the other in Altoona as an outdoor reference. These data were compared alongside demolition activity and wildfire smoke levels. Results indicated that indoor PM2.5 concentrations remained consistently lower than outdoor levels, suggesting that Hibbard Hall’s HVAC system effectively mitigated particulate infiltration. Our findings demonstrate that UWEC’s older facilities continue to provide a safe indoor environment despite multiple air pollution sources.

Presenters

Vanessa Herrada

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Zak McPhee

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Faculty Mentor

Crispin Pierce

Public Health & Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:00am - 1:00pm CDT
Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330) 77 Roosevelt Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701, USA

CERCA Posters, 1 Wednesday

Department Public Health & Environmental Studies
Special Categories WI Focus, Sustainability
College CAS

11:00am CDT

Poster 098: Water Quality and WELL Certification at the Sonnentag Center

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:00am - 1:00pm CDT

Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330)

The Sonnentag Center is an athletic complex that houses a wide range of individuals from the Eau Claire community. The hundreds of student, staff, public, and patient visitors each week means that the Sonnentag must ensure the maintenance of safe water, staying in compliance with WELL Safe Building Standards. The WELL certification sets the business standard for public health and safety and explains the range of acceptable levels for each of the variables being tested. Granting this certification to the Sonnentag Center ensures that the surrounding community has a heightened trust in public water sources. Contaminated water can cause a variety of health complications, including gastrointestinal issues and skin irritation. We are actively conducting measurements of the drinking fountains, concessions ice, whirlpool, and cold tank plunge bath by recording free and total chlorine levels, pH, turbidity, and Coliform bacteria presence. We are using the ColorQ, HANNA, and Colilert testing kits, respectively. Our initial data shows levels within WELL and EPA standards of all variables tested. We expect our data to continue to comply with WELL certification standards to ensure proper maintenance and safety measures are being implemented.

Presenters

Eliana Tagarro

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Riley Wilson

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Faculty Mentor

Crispin Pierce

Public Health & Environmental Studies, University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:00am - 1:00pm CDT
Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330) 77 Roosevelt Ave, Eau Claire, WI 54701, USA

CERCA Posters, 1 Wednesday

Department Public Health & Environmental Studies
Special Categories WI Focus
College CAS

11:00am CDT

Poster 099: What Longer Warm Seasons Mean for Tick Population, and how They Affect Us

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:00am - 1:00pm CDT

Davies Center: Ojibwe Ballroom (330)

Eau Claire is one of the world's Lyme Disease capitals, and this issue is only getting worse. The incidence of Lyme disease has more than doubled over the past decade, with over 6,000 cases annually in recent years. Global warming continues to affect the world, and with it, us. Currently, the tick season continues to grow longer, leading to a greater number of cases of Lyme disease and other vector-borne diseases associated with ticks. It also leads to an increasing range of many different species of ticks that don’t traditionally live in Wisconsin, an example being the Lone Star Tick. As these ticks continue to move north to new habitats, they bring with them new diseases. In this research project, we will be creating tick drags and targeting different areas, both on and off campus to collect ticks in the area and identify species, sex, life stage, and whether or not they are carrying a disease. The results of this research will allow us to understand and recognize the speed at which this change is occurring, but also the trends amongst locations, species, sex, and number and rates of invasive species of ticks new to the area.

Presenters

CERCA Posters, 1 Wednesday

Department Public Health & Environmental Studies
Special Categories WI Focus
College CAS

UWEC CERCA 2026

11:00am CDT

Ariah Borchardt

Michael Peterman

Bryn Romeis

Laura Suppes

11:00am CDT

Anna Maher

Laura Suppes

11:00am CDT

Vanessa Herrada

Zak McPhee

Crispin Pierce

11:00am CDT

Eliana Tagarro

Riley Wilson

Crispin Pierce

11:00am CDT

Elijah Grosland

Luke Mayock

Wyatt Melek

Ayden Tomaro

Crispin Pierce

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