[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":122},["ShallowReactive",2],{"/stories/living-and-learning-on-the-water":3,"processed-html-b32fa0ae":111,"processed-html-fe0ac502":112,"processed-html-f7068473":113,"processed-html-be62914b":114,"processed-html-7c29c442":115,"processed-html-9dce98a4":116,"processed-html-ec2ae21e":117,"processed-html-e6f3674f":118,"processed-html-7004cb40":119,"processed-html-7a5c3f5e":120,"processed-html-7229956d":121},{"id":4,"type":5,"path":6,"published":7,"publishDate":8,"author":9,"taxonomy":10,"headerType":13,"image":14,"video":18,"title":20,"subtitle":11,"hideFromSearchEngines":11,"social":21,"bodyBlocks":25,"slug":11,"description":97,"metaDescription":98,"metaTitle":11,"relatedStories":99,"created":100,"changed":101,"breadcrumbs":102},"cac64e35-7613-4197-8241-137dcc9d70df","story","stories/living-and-learning-on-the-water",true,"March 12, 2026","Ross Bishoff",{"name":11,"slug":12},null,"","image",{"url":15,"alt":16,"caption":17},"https://editing.intcomm.osu.edu/sites/default/files/styles/widescreen/public/media/image/2026/03/penka2_1.jpg","Mike Penka at Stone Lab.","Spending summers at Stone Lab has provided Mike Penka a wealth of opportunities to help build his career (photo: Jodi Miller).",{"url":11,"transcript":19},{"text":11},"Living and learning on the water",{"title":22,"description":23,"imageUrl":24},"Mike Discovered His Future on Lake Erie with Stone Lab","From fish behavior research to wetlands conservation, Mike Penka found community, purpose and career‑shaping experiences through Stone Lab and Ohio State’s hands‑on environmental science opportunities.","https://www.osu.edu/images/ohio-state-social-generic.jpeg",[26,33,39,45,51,61,67,73,79,85,91],{"blockName":27,"attrs":28,"innerBlocks":30,"innerHTML":31,"innerContent":32},"core/paragraph",{"uuid":29},"b32fa0ae",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Mike Penka arrived at Ohio State with dreams of studying marine science. The problem? Columbus is a long way from any oceans.\u003C/p>",[31],{"blockName":27,"attrs":34,"innerBlocks":36,"innerHTML":37,"innerContent":38},{"uuid":35},"fe0ac502",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">However, a visit to \u003Ca href=\"https://stonelab.osu.edu/\" class=\"bux-link\">Stone Laboratory\u003C/a> on Lake Erie changed everything.\u003C/p>",[37],{"blockName":27,"attrs":40,"innerBlocks":42,"innerHTML":43,"innerContent":44},{"uuid":41},"f7068473",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“I visited Stone Lab my freshman year and right away, I knew I made the right choice to come to Ohio State,” Penka says.\u003C/p>",[43],{"blockName":27,"attrs":46,"innerBlocks":48,"innerHTML":49,"innerContent":50},{"uuid":47},"be62914b",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Penka gained summers on Lake Erie through a simple conversation with one of his professors, \u003Ca href=\"https://senr.osu.edu/our-people/lauren-m-pintor\" class=\"bux-link\">Lauren Pintor\u003C/a>, associate professor of aquatic ecology, by simply asking if she knew of any professors looking for undergrad researchers.\u003C/p>",[49],{"blockName":52,"attrs":53,"innerBlocks":58,"innerHTML":59,"innerContent":60},"media-text/bux-quote",{"quote":54,"author":55,"source":56,"uuid":57},"\u003Cmeta charset=\"utf-8\">“I loved every second of it. Going back each summer, I loved being on the water, doing research, and being part of that tight-knit community on the island. ”","\u003Cmeta charset=\"utf-8\">Mike Penka","\u003Cmeta charset=\"utf-8\">Ohio State student in environmental science","7c29c442",[],"\u003Cbux-quote class=\"wp-block-media-text-bux-quote\">\u003Cspan slot=\"quote\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\">“I loved every second of it. Going back each summer, I loved being on the water, doing research, and being part of that tight-knit community on the island. ”\u003C/span>\u003Cspan slot=\"author\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Mike Penka\u003C/span>\u003Cspan slot=\"source\"><meta charset=\"utf-8\">Ohio State student in environmental science\u003C/span>\u003C/bux-quote>",[59],{"blockName":27,"attrs":62,"innerBlocks":64,"innerHTML":65,"innerContent":66},{"uuid":63},"9dce98a4",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“That led to the trajectory I’ve followed for the last three years at Ohio State,” Penka says.\u003C/p>",[65],{"blockName":27,"attrs":68,"innerBlocks":70,"innerHTML":71,"innerContent":72},{"uuid":69},"ec2ae21e",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Penka became a researcher in Suzanne Gray’s Aquatic Physiological Ecology lab for two summers at Stone Lab, performing his own study on the effects of lake turbidity on the reactions of fish. His findings led to three conference presentations and his senior thesis.\u003C/p>",[71],{"blockName":27,"attrs":74,"innerBlocks":76,"innerHTML":77,"innerContent":78},{"uuid":75},"e6f3674f",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">That work led to studying wetlands conservation this past summer with Ohio State’s \u003Ca href=\"https://senr.osu.edu/our-people/robert-j-gates\" class=\"bux-link\">Bob Gates\u003C/a> — an associate professor of wildlife ecology and management — as part of the \u003Ca href=\"https://h2.ohio.gov/\" class=\"bux-link\">H2Ohio program\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>",[77],{"blockName":27,"attrs":80,"innerBlocks":82,"innerHTML":83,"innerContent":84},{"uuid":81},"7004cb40",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Penka is currently exploring opportunities to work in water quality research in Maine or studying salmon in Alaska with an eye on gaining a master’s degree for a career with a wildlife agency. \u003C/p>",[83],{"blockName":27,"attrs":86,"innerBlocks":88,"innerHTML":89,"innerContent":90},{"uuid":87},"7a5c3f5e",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">\u003Cstrong>Mike on his experience at Ohio State: \u003C/strong>“Right from the start, Stone Lab was huge in providing me opportunities and perspective. I loved every second of it. Going back each summer, I loved being on the water, doing research, and being part of that tight-knight community on the island. You’re rubbing shoulders with people from UNC, James Madison, different institutions doing research while other Ohio State students and professors are there with you doing research the whole summer. Everybody is there to learn. I learned the research process, I learned what science really is and I’ve been fortunate to take those experiences and run with them.”\u003C/p>",[89],{"blockName":27,"attrs":92,"innerBlocks":94,"innerHTML":95,"innerContent":96},{"uuid":93},"7229956d",[],"\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">\u003Cstrong>His advice to Ohio State students:\u003C/strong> “Focus on personal relationships. Not just with friends and socially, obviously that’s important, but give yourself a support network. Get to know faculty and professors. I’ve been a peer leader through \u003Ca href=\"https://senr.osu.edu/\" class=\"bux-link\">SENR (the School of Environment and Natural Resources),\u003C/a> we help mentor incoming freshmen and the biggest thing I’ve always emphasized is to talk to your professors. Find people who specialize in areas you are interested in and engage with them. They’re always willing to, and hoping that, students will ask them about their field and for opportunities. They love having an opportunity to engage with students in that way. That’s something a lot of freshmen don’t realize. I didn’t even appreciate that at first, but I figured it out pretty fast.”\u003C/p>",[95],"Environmental science student Mike Penka found his passion at Ohio State’s Stone Laboratory, conducting aquatic research, presenting at conferences and exploring a future career in water quality and wildlife conservation.","Environmental science student Mike Penka found hands‑on research opportunities at Ohio State’s Stone Laboratory, studying fish behavior, wetlands conservation and water quality as he prepares for a career in aquatic ecology.",[],"2026-03-12T20:19:48+00:00","2026-03-23T19:21:04+00:00",[103,106,109],{"title":104,"path":105},"Home","/",{"title":107,"path":108},"Stories","/stories",{"title":20,"path":110},"/stories/living-and-learning-on-the-water","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Mike Penka arrived at Ohio State with dreams of studying marine science. The problem? Columbus is a long way from any oceans.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">However, a visit to \u003Ca href=\"https://stonelab.osu.edu/\" class=\"bux-link\">Stone Laboratory\u003C/a> on Lake Erie changed everything.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“I visited Stone Lab my freshman year and right away, I knew I made the right choice to come to Ohio State,” Penka says.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Penka gained summers on Lake Erie through a simple conversation with one of his professors, \u003Ca href=\"https://senr.osu.edu/our-people/lauren-m-pintor\" class=\"bux-link\">Lauren Pintor\u003C/a>, associate professor of aquatic ecology, by simply asking if she knew of any professors looking for undergrad researchers.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cbux-quote class=\"wp-block-media-text-bux-quote\">\u003Cspan slot=\"quote\">“I loved every second of it. Going back each summer, I loved being on the water, doing research, and being part of that tight-knit community on the island. ”\u003C/span>\u003Cspan slot=\"author\">Mike Penka\u003C/span>\u003Cspan slot=\"source\">Ohio State student in environmental science\u003C/span>\u003C/bux-quote>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">“That led to the trajectory I’ve followed for the last three years at Ohio State,” Penka says.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Penka became a researcher in Suzanne Gray’s Aquatic Physiological Ecology lab for two summers at Stone Lab, performing his own study on the effects of lake turbidity on the reactions of fish. His findings led to three conference presentations and his senior thesis.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">That work led to studying wetlands conservation this past summer with Ohio State’s \u003Ca href=\"https://senr.osu.edu/our-people/robert-j-gates\" class=\"bux-link\">Bob Gates\u003C/a> — an associate professor of wildlife ecology and management — as part of the \u003Ca href=\"https://h2.ohio.gov/\" class=\"bux-link\">H2Ohio program\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">Penka is currently exploring opportunities to work in water quality research in Maine or studying salmon in Alaska with an eye on gaining a master’s degree for a career with a wildlife agency. \u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">\u003Cstrong>Mike on his experience at Ohio State: \u003C/strong>“Right from the start, Stone Lab was huge in providing me opportunities and perspective. I loved every second of it. Going back each summer, I loved being on the water, doing research, and being part of that tight-knight community on the island. You’re rubbing shoulders with people from UNC, James Madison, different institutions doing research while other Ohio State students and professors are there with you doing research the whole summer. Everybody is there to learn. I learned the research process, I learned what science really is and I’ve been fortunate to take those experiences and run with them.”\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>","\u003Chtml>\u003Chead>\u003C/head>\u003Cbody>\u003Cp class=\"bux-paragraph\">\u003Cstrong>His advice to Ohio State students:\u003C/strong> “Focus on personal relationships. Not just with friends and socially, obviously that’s important, but give yourself a support network. Get to know faculty and professors. I’ve been a peer leader through \u003Ca href=\"https://senr.osu.edu/\" class=\"bux-link\">SENR (the School of Environment and Natural Resources),\u003C/a> we help mentor incoming freshmen and the biggest thing I’ve always emphasized is to talk to your professors. Find people who specialize in areas you are interested in and engage with them. They’re always willing to, and hoping that, students will ask them about their field and for opportunities. They love having an opportunity to engage with students in that way. That’s something a lot of freshmen don’t realize. I didn’t even appreciate that at first, but I figured it out pretty fast.”\u003C/p>\u003C/body>\u003C/html>",1776431685621]