VICKSBURG, Miss.— A researcher with the U. S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s (ERDC) Environmental Laboratory (EL) is receiving recognition for his role in protecting the environment.
Taylor Rycroft, a research environmental engineer, was named the 2024 USACE Researcher of the Year for his work with the Wellbot and Cyanobacterial Suppression Through Ultraviolet-C Neutralization (CyanoSTUN) technologies. Rycroft will be presented with the award in November during the National Awards Ceremony at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters in Washington D.C.
The Wellbot is a device that combines ultraviolet (UV) light with oscillating brushes to remove biofilm and chemical scale in relief wells to reduce hydrostatic pressure around dams and levees that could potentially lead to structural damage or failure. CyanoSTUN is a pontoon boat that irradiates harmful algal blooms (HABs) with germicidal UV light to slow the growth of the bloom and degrade its harmful toxins.
Rycroft and his team’s technologies offer lower health and ecological risk than current treatment methods because they avoid the use of heavy machinery or potentially hazardous chemicals.
“My team designed both the Wellbot and CyanoSTUN technologies to be safer and more sustainable options for treating different types of contamination in the environment,” said Rycroft.
Being a researcher allows Rycroft to use his problem-solving skills to develop solutions that could possibly lead to a healthier environment.
“I have always been interested in cleaning up messes in the environment, so I was drawn to these challenges immediately upon learning of them. I also like to solve problems with simple solutions that end-users can understand. At their core, the Wellbot and CyanoSTUN are both simple combinations of components that already exist but have never been stuck together before.”
The award is motivational, as it inspires Rycroft to further explore ways to contribute to the Corps of Engineers.
“I am very excited and proud to be presented with this award. It feels rewarding to think that my team and I may have moved the needle a little on these two USACE challenges,” Rycroft said. “I am grateful to my project teammates who helped me make our research projects a success. It motivates me to look for new ways to try to make a difference in the Corps. I greatly appreciate the recognition from USACE leadership and the awards committee.”