Fall 2018 Student Achievements

Congratulations to Amanda Lawrence, new Graduate Student Association President!

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) at IMET has elected a new president to serve in 2019. Amanda Lawrence is a second-year master’s student in the Marine Estuarine and Environmental Science program. She works in Dr. Sook Chung’s lab and her research focuses on neuropeptides involved in sexual maturity in crabs. Lawrence decided to run for president to give a voice to every single one of the students in the Institute. Her main goal as president is to create a more involved and productive GSA, starting with implementing weekly writing groups and workshops on various topics of graduate life management. “I want to find a way to engage all partner campuses because I think more interaction among the students can be beneficial for support, ideas, and friendships,” Lawrence remarks, “Working collaboratively, I think we can make 2019 a great year for IMET GSA and incorporate some new changes to perfect something that is already great.”

Congratulations to Shadaesha Green for being awarded a NOAA fellowship!

Doctoral candidate Shadaesha Green is a graduate research assistant who works in Dr. Sook Chung’s lab and focuses on hormonal reproductive regulators in the deep-sea red crab. Green has been awarded the Scott B. Gudes Public Service Graduate Scholarship in Marine Resource Conservation. This scholarship is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) and is awarded to students whose research has potential to contribute to marine conservation and public service. During this year of funding, Green will collaborate with NOAA and other state agencies and will concentrate her efforts on outreach and education. “I enjoy developing various ways to engage my target audience through hands on activities to help demonstrate different scientific concepts.” Green is passionate about influencing the next generation of young scientists through mentoring and science communication.

Congratulations to Ana Sosa for being awarded a Maryland Sea Grant fellowship!

A Maryland Sea Grant Competitive Graduate Research Fellowship has been awarded to Ana Sosa. Sosa is a third-year Ph.D. student in the Marine Estuarine and Environmental Science program and works in Dr. Feng Chen’s marine microbial ecology lab. The two-year funding was awarded to her proposal “Functional and Taxonomic Diversity of Microbial Communities in Microplastic Particles from the Chesapeake Bay.” As part of this fellowship, Sosa will do outreach and develop her science communication skills. She will reach various groups across the State of Maryland, including high school science teachers and students. Sosa understands the importance of representation in STEM and will do her best to inspire anybody who might be interested in these fields. “I have the chance to give back for the opportunities I have been fortunate enough to receive. I envision myself helping and teaching future scientists and hopefully inspiring young people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and genders to learn more about the importance of all scientific development and consider incorporating it into their careers and lives.”