Smith Earns Steinbrenner Doctoral Fellowship and Presidential Fellowship
Heidi Opdyke
- Associate Dean of Marketing and Communications, MCS
- Email opdyke@andrew.cmu.edu
- Phone 412-268-9982
Carnegie Mellon University’s Elizabeth Smith has received two honors recognizing the promise and impact of her research. Smith's proposal has been selected for the 2026-2027 Steinbrenner Doctoral Fellowship, and she has also been named this year's Steinbrenner Institute and Heinz Presidential Fellow.
A Ph.D. student in Associate Professor of Chemistry Carrie McDonough's research group, Smith is focused on understanding and addressing environmental contaminants, known as PMTs (persistent, mobile and toxic substances) associated with hydraulic fracturing wastewater.
“Over 9 million people in the United States obtain drinking water from sources within a mile of a hydraulic well,” Smith said.
Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is a process used to extract oil and natural gas from underground rock formations. It works by pumping a mixture of water, sand, and chemicals deep underground at high pressure to create cracks in the rock, allowing oil and gas to flow out. Some of the chemicals used in the process have been linked to health concerns, including hormone disruption, cancer, and reproductive or developmental problems.
PMTs can remain in the environment for long periods, move easily through water and may pose risks to human health. Smith also will examine if these chemicals could build up in living organisms over time through repeated exposure.
Part of Smith’s work will compare water from private wells and municipal water to better understand if fracking is affecting local drinking water, which contaminants are most commonly found near fracking operations, how well treatment systems are at removing these contaminants and if private well owners face unique exposure risks.
“Residents of these areas need more information about potential exposure, as the study of fracking-associated contamination in drinking water samples by PMTs has been limited by proprietary knowledge road blocks, lack of analytical standards and complex matrices,” Smith said. “The work will provide communities, policymakers and water utilities with targets that go beyond the usual scope of heavy metals and volatile contaminants when monitoring and remediating drinking water in these areas.”
For Smith, the work is deeply personal. Growing up in rural Grant Township, Pennsylvania, she witnessed firsthand the concerns that hydraulic fracturing and wastewater disposal can create for communities that rely on private well water. When a proposed disposal injection well threatened the area where her family lives, community members organized to protect local water resources. Those experiences sparked Smith's interest in environmental and green chemistry and ultimately inspired her to pursue research that could help communities navigate complex environmental challenges.
McDonough said Smith is determined to make the world a better place through research that serves communities and that as a graduate student, Smith has taken every opportunity to expand her skillset and challenge herself.
“Elizabeth’s experiences here in western PA have already contributed valuable local knowledge to my research group,” McDonough said. “Elizabeth's project aligns nicely with my lab's work on organic contaminants and environmental chemical biology, but it's also very much her own idea, building on her local knowledge and passion for community-based research.
Smith graduated with a bachelor’s degree of science from Allegheny College, where shestudied synthetic organic chemistrywhile developing a growing interest in environmental chemistry. Through National Science Foundation-supported Research Experiences for Undergraduates, she conducted research at Michigan State University and the Université de Lorraine in France, exploring topics ranging from PFAS contamination to biofuel production. Those opportunities further strengthened her commitment to using chemistry to address environmental problems.
Smith joined Carnegie Mellon as a Rales Fellow and chose to pursue doctoral studies in the Department of Chemistry because of the opportunity to work with McDonough, whose research focuses on environmental contaminants and public health. Today, Smith is helping develop new approaches for detecting chemicals associated with hydraulic fracturing activities and investigating their impacts on water quality. Her work includes efforts to assist communities affected by wastewater disposal well leaks by providing scientific data that can inform treatment strategies and environmental decision-making.
The Steinbrenner Doctoral Fellowship and Steinbrenner Institute and Heinz Presidential Fellowship will support Smith as she advances research at the intersection of chemistry, environmental stewardship and community well-being. Together, these honors recognize both her academic achievements and the potential of her work to contribute meaningful solutions to some of today's most pressing environmental challenges.
