Paula Diaz

Paula Diaz is a junior majoring in Microbiology with an Environmental Health focus at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT. She is originally from Billing, MT and will be a first-generation college graduate in December of 2025. She is interested in exploring careers that incorporate environmental risk assessment, public health, toxicology, and public policy analysis and development. She is working on a research project in collaboration with the Montana State University Extension Water Quality program to analyze watershed data collected by volunteers to help guide future monitoring objectives and funding. 

She is looking forward to the ToxMSDT program to learn about how exposures to potentially toxic substances are related to health outcomes, especially in at-risk populations. She hopes to share her knowledge in community outreach endeavors to help citizens learn how to protect themselves from neighborhood and occupational health exposures. After acquiring her bachelor’s degree, she hopes to work in public health before deciding which master’s program will be the best fit for her.  

Mentor: Mike Peterson