1. science
2. biology
3. zoology
4. endangered species

Appendix I - F. Featured Alumni
Master’s Alumni
1980s
Dr. Jay Blundon (MS '81) went on after earning his MEES
masters to become a PhD candidate in the Department of Zoology at
U of MD College Park, earning his degree in 1986 with a focus in
neuroscience. He continued his neuroscience research as a postdoc
at the University of Texas in Austin for 7 years. In 1993, Jay
became an assistant professor of biology at Rhodes College in
Memphis, TN. He became associate professor at Rhodes College in
1999, where Jay is the chair of the Neuroscience Program.
Dr. Jamie Rappaport Clark (MS’83) is the Defenders of
Wildlife, Executive Vice President. Jaime’s expertise is in
wildlife biology, endangered species and the Endangered
Species Act, land and habitat conservation, national
environmental policy. After a 20-year career with the federal
government, mostly with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
Jamie joined Defenders of Wildlife as executive vice president
in February 2004 and oversees a staff of 145 in Washington, D.C. as well as field offices
across the country, in Mexico and Canada. In 1997, Jaime was appointed director of the
Service by President Bill Clinton, a post she held until 2001. During her tenure as
director, Jamie oversaw the addition of two million acres to the National Wildlife Refuge
System, including the establishment of 27 new refuges, and presided over the recovery of
key endangered species such as the bald eagle, gray wolf, and peregrine falcon. Jamie’s
tenure as director of Fish and Wildlife Service was also marked by the adoption of
innovative policies to encourage landowners to voluntarily conserve wildlife, including
the safe harbor program and expanded habitat and candidate conservation programs. Also
under her leadership, the Fish and Wildlife Service worked with Congress to pass the
landmark National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act of 1997, which established
wildlife conservation as the primary purpose of all refuges within the system. Prior to her
appointment as director of the Fish and Wildlife Service, Jamie served the agency as
chief of the division of endangered species, southwest deputy assistant regional director,
and senior staff biologist.
Ms. Penelope Dalton (MS’87) was a teacher on a U.S. Navy base in
Rota, Spain, and a Peace Corps volunteer in Kenya prior to joining the
University of Maryland, MEES Program. After acceptance, Penelope
pursued her graduate research and received the 1985 Knauss Marine
Policy Fellowship. In 1987, Ms. Dalton completed her MEES master’s
thesis under the supervision of Dr. Mihursky at CBL. From 1987 to
1999, she was a professional staff member for the U.S. Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. Ms. Dalton
played a pivotal role in shaping marine policy at the national level. Reaching the senior
level on the committee, she spoke before Congress and federal ocean agencies on behalf
of 83 of the nation's largest oceanographic institutions. Dalton spent two years (19992001) at NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service as assistant administrator, managing
the 2,500-member scientific and technical staff in more than two-dozen facilities across
the nation. She strengthened her career in 2001 by joining the Consortium for
Oceanographic Research and Education, or CORE, in Washington, DC, as Vice
President. In that position, Dalton helped give its members, which includes the University
of Washington (UW) and other major oceanographic institutions, a unified voice on
national and international ocean issues. In 2005, Penelope joined the UW as director of
the Washington Sea Grant Program. With 20 years of experience in marine and coastal
issues, she now leads an organization that funds research on such things as the accidental
capture of endangered seabirds, introductions of harmful non-native animals and plants,
shellfish farming techniques and new cancer-fighting medicines from the sea. Part of a
network of 30 state programs administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), Washington Sea Grant Program is one of the oldest and, with a
budget of $5 million a year from federal and other funding sources, is the second largest
behind California. At the UW, Washington Sea Grant is a part of the College of Ocean
and Fishery Sciences. Dalton says her initial goal is to better serve Sea Grant's
constituents by strengthening existing partnerships with the UW, other academic
institutions, federal, state and local government, tribes, and marine-related industries and
associations.
Mr. William (Bill) J. Goldsborough (MS’83) is a Senior Scientist
& Fisheries Program Director for the Chesapeake Bay Foundation.
After having earned his masters, Bill has been employed by the
Chesapeake Bay Foundation as a scientist in its Environmental
Protection and Restoration Program. As the director of CBF’s
fisheries program, Bill serves as an advocate for sustainable,
ecosystem-based fisheries management and leads CBF's oyster
restoration program. He promotes fishery conservation as a
common interest of all fishery stakeholders and works to achieve
consensus support for conservation independent of fishermen
allocation issues. He works with state and federal agencies,
commercial and recreational fishermen, scientists, and elected officials to promote
effective management of Chesapeake Bay and regional fisheries. CBF’s oyster
restoration program applies progressive approaches to rebuild native oyster stocks and
involves thousands of citizens and students annually in growing oysters for planting on
sanctuary reefs, thus spreading awareness and support for this ecologically critical
shellfish.
1990s
Mr. Richard (Ricky) Arnold (MS'92) began working at the
United States Naval Academy in back in 1987 as an
Oceanographic Technician. Upon completing his teacher
certification program, he accepted a position as a science teacher
at John Hanson Middle School in Waldorf, Maryland. During
his tenure, he completed a Masters program while conducting
research in biostratigraphy at the Horn Point Environmental
Laboratory in Cambridge, Maryland. Upon matriculation,
Arnold spent another year working in the Marine Sciences
including time at the Cape Cod National Seashore and aboard a
sail training/oceanographic vessel headquartered in Woods Hole,
Massachusetts. In 1993, Arnold joined the faculty at the Casablanca American School in
Casablanca, Morocco, teaching college preparatory Biology and Marine Environmental
Science. During that time, he began presenting workshops at various international
education conferences focusing on science teaching methodologies. In 1996, he and his
family moved to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he was employed as a middle and high
school science teacher at the American International School. In 2001, Arnold was hired
by International School Services to teach middle school mathematics and science at the
International School of Kuala Kencana in West Papua, Indonesia. In 2003, he accepted a
similar teaching position at the American International School of Bucharest in Bucharest,
Romania.
NASA selected Mr. Arnold as an Educator Astronaut in May 2004. In February
2006 he completed Astronaut Candidate Training that included scientific and technical
briefings, intensive instruction in Shuttle and International Space Station systems,
physiological training, T-38 flight training, and water and wilderness survival training.
Upon completion of his training, Arnold was assigned to the Hardware Integration Team
in the Space Station Branch working technical issues with JAXA hardware. He will work
various technical assignments until assigned to a spaceflight. NASA Astronaut Corp
typically assembles a new astronaut class every one to three years. Mr. Arnold and his
classmates were chosen from 2,882 applicants. Married with two kids, Mr. Arnold enjoys
with his family hobbies such as running, fishing, reading, kayaking, bicycling, ornithology,
paleontology and guitar. Mr. Arnold is a member of the following organizations: National
Science Teachers Association, International Technology Education Association, and the
National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. He has also been the recipient of various
grants for extended studies in marine science.
Ms. Sara Gottlieb (ENVSC, MS '98) was awarded the Sea Grant
Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship in 1997 where she worked in
the office of Representative Steven LaTourette of Ohio, co-chair
of the Great Lakes Task Force and in the office of Senator John
Glenn. Since completing her fellowship in 1997 and graduating
from MEES in 1998, she lived in Albuquerque, New Mexico
where she was a data manager and principle investigator on
multiple projects related to monitoring endangered fish species in
the Rio Grande and San Juan River. The projects that Sara worked on, coordinating a
fantastic field crew, were contracted by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Sara also worked closely with
the New Mexico Department Game and Fish. In 2005, Sara re-located to Atlanta, Georgia
where she has been working for the past year at the Center for Geographic Information
Systems at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Sara was awarded two contracts here to
develop tools for managing coastal resources for the Georgia Department of Natural
Resources Coastal Resources Division. After much soul-searching, She enrolled at
Georgia Tech to pursue a PhD in Environmental Public Policy and was accepted into the
program with a Presidential Fellowship. Sara is also working on an EPA STAR
Fellowship proposal to support her planned research on the role of science in effective
water quality policy.
Ms. Jennifer (Harman) Fetcho (CHEM, MS’96) received her BS in
Chemistry from the College of Charleston, SC in 1993. She entered the
MEES Program in 1994 and completed her master’s degree under the
guidance of Dr. Joel Baker in 1996. Currently, Jen is a support Chemist
for Dr. Cathleen Hapeman where Jen plans and conducts field projects
in collaboration with ARS-Tifton, GA labs, University of Florida in
Homestead, FL, and the National Park Service in Biscayne National Park to investigate
air and water quality and agrochemical fate and transport in Southern Florida. Jen also
manages a large-scale field project at the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center where
she investigates the environmental impacts of various vegetable production systems on
water, air, and soil quality, by examining the fate, transport, and transformation of agrochemicals within the environment.
Dr. Julie E. Keister (MS '96) recently received her PhD from Oregon State University
and has been appointed Assistant Professor in the School of Oceanography at the
University of Washington. Her research to date has allowed her to study predator/prey
dynamics, changes in habitat selection under physical stress, effects of circulation on
distributions, seasonal and interannual variability in community composition,
topographical effects on distributions, and the link between interannual variability in
circulation patterns and cross-shelf advection of zooplankton to the deep sea.
Ms. Mi Ae Kim (MS '95) Since her graduation in 1995, Mi Ae has worked for The
Nature Conservancy in Virginia, Public Affairs Management in San Francisco, Surface
Water Resources Inc. in Sacramento, National Ocean Service, and National Marine
Fisheries Service in Silver Spring where she has remained for the past 6 years working
with the Endangered Species Act. Mi Ae is also currently working to establish a nonprofit organization call the “Beaverdam Creek Watershed Watch Group”. The
Beaverdam Creek Watershed Watch Group (BCWWG) is a citizen's organization
dedicated to the preservation and environmental health of a subwatershed of the
Anacostia River. The Beaverdam Creek watershed is located northeast of Washington
D.C. near the towns of Greenbelt, Beltsville, and College Park, Maryland. Most of the
watershed lies in the boundaries of the Beltsville Agricultural Research Center. The
Anacostia River, a tributary of the Potomac River, flows through Washington, D.C.,
while the Potomac flows into Chesapeake Bay.
Ms. Jill Stevenson (FISH, MS’97) while still a student in the
MEES Program, received the 1997 Knauss Marine Policy
Fellowship Award. During her fellowship year, Stevenson
worked for NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, in the
Office of Sustainable Fisheries, Division of Highly Migratory
Species, with several researchers, including Richard Surdie.
Stevenson worked as a graduate assistant with CBL scientist
David Secor doing research on the Atlantic sturgeon. Stevenson
received her bachelor’s degree in 1992 from Columbia
University, where she majored in geochemistry. Stevenson first
came to the University of Maryland when she received summer fellowship in Maryland
Sea Grant's Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, funded by the
National Science Foundation, and awarded to outstanding students studying marine and
environmental science. Stevenson spent her 1991 undergraduate fellowship at Horn Point
Laboratory (HPL), working with scientist Jeff Cornwell on sediments and
biogeochemistry. After successfully defending her master’s thesis, Jill went on to work
for NOAA, becoming the MD DNR Deputy Director of fisheries.
Mr. Richard Takacs (MS '92) is the Habitat Restoration and Native Oyster Specialist
with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Restoration Center,
based at the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office. The objective of the Restoration Center is to
bring together citizens, organizations, industry, students, landowners, and local, state, and
federal agencies to restore habitat around the coastal United States. The program funds
projects directly as well as through partnerships with national and regional organizations.
Since 1996, this program has funded more than 900 restoration projects, among them
living shorelines projects. Rich has worked on living shorelines permitting, design, and
implementation, and currently manages the NOAA-Chesapeake Bay living shoreline
restoration grant program.
2000s
Mr. John Adornato, III (ECOL, MS’01) received the 2001
Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship and spent his fellowship year
with Senator Daniel K. Akaka, a Democrat from Hawaii. His work
focused on aquaculture, coral reefs, fisheries and other marinerelated issues. John received a B.S. degree in biology with a minor
in Russian language from Tufts University in 1996. Following his
graduation, he worked in Phoenix, Arizona for the USDA,
Agricultural Research Services' New Corp Division and their
Global Climate Change research group using Free-Air Carbon Dioxide Enrichment
research technologies. From the fall of 1998 to 2001, John was a graduate teaching
assistant for genetics and general biology in the College of Life Sciences at UMCP and
was honored with a distinguished teaching assistant award. John also helped conduct
wetland plant research in the Chesapeake Bay directed by Dr. Andrew Baldwin, a
professor in the Biological Resources Engineering Department. In addition to that work,
John designed and undertook his master's research investigating the damage from
Hurricane Lili and the initial regeneration of forested wetlands on Hummingbird Cay,
Great Exuma, Bahamas. Currently, John is now working at the National Parks
Conservation Association in southern FL as the Everglades Restoration Program
Manager in the Sun Coast Regional Office. He is primarily involved in the restoration of
the Everglades National Park by researching strategies that seek to regenerate historic
water flow ultimately restoring the salinity and health of the fisheries and fishery habitat.
Mr. Brian Badgley (ECOL, MS’02) received a 2001 Knauss Marine
Policy Fellowship. Brian worked in NOAA's National Ocean Service in
the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, closely with
management issues for the reserves in North Carolina, Virginia and
Maryland. In addition, he was a member of two groups - one that
examined how to approach expansion of the reserve system and target
new areas for reserves, and one that focused on the implementation of a system-wide
training initiative for coastal resource managers. Brian obtained a B.S. in zoology from
the University of Georgia, followed by work as a research assistant at the Key Largo
Marine Research Lab in Florida and was an instructor at the Jekyll Island Environmental
Education Center in Georgia. During his graduate career in the MEES Program under the
guidance of Dr. Ken Sebens, he researched nutrient dynamics on coral reefs at the
Bermuda Biological Station for Research and was a teaching assistant for a Biological
Oceanography class and associated lab. In 2000, he was a research assistant at Maryland
Sea Grant College, where he helped prepare for the recent external program assessment
and aided with other management and administrative issues. Currently, Brian is the
Coordinator of the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Coastal Institute,
in Florida. Mr. Badgley was recently hired to head up the Coastal Institute, and he
explained that the Institute is part of the NERR System Coastal Training Program, and
serves as an objective, regional forum for the training of professionals involved in coastal
decisions in Southwest Florida.
Ms. Laurie Bauer (FISH, MS’06) received a B.A. in biology from Wittenberg
University in Springfield, Ohio in 2001. Following graduation, she
spent a year as a volunteer with the Student Conservation Association/
Americorps, working at the U.S. Department of Agriculture Invasive
Plant Research Lab in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She began her M.S.
degree in the MEES program at the University of Maryland in 2002.
Her research, conducted at the Chesapeake Biological Lab under the
supervision of Dr. Thomas Miller, focused on the over-wintering mortality of blue crabs
in the Chesapeake Bay. In 2006, Laurie received the 2006 Knauss Fellowship Award and
is spending her fellowship year in NOAA's National Ocean Service Biogeography
program. Her work will focus on the assessment of habitat and organisms in the National
Marine Sanctuaries.
Mr. Todd Chadwell (ECOL, MS '04) is a Senior Project Manager and skilled botanist
at Woodlot Alternatives, Inc. Todd is responsible for conducting natural resource
inventories and botanical surveys, and coordinating large-scale habitat restoration and
wetland mitigation projects. He has recently been involved in directing wetland
mitigation associated with the decommissioning of a nuclear power plant in New
England, and conducting wildlife studies associated with wind power and transmission
projects throughout the Northeast. Mr. Chadwell is currently coordinating Woodlot's
restoration work on the Housatonic River Restoration project in western Massachusetts.
Ms. Rachel Herbert (ENVSC, MS’05) studied nutrient dynamics and limitation in
riparian forested wetlands in agricultural and non-agricultural settings
with her mentors Dr. Baldwin (advisor) & Dr. Gregory McCarty from
the USDA Beltsville Agricultural Research Center's Environmental
Quality Laboratory as a Graduate Research Assistant. Since
matriculation, Rachel is pursuing her career in environmental science
with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Water Permits
Division.
Mr. Olaf P. Jensen (FISH, MS’04) received his B.A. in biology
and society at Cornell University in 1998, then worked as a
naturalist and educator for the King County parks system in
Seattle, Washington. He began a M.S. degree program in the
MEES program in 2000. His master’s thesis research, conducted at
the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, supervised by Dr. Thomas
Miller, focused on understanding the distribution patterns and
spatial ecology of the blue crab in Chesapeake Bay (i.e., application of geostatistics to
estuarine systems). Olaf was awarded a DAAD Fellowship by the German Federal
Government for research in Germany during the winter of 2002-2003. Olaf also received
the 2003 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship award that placed him in the biogeography
program led by Dr. Mark Monaco in NOAA's National Ocean Service. His work with
NOAA focused on biogeographic assessment that included habitat mapping and multispecies modeling, of the National Marine Sanctuaries. Olaf received his PhD from the
University of Wisconsin Madison in 2007 where he worked on ecosystem-based fisheries
management of Pacific tuna and billfish. In 2008 he was awarded a prestigious Smith
Fellowship from the Society of Conservation Biologists.
Ms. Sheridan MacAuley (ENMB, MS’05) completed her B.S. in
biology/biotechnology at George Mason University in 2000. During
and after completing her undergraduate degree, she worked for the U.S.
Geological Survey in Reston, Virginia, researching microbial nutrient
cycling and bioremediation in aquatic habitats. She joined the MEES
program in 2002 and conducted her research under the supervision of
microbiologist Kevin Sowers at the University of Maryland Center of Marine
Biotechnology. Her research focused on microbial fermentation and the production of
recombinant proteins by methane-producing marine microorganisms. After successfully
defending her master’s thesis, Sheridan received the 2006 Knauss Fellowship Award. She
is working for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Her work will focus on supporting
NASA's involvement in the Ocean Action Plan. She will also assist in developing a plan
for NASA's ongoing role in the National Oceanographic Partnership Program.
Ms. Wendy Morrison (FISH, MS’02) received her B.S. degree in
marine science and biology from the University of Miami in 1993,
which included one year of study at James Cook University in
Australia. After graduation, she spent two years as a Peace Corps
volunteer working with subsistence fishermen in the Philippines to
increase the sustainability of their resources. After returning to the
United States, Wendy spent a year teaching high school science in
Miami, Florida before enrolling in the MEES program in 1998. . Her work at Maryland,
advised by Dr. David Secor, focused on understanding the biology of American eels with
an emphasis on an unfished population in the Hudson River, New York. In 2001, Wendy
received the Knauss Fellowship Award. She spent her fellowship year with NOAA's
National Ocean Service, Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment Biogeography
Program, where she worked on projects aimed at providing ecosystem-level information
on the distributions and ecology of living marine resources that include projects in central
California, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Wendy received her master’s degree in fisheries
management from the MEES program in 2002. She went on to spend 3 years working
with NOAA’s Biogeography Program where she gained valuable experience. Currently,
Wendy is pursuing a PhD in Biology at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta,
Georgia. Her research involves how different species interact (competition, predation,
etc.) and how this interaction influences ecosystem dynamics.
Mr. Robert (Bob) F. Murphy (FISH, MS’04) currently serves as the
President & Executive Director of Ecosystem Solutions, Inc. (ESI)
overseeing ESI's marine resources projects which include development
of novel methods for large-scale submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV)
restoration, assessment of biological responses to restoration practices,
and oyster reef design. Prior to ESI, Bob was the Senior Project
Coordinator with the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, a regional nonprofit, where he specialized in habitat restoration, with particular
emphases on submerged vegetation and oyster reef habitats. As a member of the senior
staff at the Alliance, Bob served as scientific liaison to the Chesapeake Bay Program and
other regional organizations. While a student in the MEES program (w/Dr. David Secor,
advisor) Bob’s research focused on the fish assemblage structure of the coastal bays of
Maryland. Bob’s continued scientific interests include the interactions of habitat and
population dynamics in marine and estuarine systems.
Mr. Eric Nagel (ENVSC, MS’04) received his B.S. degree
in Biology with a minor in Marine Science from the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1999.
Following graduation, he joined the Peace Corps and
worked as an agricultural extension agent to subsistencelevel farmers in western Kenya for two years. Advised by
Dr. Jeff Cornwell, Eric's master’s thesis research has
examined rates, magnitudes and controls of nitrogen fixation in Florida Bay and how this
nutrient source compares with external loading. As a result, in 2004, Eric received the
Knauss Fellowship Award, allowing Eric to work within the House of Representatives
Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee under the supervision of John
Rayfield. His work focused on legislation addressing the problem of invasive species
introduction via ballast water as well as other marine and Coast Guard-related issues.
Following his fellowship, Eric was able to stay on Capitol Hill permanently, and now he
is working as a Professional Staff Member with the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and
Maritime Transportation of the US House of Representatives.
Ms. Jessica Peterson (ECOL, MS’03) is a Research Associate at the
Penn State Cooperative Wetlands Unit. Prior to this, Jessica was
involved in a project at the Nanticoke watershed, looking at plant
communities of freshwater tidal marshes and swamps and the
environmental factors influencing community dynamics. Her work at
this site includes a study of the seed bank. Jessica earned her
Agricultural Engineering B.S. from the University of Georgia.
Ms. Taconya Piper (FISH, MS’03) became a Minorities in Marine
and Environmental Sciences (MIMES) Summer Intern at the South
Carolina Marine Resources Division (SCMRD). The following
December, Taconya earned a B.S. in environmental science from the
University of Maryland Eastern Shore in 1999. In 2000, she enrolled
in the MEES program under the direction of Dr. Roman Jesien,
where she investigated the reproductive potential of American shad
in the Delaware and Hudson rivers. She was also a research fishery
biologist in the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) through NOAA's National
Marine Fisheries Service, an EPA Graduate Research Fellow that supported her with a
stipend, tuition, and research funds. She was also a summer intern with the Maryland
Department of Natural Resources. Previously, she worked with the Pennsylvania Fish
and Boat Commission (PFBC) and the New York Department of Environmental
Conservation (NYDEC). Taconya Piper received the 2003 Knauss Fellowship Award and
spent her fellowship year with NOAA's National Ocean Service, in the Office of Ocean
Exploration. She organized, coordinated and provided special support to expeditions led
by the office. After her arrival in DC, she participated in a three-week research cruise to
Puerto Rico Trench to map the seafloor. She also focused on the development of
education and outreach programs that promote ocean exploration and stewardship to the
public. Her work this year with education and outreach fulfills a personal goal to
implement programs that will expose inner city youths to the many opportunities for
careers in ocean and environmental science. Taconya won the American Fisheries
Society Tidewater Chapter 1st Place Platform Student Presentation award in the spring of
2004. The following fall, Taconya enrolled at Auburn University in Alabama to pursue a
PhD in Fisheries Science and Management and is expected to graduate May 2008.
Currently, Taconya won a Presidential Fellowship through Auburn University
Department of Fisheries and Allied Aquacultures in 2004 that continues presently.
Mr. Michael Rearick (CHEM, MS '04) earned his masters under Dr. Robert Mason in
environmental chemistry. Since matriculation, Mike has been active at the Los Alamos
National Laboratory in New Mexico, as an inorganic analytical chemist specializing in
ion chromatography, inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy, and
inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for the Geochemistry and Geomaterials
Research Laboratory. Mr. Rearick served as an analytical chemist at the National Institute
of Standards and Technology for 9 years prior to working at Los Alamos National
Laboratory.
Mr. Thomas A. Shyka (ECOL, MS’00) was awarded the Knauss
Marine Policy Award in 1998. He spent his fellowship year working in
NOAA's National Ocean Service, in the Office of Coastal Resource
Management, in the Marine Sanctuary Program, where he worked on
coral reef restoration in the Florida Key's Marine Sanctuary and on other
management issues in various sanctuaries around the country. As a
Masters student in the MEES program at the University of Maryland,
Shyka worked part-time for the Maryland Sea Grant College where he assisted in grants
management. With advisor, Dr. Kenneth P. Sebens, in the Department of Zoology, Shyka
focused his graduate work on various aspects of coral feeding and growth. Shyka
received his Bachelors degree in Biology, with a concentration in Environmental Science,
from Colby College in Maine. Before beginning his graduate studies, he worked at
marine laboratories in the U.S. Virgin Islands and in California. In his first year at
Maryland, as a NASA/Maryland Sea Grant Summer Fellow in Remote Sensing of the
Oceans, he worked with Frank Hoge at NASA's Wallops Island facility. Currently, Tom
is the program specialist at the Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System (GoMOOS). In
his current position at GoMOOS he works with the various GoMOOS users (fishermen,
commercial and recreational mariners, scientists, resource managers, and teachers) to
help design information products that are available on the GoMOOS website.
Ms. Stacy Swartwood (ENVSC, MS’04) was awarded the 2002
Knauss Fellowship. Stacy spent her fellowship year with the EPA's
Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and Watersheds in the Wetlands Division.
Her work focused on the incorporation of wetland and water issues
into smart growth planning and strategies for state wetland programs.
Swartwood earned a B.A. in biology from the University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill. After graduation she worked for a public health consulting firm
on a USAID family planning project, then became an independent consultant. She
enrolled in the MEES program in 1999 and did her research on mangrove and salt marsh
model ecosystems under the direction of Patrick Kangas. Stacy was a graduate assistant
in the College of Life Sciences Office of International Programs, then spent 2001 as a
research assistant at Maryland Sea Grant College.
Ms. Lynn Takata (FISH, MS’04) received the 2002 Knauss Marine
Policy Fellowship. Lynn worked in NOAA's National Ocean Service,
with the National Marine Sanctuary Program's Scientific Support
Team. During her fellowship, she helped design and implement a
sanctuary-wide scientific monitoring program and assisted with the
Baja to Bering expedition - a scientific cruise running through west coast sanctuaries.
Lynn completed her B.S. in biology at the University of California, San Diego in 1995.
She spent a year in the Aerators in Northern California, working on salmon population
surveys and environmental education. She moved to Maryland in 1997 to work with the
Smithsonian Environmental Research Center's Marine Invasions group, where she helped
with studies on the ecology of invasive marine organisms. In 1999, she entered the MEES
program, where Dr. David Secor directed her research on comparing recruitment and
growth patterns of young bluefish that use different Maryland nursery habitats. Upon
completion of the MEES Program, Lynn was employed by NOAA as an Environmental
Scientist in the California State Lands Commission Div – NIS in ballast water and on
vessel hulls.
Doctorate Alumni
1980s
Dr. Thomas S. Bianchi (PhD’87) is the Director of the Earth and
Ecosystem Sciences at Tulane University, LA. Dr. Bianchi’s research
interests are organic geochemistry, biogeochemical dynamics of aquatic
food chains, carbon cycling in estuarine and coastal ecosystems, and
finally, biochemical markers of colloidal and particulate organic
carbon. Currently, he conducts his research in the Gulf of Mexico
estuaries, the Mississippi River, as well as his collaborative efforts in
the Baltic Region.
Dr. Jason Caplan (PhD’84), founder and CEO of EnSolve Biosystems, a biotechnology
company based in the Research Triangle area of North Carolina. In business since 1995,
the company has won numerous awards and financial support from the North Carolina
Biotechnology Center for research and development. In addition to the PetroLiminator
shipboard oily water separator system, EnSolve also markets bioenzymatic degreasers
and oil-spill cleanup products for the marine industry. In December 2005, EnSolve
Biosystems was awarded a Small Business Innovative Research contract by the U.S.
Navy to develop a prototype Portable Oil Remediation System (PORS) for removal of
hydrocarbons, organic contaminants, and trace metals normally found on inactive vessels.
Dr. Michael Crosby (PhD '87) has been very busy since matriculation! Now, he has
over 20 years of research, teaching, science management and leadership experience and
has gained expertise in developing and managing multidisciplinary research through his
interactions, involvement and partnerships with numerous universities, national and
international science and resource management agencies, programs and committees. His
endeavors focus on improving the "synthesis, translation and transfer" of science and
technical information between research, public policy and stakeholder communities. On
July 27, 2003, Dr. Crosby was appointed to the Senior Executive Service position at the
National Science Foundation to serve as both executive officer and office director of the
National Science Board (NSB). He came to NSB from the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), where he was the senior advisor for international
science policy in the undersecretary's office of international affairs. His previous
positions in NOAA include executive director for the NOAA science advisory board,
national research coordinator for ocean and coastal resource management, and chief
scientist for sanctuaries and reserves. He also completed a special detail from NOAA at
the U.S. Agency for International Development, where he served for two years as the
senior science advisor for marine and coastal ecosystems. Prior to joining NOAA, Dr.
Crosby held numerous faculty positions at various institutions, including the Baruch
Institute for Marine Biology and Coastal Research at the University of South Carolina;
the department of marine science at Coastal Carolina University; the graduate program at
the University of Charleston; Salisbury State University; and in science positions with the
National Marine Fisheries Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the National
Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Carol B. Daniels (PhD’87) is an adjunct professor in Marine Geology & Geophysics
at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami.
Carol also spends a tremendous amount of effort and time as the National Parks Services
(NPS) Coordinator for the Southern Florida and Caribbean Cooperative Ecosystems
Studies Unit (SFC-CESU). This CESU was established in 2000 and has 4 federal agency
partners and 10 private sector partners. The University of Miami in Miami, FL serves as
the host and encompasses the southern end of Florida, Puerto Rico and Caribbean islands.
Dr. John Dolan (PhD '88) works at the Observatoire Oceanologique de Villefranche - a
field campus of the Universite de Paris VI which houses 3
research-teaching units, co-administered by the Centre National de
Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the Universite de Paris VI:
Geology, Developmental Biology, and Oceanography. The
oceanography laboratory, Laboratoire de Oceanographie de
Villefranche (LOV) is composed of 5 research groups or
departments. John is the head of the Marine Microbial Ecology
Group. His specialty is ciliate microzooplankton, the first link in
aquatic food chains and he began by working on problems of ciliate ontongeny and
systematics with G. A. Antipa (San Francisco State University) and turned to ecosystem
ecology with D.W. Coats (Smithsonian Institution) and E. B. Small (University of
Maryland). Since matriculation from the MEES Program, John has studied natural
populations of ciliate microzooplankton in the Chesapeake Bay, across the
Mediterreanean Sea, and both the SW and SE Pacific Ocean. A particular interest of his
is physiology (for example growth and feeding) in typical marine ciliates, freshwater
nanoflagellates, as well as mixotrophic ciliates and nanoflagellates. He currently is
examining diel patterns, digestion, and selective feeding in micro and nano zooplankton.
Dr. Steven Jordan (PhD’87) is an aquatic ecologist with the U.S. EPA,
Gulf Ecology Division. His goal is to be a leader in organizations that
work for a better environment and advance the protection, restoration,
and scientific understanding of aquatic ecosystems. Steve served as the
Acting Associate Director for Science, Gulf Ecology Division twice
with his most recent term ending in May 2006. For the past four years,
Steve has been the U.S. EPA, Chief of the Ecosystem Assessment
Branch, Gulf Ecology Division. Prior to his appointment as Chief, Steve
severed as the Director of the Maryland DNR, Sarbanes Cooperative Oxford Laboratory
and the Director of the Oxford Laboratory Division of the Maryland Fisheries Service.
Steve led the Cooperative Oxford Laboratory from a period of physical decay, staff
attrition and poor morale to a complete renovation and expansion of the physical plant,
addition of new research programs and modern equipment, and built an atmosphere of
cooperation and optimism. Dr. Jordan’s efforts were recognized and awarded with a
Congressional Citation by Senator Paul S. Sarbanes, and a Governor’s Citation by Parris
N. Glendenning, Governor of the State of Maryland. In 1992, Governor Schaefer
awarded him with the Salute to Excellence on the behalf of the Chesapeake Executive
Council. Dr. Jordan also led the development (i.e., program justifications, work plans,
successful budget initiatives, recruitment of staff and much of the initial technical work)
of new state-funded environmental programs, including Chesapeake Bay Living
Resources Monitoring, Targeted Watershed Restoration, and Chesapeake Bay Ambient
Toxicity. Steve also developed and taught graduate courses for Johns Hopkins
University: Estuarine Ecology, Ecology of the Coastal Zone, The Chesapeake Bay:
Ecology and Ecosystem Management, and Principles and Methods of Ecology.
Dr. Jon Kramer (PhD’88) Maryland Sea Grant College, former Director In 2000, the
Chancellor of the USM, Donald N. Langenberg, announced the
appointment of Jonathan G. Kramer as the Director of the Maryland
Sea Grant College. The appointment was made following a national
search by Sea Grant's Governance Board, consisting of the Chancellor
of the University System of Maryland and the Presidents of the
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science and the
University of Maryland, College Park. Kramer came to Maryland Sea
Grant from the Center of Marine Biotechnology, part of the
University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute. He served first as Assistant Director for
Research at Sea Grant, and then as Interim Director. Kramer began his graduate studies at
SUNY Stony Brook, and completed his doctorate at the University of Maryland,
conducting his research at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science,
Horn Point Laboratory. His expertise lies in the area of marine biology and microbiology,
where he has employed molecular technologies to study the effects of nutrients and
contaminants on marine microorganisms. He brings a strong research and science
background to his position as science administrator. According to Donald F. Boesch,
Vice Chancellor of the University System of Maryland and former President of the
Center for Environmental Science, "Dr. Kramer is the kind of partner anyone would like
to have, knowledgeable, understanding, cooperative and reliable." Kramer has worked
hard to strengthen the network that links the region's marine research and education
programs. Founded in 1977, Maryland Sea Grant supports marine research and education
throughout the state, with a special emphasis on the Chesapeake Bay. A systemwide
program, Maryland Sea Grant is located on the University of Maryland's College Park
campus and is administered by the University of Maryland Center for Environmental
Science.
Dr. Adam Marsh (PhD’88) is an assistant professor of marine Biology-Biochemistry at
the University of Delaware. Dr. Marsh is researching the effects of cold temperatures on
regulation of gene expression in embryos and larvae in deep-sea and polar ocean
invertebrates in Antarctica and the Artic. Adam’s primary research interests are the roles
that molecular and biochemical mechanisms determine in growth and metabolism during
early development in larvae from extreme environments (i.e., gene expression, RNA
processing and turnover; protein metabolism and turnover; cellular physiology and
energetics; organismal development and growth). Recently his work has demonstrated
that despite the slow course of development, metabolic activities in some polar embryos
and larvae are temperature compensated, and equivalent to comparable rates in temperate
species. He is trying to identify the biochemical mechanism by which low temperatures
set developmental rates in these polar species.
Dr. Frank E. Muller-Karger (PhD’88) is a biological oceanographer
(Professor) at the College of Marine Science, University of South Florida,
where he directs the Institute for Marine Remote Sensing. As some of you
already know, he is of Hispanic descent via Puerto Rico, and while born
in the U.S. he grew up in Venezuela. Frank conducts research on marine
primary production using satellite remote sensing, large data sets,
networking, and high-speed computing. His research helps in the location and monitoring
of large-scale phenomena, understanding climate control and climate change, and in the
interpretation of numerical models of the ocean. Presently, the primary focus of his
research is to assess the importance of continental margins, including areas of upwelling,
river discharge, and coral reefs in the global carbon budget, using satellites that measure
ocean color and sea surface temperature. Dr. Muller-Karger has worked hard to educate
K-12 teachers in the Southern Florida region about the use of new technologies in
oceanography through targeted workshops sponsored by NASA. Frank has given lectures
at various national educator societies, and serves as the science advisor for the Florida
Center for Ocean Science Education Excellence (COSEE). He also led the effort to
establish an internal committee within the College of Marine Science to define the
college's mission with respect to education and outreach. Dr. Muller-Karger was
appointed by President George W. Bush to serve on the U.S. Commission on Ocean
Policy. In 2005, he was appointed to the Ocean Studies Board of the National Research
Council/National Academies. Because of his keen interest in linking science and
education processes, and his interest in addressing the problem of underserved and underrepresented groups in academic science programs, he has been a champion for minorities,
for educators, and science education within the Commission on Ocean Policy. Dr.
Muller-Karger previously received the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Award for
Outstanding Contributions and the NASA Administrator Award for Exceptional
Contribution and Service for supporting development of satellite technologies for ocean
observation. He has B.S., M.S. and PhD degrees in marine science and a Masters degree
in management and has authored or co-authored over 80 scientific publications. Frank
also speaks fluent Spanish and German.
Dr. Tim Mulligan (PhD'87) a professor in the Fisheries Biology
Department at Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, has
been named Humboldt State University's Outstanding Professor of
2004-05. This is the university's highest honor for dedication and
excellence in teaching. Mulligan has taught at HSU since 1989, and his
students laud him for his energy, enthusiasm, personal attention, and
grasp of detail. His faculty colleagues agree, noting that Mulligan
personifies the university's long-standing commitment to practical learning through
research, combined with rigorous classroom instruction. Growing up 30 miles north of
Boston and 30 minutes from the ocean, Mulligan spent a summer doing research on the
Isle of Shoals that adjoins the Maine/New Hampshire coast while pursuing undergraduate
studies at the University of Vermont. The experience fed a growing interest in various
species of fish that cemented his fascination. He continued his education with graduate
studies at the University of Central Florida and earned his doctorate from the University
of Maryland- MEES Program, studying striped bass in the Chesapeake Bay. A
postdoctoral fellowship took him west to the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska to focus
on walleye pollock, before he moved to HSU.
1990s
Dr. Tina Armstrong (ENMB, PhD’99) received her bachelor’s
degree in Biological Sciences, with a focus on Ecology, Evolution,
and Systematics from Cornell University. After her admittance into
the MEES Program, Tina pursued her thesis research receiving the
1999 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship award. She spent her
fellowship year in NOAA's National Oceans Service in the National
Center for Coastal Ocean Service (NCCOS), where she contributed
to efforts at predicting coastal ocean responses to natural and
anthropogenic change. While still in the MEES Program, under the
guidance of Dr. Brian P. Bradley, Armstrong focused her doctoral research to the use of
protein expression signatures as a biomarker of anthropogenic stressors on aquatic
organisms. Upon matriculation, Tina also received an advanced certificate in Policy
Science. Currently, Dr. Armstrong works for Lockheed Martin as senior manager of
environmental remediation, Dr. Armstrong is literally in a position to guard the health of
entire communities. Dr. Armstrong is also Lockheed Martin’s point person for cleanup
efforts in Tallevast. It’s her job to hire outside consultants, review their findings and
make recommendations to Lockheed Martin’s management about the kinds of cleanup
activities that should be undertaken in Tallevast. Prior to joining Lockheed Martin in
2005, Dr. Armstrong was an ecological risk assessor for Tampa-based Blasland, Bouck &
Lee, Inc., which gave her the opportunity to see how many different companies
responded to pollution problems associated with industrial sites across the Eastern
Seaboard. Dr. Armstrong said she has been impressed with Lockheed Martin’s
willingness to take full responsibility for pollution problems associated with the former
American Beryllium Co. plant in Tallevast, even though Lockheed Martin never operated
the facility.
Dr. Ann Barse (PhD’94) is currently an Associate Biology Professor
at Salisbury University, MD. Her academic specialties are Invertebrate
Zoology, Parasitology and Ecology. Dr. Barse’s research interests
include fish parasite ecology; gill parasites of Fundulus spp.
Anguillicola crassus infections in American eels, Anguilla rostrata
Capsalidae (Monogenea) associations with Istiophorid fishes. She also
finds time to serve as an advisor for the Dual Degree Program for
Biology and Environmental/Marine Sciences.
Dr. Joan Maloof (ENVSC, PhD’99) is an assistant botany professor
at Salisbury University. A naturalist, Joan specializes in native plant
identification, plant-animal interactions, and forest ecology. Joan is
the coordinator of the Environmental Issues Minor offered at
Salisbury University. She is also a member of the Henson Seminar Committee, the
Advisory Committee on Buildings and Grounds Salisbury University Forum, Citizens
Advisory Council for Chesapeake Forest Lands, and the campus representative for Civic
Engagement: Stewardship of Public Lands. In the summer of 2005, Dr. Maloof released
her first book titled “Teaching the Trees: Lessons from the Forest” where trees, the
dominant life form of undisturbed terrestrial ecosystems, get a tribute in her collection of
eco-meditations. The resulting mix of scientific lore and acute observation allows Joan to
profile each tree in the forests near her Maryland home and explore its relationship with
the surrounding plants, insects, birds, mammals, fungi and people who rely on it. Along
the way, she tells a tale of hindering county officials by declaring a nearby forest a
"September 11th Memorial Forest" draping the trees with tags bearing the names of the
dead from Ground Zero. An ancestor of Joan’s had been Maria Mitchell (1818-1889),
America’s first female astronomer. Similarly, Joan supports Maria’s idea that “we
especially need imagination in science. It is not all logic, but it is somewhat beauty and
poetry.”
Dr. Jennifer Merrill (PhD’99) received her B.S. in Environmental and Forest Biology
from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry in
Syracuse in 1993. She enrolled in the MEES program the summer after graduating and
became a student of Jeffrey Cornwell at the University of Maryland Center for
Environmental Science (UMCES) Horn Point Laboratory where her research was focused
on two water quality maintenance functions of tidal freshwater marshes, burial of
particulate nutrients and denitrification. In 1999, Jen received the Knauss Fellowship
award that allowed her to serve as a staff member in the office of U.S. Senator Carl
Levin, who replaced Senator John Glenn as Democratic chair of the Great Lakes Task
Force. The Task Force covers both the Senate and House and is a bipartisan subset of the
Northeast-Midwest Coalition. While she was served her NOAA Knauss Fellow, she
lectured at the University of Maryland, and worked as a project manager at Maryland Sea
grant. Dr. Merrill was the Senior Program Officer at the Ocean Studies Board (OSB)
from 2000 to 2005. She is currently directing a study reviewing the impact of new review
procedures of the National Sea Grant Program. She also serves as the OSB staff contact
for ICSU’s Scientific Committee on Oceanic Research.
Dr. Judith Stribling (PhD'94) is an Associate Professor of Biology at Salisbury
University, where she is the coordinator of the collaborative Dual Degree Program in
Biology and Environmental-Marine Science with the University of Maryland Eastern
Shore, the Biology Department Internship Coordinator for environmental and natural
sciences internships, and the advisor to the student environmental club. She is active in
the local environmental community, as President of the Friends of the Nanticoke River, a
citizens' organization, and past president of the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, a bi-state
consortium of 36 Delaware and Maryland governmental, business and citizens' groups
that promotes community involvement in protection of the river. Judith's professional and
research interests focus on wetlands: their ecology, biogeochemistry, restoration, and
management. She is a member of the Advisory Committee for the Chesapeake Bay
National Estuarine Research Reserve and a member of the Science Advisory Panel for
Assateague Island National Seashore. She has also worked as a consultant to the MD
Department of the Environment in an assessment of wetland management.
Dr. Adel M. Talaat, M.V.Sc. (ENMB, PhD’98) is an assistant
professor in the Animal Health and Biomedical Sciences Department
at the School of Veterinary Medicine University of Wisconsin. His
research focuses on mycobacterial infections since they cause the
death of more than 3 million individuals annually and severe
economic losses to animal-breeders as well. During his PhD work in
the MEES Program, he developed a novel model for studying
mycobacterial infections using the goldfish, Carassius auratus and
Mycobacterium marinum. That model served as a surrogate model to
human infections with M. tuberculosis and helps in screening a large number of
mycobacterial mutants in a relevant model of infection. Dr. Talaat’s research uses
innovative approaches to understand bacterial pathogenesis on a genome-wide scale to
generate useful therapies (drugs and vaccines). Currently, he is working on the functional
genomics of M. tuberculosis and M. avium subsp. paratuberculosis. In particular, Dr.
Talaat’s lab is using array differential gene expression (ADGE) profiling generated by
spotted DNA-micro arrays to understand gene expression that underlies the disease
process and the nature of host-pathogen interactions. For example, his research identified
a genomic island within M. tuberculosis that is expressed exclusively inside animals
during infection. Dr. Talaat has been using gene-targeted mutational analysis to
determine the importance of such genes in bacterial survival during infection. In addition,
he is testing such genes as vaccine candidates using genetic immunization protocol and
different animal models of infection.
2000s
Dr. Jude K. Apple (ECOL, PhD’05) successfully defended his
PhD thesis in the winter of 2005 under the guidance of Dr.
Michael Kemp. The majority of his research has been supported
by a three-year fellowship from the National Estuarine Research
Reserve (NERR), a NOAA sponsored organization promoting
research and management of estuarine resources. Currently, Jude
is a NRC Postdoctoral Fellow at the US Naval Research Lab,
Washington DC, where he is researching what the roles of salinity
and terrestrial dissolved organic matter (DOM) have in shaping the biogeography of
estuarine bacterioplankton communities and their compositions. His research as a
postdoctoral fellow will allow the quantification of changes in the bacterioplankton
community composition at 4-step intervals along the salinity gradient (0-32 psu) in the
major tributaries of Winyah Bay. His experimental approach will be used to identify
differences in the capacity of bacterioplankton to degrade DOM from different sources as
well as changes in degradability of high molecular weight DOM along the salinity
gradient. Dr. Apple’s research will be conducted during the summer 2006 and supported
by the Belle Baruch Visiting Scientist Award.
Dr. Kelton Clark (ECOL, PhD '01) has been helping minorities plunge into the marine
sciences at Morgan State University's Estuarine Research Center
(ERC), located adjacent to Jefferson Patterson Park near St.
Leonard, Maryland, on the Patuxent River. Dr. Kelton Clark, a
former student of Dr. Hines, now a professor in Morgan's
Department of Biology and was the former scientific program
manager for the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation at
the Smithsonian Institute, contends that minority students are not
often exposed to marine biology and other specialized disciplines.
As a consequence, these students choose careers in more well-known and traditional
scientific fields, especially in healthcare fields such as medicine and dentistry. Clark
notes, for example, that a minority child fascinated with insects is unlikely to learn about
what an entomologist doesâ” and so never considers entomology as a career possibility.
As one of the few African American marine biologists in the United States, Clark began
as a restaurant manager, earned his bachelor's in biology from San Diego State
University, his Ph.D from the MEES Program in College Park. For Kelton, Morgan State
provides an opportunity to pursue two passions: a love of teaching and a desire to
increase diversity in the marine science community. The ERC is dedicated to
investigating the complex interrelationships of aquatic ecosystems, particularly the ways
in which coastal systems adapt to, and are affected by, human activities. While much of
the center's research is conducted within the Chesapeake Bay, the Chesapeake watershed,
and the neighboring Delaware Bay, studies are designed to address issues that are broader
in scope and can be applied to similar problems in other coastal ecosystems both within
the U.S. and in other countries.
Dr. James D. Hagy, III (PhD ’01) achieved his Master’s degree in 1996 while still in
the MEES Program at the University of Maryland – his master’s thesis concerned the
residence times and net ecosystem processes in the Patuxent River Estuary. Jim Hagy
finished his PhD graduate work in December 2001 and started work in January 2002 as
a post-doc with the US EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects Research
Laboratory, Gulf Ecology Division, which is located at Pensacola Beach, FL. In 2004,
he became permanent staff in the same organization. His work at EPA focuses utilizes
field studies and modeling to address questions related to eutrophication and hypoxia in
estuaries and coastal waters, most recently the "dead zone" downcoast from the
Mississippi River off the coast of Louisiana and Texas. Recently the EPA Science
Advisory Board honored a paper from his dissertation for it's excellence both in science
and for it's relevance to supporting EPA's environmental management mission.
Dr. Amy J. Horneman, (PhD ’01) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Medicine at
University of Maryland, Baltimore, but as of March 1st, 2006 her primary appointment
changed from mostly research and some limited teaching in the Dept. of Epidemiology
and Preventive Medicine to a new appointment in the Dept. of Medical and Research
Technology with a large portion devoted to teaching undergraduates and graduates in the
Medical Technology Programs at UMB. However, Dr. Horneman still spends about 30%
of time still devoted to research on the genus Aeromonas while keeping a secondary
appointment in the Dept. of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine. Amy is interested in
researching taxonomy and virulence features of microorganisms from the environment
that are pathogenic for humans, such as Aeromonas, a common water-based organism
that causes gastrointestinal disease, and Vibrio species. Amy became a worldwiderecognized expert on Aeromonas, finding three new species and publishing a dozen
papers in scientific journals. Amy has also been a four-time Outstanding Instructor
Award recipient. She was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, College Park
Chapter in 2001. Dr. Horneman also won the Leadership Award for service as President
of the Maryland Branch of the American Society for Microbiology in 2005. Currently,
Dr. Horneman is serving as a research consultant with Dr. Ashok K. Chopra regarding
EPA Research on Virulence Factors relating to the Presence of Aeromonas hydrophila
strains in U.S. Drinking Water Supplies.
Dr. Susan Klosterhaus (CHEM, PhD '07) dissertation research focused on the
bioavailability of sediment-associated organic chemical contaminants, particularly the
brominated diphenyl ether flame retardants, from a heavily contaminated urban estuary
and the processes that control their accumulation in aquatic food webs. Prior to moving to
the Chesapeake Bay area, Susan was manager and research associate in the sediment
toxicology laboratory at the University of South Carolina School of Public Health where
she studied the toxicity and bioaccumulation of several classes of organic contaminants in
benthic meiofauna. She received her M.S. in Public Health in 2001 and B.S. in Marine
Science in 1995, both from the University of South Carolina. Currently Susan is with the
San Francisco Estuary Institute.
Dr. Richard Kraus (FISH, PhD’03) pursued a postdoctoral research
fellowship with the Texas Institute of Oceanography, Texas A&M
University in Galveston, TX. After his post-doc, Richard was
appointed Assistant Professor of Fish Ecology with the Environmental
Science and Policy Department, at George Mason. Richard’s research
interest involves the movements of blue marlin (Makaira nigricans) in
the Gulf of Mexico from pop-up archival tag data on light intensity,
depth and temperature. Dr. Kraus also is assessing the offshore banks in the Gulf of
Mexico as nurseries for snappers and groupers.
Dr. Todd R. Miller (ENMB, PhD’04) is a post-doc at Johns Hopkins
Center for Water and Health, in the Division of Environmental Health.
His research aims to differentiate complex microbial communities using
a combination of classical microbiology and advanced molecular and
chemical analyses to identify bacteria and enzymes that are an integral
part in maintaining a healthy ecosystem. Todd is especially interested in those involved in
the degradation of harmful chemicals produced by human activity. His research
potentially will lead to novel bioremediation strategies improving human health.
Dr. Cassandra Moe (ENMB, PhD '01) is an adjunct faculty teaching introductory
biology at the Dakota County Technical College in Minnesota. In the past, Cassandra has
affiliated with various academic institutions such as Augsburg, and Metropolitan State
University. Her dissertation work (advisor: Dr. Allen Place) focused on the
characterization of a common vertebrate gastric enzyme, chitinase. As a researcher, she
considers myself to be a physiological ecologist - meaning that she is interested in how
the biochemical and physiological processes at the cellular level are translated through
the organismic, population, and community levels. Cassandra really enjoys teaching nonbiology majors and believes that a basic knowledge of science is crucial for every person,
especially as our “daily lives become increasingly technical and our natural world is
subjected to increasing pressure”.
Dr. Trista Maj Patterson (ECOL, PhD '05) is an ecological economist with the U.S.
Forest Service in Juneau, Alaska. The insight, creativity, and energy from other
ecological economists buoyed her own efforts for career success. The doctoral and EE
certificate program she earned at the University of Maryland, a 3 year lecture/research
residency at University of Siena, Italy in EE, and the Donella Meadows Leadership
Fellows Program (2004-2006), have had a strong influence on her work. She was an
active student member, and now takes a place on the United States Society for Ecological
Economics board. The United States Society for Ecological Economics provides a venue
for a holistic and strong community of ecological economists, social and natural
scientists, and people who care for the well-being of this planet and its inhabitants so as
to allow its diverse membership to easily communicate with and learn from each other on
a regular basis.
Dr. Emma J. Rochelle-Newall (OCEAN, PhD’00) successfully
completed her dissertation in the biological production of colored
dissolved organic matter with Dr. T. Fisher as her advisor. In the year
following matriculation, Emma was a CNRS Postdoctoral fellow (Poste
Rouge) in the ATIPE EcoMem program at the Laboratory of
Oceanography, Villefranche in France. In 2002, she continued her postdoc in the same location, however Emma joined the Eurotroph project
(link to “http://www.ulg.ac.be/oceanbio/eurotroph/” ) where she studied
nutrient cycling and the trophic status of European coastal ecosystems under the guidance
of Dr. Jean-Pierre Gattuso. In 2003, Emma joined the Center of Oceanography of
Marseille, Institute of research and development (IRD) of Nouméa, studying the fate of
organic carbon fixed by the cyanobacteria Trichodesmium. Currently, Emma is still with
the IRD of Nouméa, New Caledonia with the Camellia program where she is studying the
characterization and modeling of exchanges in lagoons subject to anthropogenic
influences. Her main research interests are the influences of toxic trace metals on
phytoplanktonic structure and function in the South West Lagoon of New Caledonia and
biogeochemical controls of bacterial Colored Dissolved Organic Material (CDOM)
production.
Dr. Abby R. (Cohen) Schneider (CHEM, PhD’05) attended
MIT and received her BS in Environmental Engineering in 1998.
After graduation, Abby enrolled in the MEES Program. Her
master’s research examined the influence of episodic events on PCB
and PAH cycling in Lake Michigan. She successfully defended her
master’s thesis in 2001 under the guidance of Dr. Joel Baker. Abby
went on to defend her PhD thesis in 2005 in which she examined the rates of PCB
desorption from resuspended Hudson River Sediments. Currently, Abby is an American
Chemical Society Congressional Fellow working in the Office of Senator Dianne
Feinstein. Abby focuses on water issues, including perchlorate contamination, fisheries,
endangered species and climate change.
Dr. Heather Stapleton (CHEM, PhD’03) obtained her BS in Marine Chemistry from
South Hampton College. She enrolled in the MEES Program with Dr.
Joel Baker as her advisor and successfully defended her thesis in 2003.
Heather is currently pursuing both her career and her research with
Duke University, NC. Her research focuses on understanding the fate
and transformation of organic contaminants in aquatic systems. Her
main focus has been on the bioaccumulation and biotransformation of
polybrominated diphenyl ethers,(PBDEs), particularly in fish. Her
studies conducted on rainbow trout and carp have found that fish
possess enzymes systems capable of metabolizing PBDEs to end
products that are potentially more toxic. Heather’s goal is to determine
the pathways of PBDE biotransformation in fish and to determine if the same pathways
exist in humans. At a later date, in further research, Heather plans to also examine the
fate of PBDEs in the environment which may lead to oxidative and/or reductive products
(i.e. photolytic, chlorination and ozonation processes, etc.).
Dr. Bhaskaran Subramanian (ENVSC, PhD '06) originally from India, graduated from
University of Maryland, Eastern Shore with an emphasis in environmental science and is
now the natural sciences manager with Maryland Eastern Shore RC&D Council, Inc. Dr.
Bhaskaran has presented in many conferences and seminars. He presented a paper in an
International Conference (in India), has published a paper related to his research and is
currently working on publishing two more papers. Dr. Bhaskaran joined MD Eastern
Shore RC&D Council, Inc. in June 2006 and has since worked on assessing shoreline
erosion control projects of RC&D in the past 20 years. He is creating a GIS database in
association with Johann Martinez for RC&D. He is an active member of the VoiCeS
(Volunteers as Chesapeake Stewards) program.
Dr. Adrienne Sutton (OCEAN, Ph.D '06) research and degree focus was on whether
agricultural conservation practices reduce nutrient runoff into the Chesapeake Bay. After
matriculation, Adrienne was a Sea Grant Fellow in NOAA's Office of Legislative Affairs
in 2006 and was hired as NOAA's Congressional Affairs Specialist for Office of Oceanic
and Atmospheric Research (OAR) related issues.
Dr. Jeff Terwin (PhD’00) pursued a post-doc at the University of Connecticut (20002002). Currently, Dr. Terwin teaches high school level biology, marine biology, and
ecology while carrying on his research with the Navigator project