Ethan Bodnaruk

After getting a M.S. in nuclear engineering and working in nuclear nonproliferation with the federal government, I discovered a love of the environment through composting. I read The Humanure Handbook - a book about the composting of human waste - and I was hooked.

Composting is a great symbol of the connectedness of all life and how the carbon, water, and nitrogen cycles are related to human health, pollution, environmental quality, and sustainability.

I was inspired by and fortunate to spend some time in Haiti with an organization called SOIL that works to provide low-cost composting toilet solutions to protect human health, build soil, and create economic opportunity.

I changed careers and got a graduate degree in Ecological Engineering ("sustainable ecosystem design that integrates humans with nature for the benefit of both") from the SUNY School of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, NY where I still live. Now I'm working as an engineer but am eager to pursue my own research interests on the side.

This research represents an exciting opportunity for me to pursue one of my major passions. Who knows, maybe there's a larger path ahead of me in research related to organic wastes...

I'm also a fierce believer that science and knowledge can and should be used for the betterment of humanity and the environment, and that science can be fun and widely accessible.

Thanks for supporting this research!

November 2016