{"id":54499,"date":"2023-10-24T08:15:34","date_gmt":"2023-10-24T12:15:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?p=54499"},"modified":"2023-10-24T08:16:07","modified_gmt":"2023-10-24T12:16:07","slug":"utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\/","title":{"rendered":"UTC alum conducts unique research on widely used \u2018forever chemical\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"

Elizabeth Plunk holds a scan that shows neurons inside a mouse brain.<\/p><\/div>\n

The tougher and more complex a problem, the more Elizabeth Plunk wants to tackle it.<\/p>\n

She admits it sometimes can be an aggravating personality trait.<\/p>\n

\u201cI get mad at myself whenever I put myself in those positions, but \u2026,\u201d said Plunk, who graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2019 with a degree in biology.<\/p>\n

She\u2019s done it again in her pursuit of a Ph.D. at the University of Rochester in New York. She\u2019s now in the midst of researching a question that, as far as she can tell, hasn\u2019t been researched before.<\/p>\n

Specifically, she\u2019s researching perfluorohexanoic acid, one of a family of similar compounds called PFAS, an acronym for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says there may be more than 14,000 separate PFAS. Some are known as \u201cforever chemicals\u201d because they don\u2019t break down over time.<\/p>\n

PFAS of all types are ever-present in the world, used in everything from non-stick cookware to stain-resistant fabric to grease-resistant food packaging. The EPA has classified some of them as toxic to humans and animals.<\/p>\n

The PFAS Plunk\u2019s research is focused on hasn\u2019t been designated as dangerous, but that may be because no one has studied it, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI picked it because no one knew anything about it, and I’m starting to realize that that was a challenging approach that I took,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Plunk is studying the type of PFAS used, among other applications, in flame-retardant materials used by firefighters, but it\u2019s also been found in face masks worn during the COVID-19 pandemic and waterproof makeup.<\/p>\n

Fascinated with neuroscience\u2014the study of the brain and the nervous system\u2014Plunk is interested in whether this particular PFAS can affect brain growth in infants and young children. When she looked for previous research on the topic, she didn\u2019t find any, and her work began.<\/p>\n

Dr. Sean Richards is a professor in the Department of Biology, Geology and Environmental Science and the instructor Plunk credits with her focus on a toxicology career. He said he\u2019s not surprised she picked a difficult research project.<\/p>\n

\u201cElizabeth was a patient student who did not shy away from hard work. Even if she thought it was hard\u2014or perhaps unreasonable, she just put her head down and did the work and did the work well,\u201d Richards said.<\/p>\n

Plunk said she\u2019s not trying to solve a specific problem. She\u2019s not even sure there is a problem. The chemical may have no effect on the brain at all. She\u2019s just trying to gather enough scientific evidence to say one way or the other, supporting information needs of health care professionals to make informed decisions, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere has not been research showing either way,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Richards called Plunk\u2019s research \u201cnovel, especially the types of toxic responses she is addressing and the specific toxicant.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHer research is very timely and relevant and could ultimately even contribute to environmental exposure policy and law,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Growing up in Martin, Tennessee, Plunk spent her first year of college at UT Martin, but the university didn\u2019t have something she wanted\u2014a rowing team.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to row, so I just ended up transferring to UTC,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Plunk also was a nursing major at UT Martin. That didn\u2019t take, and once at UTC, she changed her major to biology, thinking that might lead to a career in dentistry. That didn\u2019t take either. Then she tried occupational therapy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s very clear that I had no idea what I wanted to do,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Her decision to pursue toxicology as a career came in her senior year when she took Richards\u2019 toxicology course.<\/p>\n

\u201cI heard toxicology was the hardest course on campus, so I took it,\u201d Plunk said,\u201d and on the first class I knew that that’s what I wanted to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

About four years into her doctoral research project, she\u2019s 18 months or so away from a Ph.D. However long it takes, she said she will continue to work in neuroscience in some capacity.<\/p>\n

While she\u2019s currently researching one type of compound, many others need investigation, including for their potential roles in such diseases as Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s Syndrome.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really don’t see myself leaving,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Learn More<\/h4>\n

Visit UTC<\/a><\/p>\n

Biology, Geology and Environmental Science<\/a><\/p>\n

How to apply<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Elizabeth

Elizabeth Plunk, in glasses and face mask, explains her poster presentation during the University of Rochester (New York) Medical Center Interview Weekend in February 2023.<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Elizabeth Plunk, who graduated from UTC in 2019 with a degree in biology, is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Rochester in New York.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading <\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1105,"featured_media":54503,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_slider":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_featurette":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[70,123864,123865,61,7712,48007],"tags":[123470,123471,122900],"class_list":{"0":"post-54499","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-academics","8":"category-advancement-and-alumni","9":"category-biology-geology-and-environmental-science","10":"category-college-of-arts-sciences","11":"category-faculty-and-staff","12":"category-research-academics","13":"tag-elizabeth-plunk","14":"tag-perfluorohexanoic-acid","15":"tag-sean-richards","16":"entry"},"yoast_head":"\nUTC alum conducts unique research on widely used \u2018forever chemical\u2019 | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Elizabeth Plunk, who graduated from UTC in 2019 with a degree in biology, is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Rochester in New York.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"UTC alum conducts unique research on widely used \u2018forever chemical\u2019 | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Elizabeth Plunk, who graduated from UTC in 2019 with a degree in biology, is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Rochester in New York.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UTChattanooga\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-10-24T12:15:34+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-10-24T12:16:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/10\/Plunk1-1-e1696899543226.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1080\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1121\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Shawn Ryan\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@UTChattanooga\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@UTChattanooga\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Shawn Ryan\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Shawn Ryan\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7c7532013925b3412f8142e378b04942\"},\"headline\":\"UTC alum conducts unique research on widely used \u2018forever chemical\u2019\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-24T12:15:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-24T12:16:07+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":796,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/Plunk1-1-e1696899543226.jpg\",\"keywords\":[\"Elizabeth Plunk\",\"perfluorohexanoic acid\",\"Sean Richards\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Academics\",\"Advancement and Alumni\",\"Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science\",\"College of Arts and Sciences\",\"Faculty and Staff\",\"Research\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\\\/\",\"name\":\"UTC alum conducts unique research on widely used \u2018forever chemical\u2019 | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/Plunk1-1-e1696899543226.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-10-24T12:15:34+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-10-24T12:16:07+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7c7532013925b3412f8142e378b04942\"},\"description\":\"Elizabeth Plunk, who graduated from UTC in 2019 with a degree in biology, is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Rochester in New York.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\\\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\\\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/Plunk1-1-e1696899543226.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/files\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/Plunk1-1-e1696899543226.jpg\",\"width\":1080,\"height\":1121},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/2023\\\/10\\\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\\\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"UTC alum conducts unique research on widely used \u2018forever chemical\u2019\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/\",\"name\":\"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025\",\"description\":\"Official news releases of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/7c7532013925b3412f8142e378b04942\",\"name\":\"Shawn Ryan\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/fd3380969898eaf8c8a869d0a88ec19c46f2edd41319a7a40d9c63946c900aa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/fd3380969898eaf8c8a869d0a88ec19c46f2edd41319a7a40d9c63946c900aa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/fd3380969898eaf8c8a869d0a88ec19c46f2edd41319a7a40d9c63946c900aa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Shawn Ryan\"},\"description\":\"Shawn Ryan is the executive staff writer in the Office of Communications and Marketing at UTC.\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/blogarchive.utc.edu\\\/news\\\/author\\\/hqv743\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"UTC alum conducts unique research on widely used \u2018forever chemical\u2019 | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","description":"Elizabeth Plunk, who graduated from UTC in 2019 with a degree in biology, is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Rochester in New York.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"UTC alum conducts unique research on widely used \u2018forever chemical\u2019 | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","og_description":"Elizabeth Plunk, who graduated from UTC in 2019 with a degree in biology, is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Rochester in New York.","og_url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\/","og_site_name":"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/UTChattanooga","article_published_time":"2023-10-24T12:15:34+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-10-24T12:16:07+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1080,"height":1121,"url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/10\/Plunk1-1-e1696899543226.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Shawn Ryan","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@UTChattanooga","twitter_site":"@UTChattanooga","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Shawn Ryan","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\/"},"author":{"name":"Shawn Ryan","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/7c7532013925b3412f8142e378b04942"},"headline":"UTC alum conducts unique research on widely used \u2018forever chemical\u2019","datePublished":"2023-10-24T12:15:34+00:00","dateModified":"2023-10-24T12:16:07+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\/"},"wordCount":796,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/10\/Plunk1-1-e1696899543226.jpg","keywords":["Elizabeth Plunk","perfluorohexanoic acid","Sean Richards"],"articleSection":["Academics","Advancement and Alumni","Biology, Geology, and Environmental Science","College of Arts and Sciences","Faculty and Staff","Research"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\/","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\/","name":"UTC alum conducts unique research on widely used \u2018forever chemical\u2019 | UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/10\/Plunk1-1-e1696899543226.jpg","datePublished":"2023-10-24T12:15:34+00:00","dateModified":"2023-10-24T12:16:07+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/7c7532013925b3412f8142e378b04942"},"description":"Elizabeth Plunk, who graduated from UTC in 2019 with a degree in biology, is pursuing a Ph.D. at the University of Rochester in New York.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/10\/Plunk1-1-e1696899543226.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/10\/Plunk1-1-e1696899543226.jpg","width":1080,"height":1121},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/2023\/10\/utc-alum-conducts-unique-research-on-widely-used-forever-chemical\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"UTC alum conducts unique research on widely used \u2018forever chemical\u2019"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#website","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/","name":"UTC News Archive: Jul 2007 - Oct 2025","description":"Official news releases of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/#\/schema\/person\/7c7532013925b3412f8142e378b04942","name":"Shawn Ryan","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fd3380969898eaf8c8a869d0a88ec19c46f2edd41319a7a40d9c63946c900aa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fd3380969898eaf8c8a869d0a88ec19c46f2edd41319a7a40d9c63946c900aa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/fd3380969898eaf8c8a869d0a88ec19c46f2edd41319a7a40d9c63946c900aa9?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Shawn Ryan"},"description":"Shawn Ryan is the executive staff writer in the Office of Communications and Marketing at UTC.","url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/author\/hqv743\/"}]}},"featured_image_src":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/10\/Plunk1-1-e1696899543226.jpg","featured_image_src_square":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/10\/Plunk1-1-e1696899543226.jpg","author_info":{"display_name":"Shawn Ryan","author_link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/author\/hqv743\/"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/files\/2023\/10\/Plunk1-1-e1696899543226.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1105"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54499"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54499\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54757,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54499\/revisions\/54757"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/54503"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}