February 2026. New publication in Environmental Geochemistry and Health. The paper assesses spatial and temporal variations in metal and metalloid concentrations in community gardens in St. Louis and evaluates potential exposure risks for gardeners. Link.

October 2025. Elmira received the Best Poster Presentation Award at the Mid-American Environmental Engineering Conference for research on metals and metalloids in St. Louis community gardens and their implications for gardener exposure. Learn more.

June 2025. Elmira’s presentation at the WashU Environmental Symposium was featured in the WashU magazine. The presentation focused on rare earth element adsorption to kaolinite. Check the article.

May 2025. Elmira’s work on rare earth element adsorption to kaolinite was published in ACS Earth and Space Chemistry. The study showed that REEs adsorb to kaolinite through two mechanisms: ion exchange and surface complexation to edge sites. This was her first publication at WashU. Link.

March 2025. Elmira received an ACS Geochemistry Division Travel Award to present research on rare earth element adsorption to kaolinite at the ACS Spring Meeting in San Diego. Learn more.