Frank Annie Wins Second in 3MT
From left to right: Frank Anne, 2nd place; Aniket Ingrole, first place; and Austin Schwartz, peoples choice.
Photo Credit FSU Graduate School
Competing in the 2015 Three Minute Thesis contest, Frank Annie of FSU's Geography department won second prize for his research presentation of TCDDs (Dioxins) in the environment and their effect on human health.
Frank Annie’s research focuses on (TCDDs), which are persistent organic pollutants that are widely distributed in the food chain and believed to be toxic. The Monsanto Plant located in Nitro, West Virginia, produced large quantities of TCDD until its official closure in 1999. The literature supports a link between the Monsanto Plant and increased cancer cases within the region of Western Kanawha county West Virginia, however, the effects of TCDDs on human health at background exposure levels are still poorly understood. Due to the high level of Dioxin production and its long persistence in the environment, multiple generations of people have been exposed to TCDDs. His dissertation seeks to understand the relationship, if any, between exposure too TCDDs and any adverse health risks associated with workers and the surrounding community.
If you would like to watch the candidates preform, check out the video link below.