MEES IN THE NEWS

april 2022

LAUREN JONAS - 2022-23 Fulbright US Student Grant RECIPIENT

April 13, 2022 - We are proud and delighted to announce that our very own Lauren Jonas (EMST, Fall ‘21) a PhD student studying under the Environmental Molecular Science and Technology foundation, has been awarded a 2022-23 Fulbright US Student Grant for research in Colombia! She will carry out her project, “Finding Enzymes in Microbes Capable of Scrubbing CO2 from Fossil Fuel Smoke in Bogotá,” with the support of Dr. Diego Javier Jiménez at the University of the Andes in Bogotá. Her advisor is Professor Russell Hill, Executive Director of the University System of Maryland's Institute for Marine and Environmental Technology.

Lauren will work with Dr. Jiménez, who researches microorganisms involved in plant biomass degradation and biofuel production. She will investigate if certain bacteria produce urease, and if this enzyme is a key factor in capturing CO2. She will also have the opportunity to analyze atypical bacteria from biodiverse mangroves that would otherwise be unavailable to her. Colombia aims to reduce fossil fuel emissions by 51% in 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Researching carbon capture, therefore, is timely in Colombia, and the experience will help her understand how microbes can mitigate the effects of climate change.

Upon her return to the U.S., Lauren will complete her dissertation and pursue a position within the field of bioremediation, specifically to conduct research for a company that produces biofuel made from algae, a carbon-neutral alternative to crude oil. She will also pursue positions as a research microbiologist focusing on microbes found in ecosystems such as mangroves and wetlands.

Out of the thousands of applicants that apply for a Fulbright annually, only around 20% get accepted. Congratulations, Lauren! This is a well earned recognition of all your dedication & hard work. The MEES program is very proud of you!

congratulations to our 2022-2023 student fellowship & Memorial award winners!

ANNE WYLIE DISSERTATION FELLOWSHIP CLINT WATERS STUDENT AWARD

March 29 2022 - Congratulations to Anna Windle (advisor Dr. Greg Silsbe (UMCES), Reed Brodnik (advisor Dr. Thomas Miller), and Carol Kim (advisor Dr. Sairah Mailkin) who are the newest recipients of the prestigious and highly competitive Anne Wylie Dissertation Fellowship award, and Iacopo Vona (advisor Dr. William Nardin) with Catherine Fitzgerald (advisor: Dr. James Pierson, (co-advisor) Dr. Louis Plough) who also earned the prestigious Clint Waters Student Award! This is a well earned recognition of all your hard work. The MEES program is very proud of you!

For previous recipients, click here.

APRIL 2022 - EARTH month FEATURE

• Monthly Spotlight: Earth Month (April 2022) - Dr. Paulinus Chigbu was recently appointed to the Maryland Commission on Climate Change by Maryland’s Secretary of the Environment, Ben Grumbles. Dr. Chigbu is a not only a University Systems of Maryland Wilson H. Elkins Professor of Marine Science at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), but is also Director of UMES’s NOAA Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center. Dr. Chigbu’s research experience and expertise is in fisheries and zooplankton ecology and climatic factors in water quality; which will be crucial to the Commission as they analyze possible solutions to the complicated issues surrounding climate change. For more information on Dr. Chigbu as well as the Commission check out UMES’s article here.

• Faculty Focus: Dr. Walter Boynton has been a MEES faculty member for many decades, and has been a Professor at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL), University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science since 1975. Boynton’s research expertise is estuarine ecology, particularly issues related to eutrophication and ecosystem restoration. He has published over 100 scientific papers and many more technical reports related to water quality, habitat and restoration issues. All of this research involves coastal and estuarine eutrophication and restoration of these ecosystems. Check out Dr. Boynton in this special UMCES feature Discovering the Chesapeake, as he discusses the disappearance—and return—of seagrasses in the Chesapeake Bay. Also check out “The Schooner Edward D. Boynton rebuild”; a unique endeavor to offer public and private charters along the coast of New England as well as offering sail training for those who wish to learn how to sail traditional gaff schooners.

• MEES Research Corner: Alexandra McCarty, due to graduate with her Ph.D. this May 2022, has already published a paper, “Genome-wide analysis of acute low salinity tolerance in the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica and potential of genomic selection for trait improvement”, which researches the genetic basis of traits that can increase aquaculture production using the eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) which is an important aquaculture species along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States. As the global demand for seafood increases, the research presented helps address this most critical issue.