Mary Capiral

 Mary Capiral, a graduate student in environmental engineering, hopes someday that she can make a difference for others in the same way that she received support at WSU.

Capiral moved from the Philippines to the U.S. at age 10 with her parents, leaving an older brother behind. At the time, the family thought they would only be living in the US temporarily and would soon return to their home.

They soon learned that they would stay in the U.S., making their home in Spokane. For Capiral, the change was a shock. While she knew basic English, the culture was vastly different. She had known everyone in her small community, and in Spokane, she had to start over. She had to adjust to cold weather, too.  

Her parents had owned a business in the Philippines. In Spokane, her mother has worked in a sewing factory, and her father has worked in thrift stores. Her parents strongly encouraged her to get an education.

From a young age, Capiral planned on being an engineer, inspired by an uncle who was one.

“I knew I wanted to go to college and do challenging and interesting work,’’ she said.

Initially, she came to WSU to study structural engineering and architecture. Then, as a sophomore, she took an introductory environmental engineering class taught by George Mount. She became interested in the field, and he encouraged her, offering a summer work position.

Capiral applied to become a McNair Scholar. The program aims to increase the number of underrepresented students in graduate programs by supporting them in gaining research experience during their undergraduate years.  They also receive support from a mentor as undergraduates. Capiral asked Mount to be her mentor.

She began working with Mount and graduate student Elena Spinei on a research project to measure nitrogen dioxide and other air pollutants using instrumentation that Mount’s group developed.

Since then, the Laboratory for Atmospheric Research has become a second home for her, and the fellow researchers have become like family. The group “is always trying to help each other out,’’ she says.

Capiral graduated in 2007 with a BS in civil engineering and is working towards her master’s degree in environmental engineering. She spent two summers working in a potato field in Othello, Washington, measuring ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions from the fields. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas. Ammonia deposition can cause eutrophication of surface waters. Ammonia will also react to form secondary aerosols, which adversely affect human health and create regional haze. The research will look at the effect of different management practices, including the use of fertilizers, on emissions. Capiral is working to finish up her thesis this fall.

She hopes to make a difference in the area of climate change research, and she hopes to help out those who helped her, including her parents. In particular, she would like to buy them a house.

“When I moved to the US, I received so many scholarships and so many gifts. I want to make a difference and also help my parents out,’’ she says.