Summer interns complete research at VIMS
REU 2023 L to R, back row: Alvio Barbaretta, Kyra DeGroat, Jennifer Lin, Lohit Tyagi, Elissa DeFeyter, Jessica Nguyen, Yahques Smith, Conor Padmanabhan, Mason Trottier; Front row: Sunnidae Gallien, Katie Gabe, and Serenity Poston-Hymel.
REU 2022 L to R: Anisa Sellers (Virginia State University), Zophia Galvan (Frostburg State University), Tiffany Hwang (California State Polytechnic University), Sara Sara Vahdatshoar (Temple University), James Lu (University of Miami), Alexandria Pomroy (William & Mary), Garrison Bullard (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill), Grace Levins (Union College), Cole Miller (William & Mary), Lindsey Smith (William & Mary), and Eli Whitehead-Zimmers (Messiah University). Not shown: Grace Kirkpatrick (Bowdin College)
REU 2021 L to R: Amanda Salmoiraghi (Purchase College, SUNY), Amanda Pysher (Old Dominion University), Sophia Chirico (College of William & Mary), Annabel Gorman (Gettysburg College), Maya Casey (Haverford College), Alexis Putney (Old Dominion University), Nihal Guennouni (Christopher Newport University), and Duncan Campbell (College of William & Mary), In Frame: Kai Galvan-Dubois (Cornell University).
REU 2020 L to R, top row: Tom Sacco (Middlebury College), Jonah Horowitz (Amherst College), Sarah Hanrock (Davidson College); 2nd row from top: Sarah Grace Lott (William & Mary), Peggy Ferguson (Quest University Canada), Emily Suchonic (Western Carolina University); 3rd row from top: Kelsey Barber (Westminster College), Valerie Acosta-Rodriguez (University of Puerto Rico Campus Humacao), Chris Snyder (William & Mary); bottom row: Victoria Moreira (Delaware Valley University), Colleen Norton (William & Mary), Anna Poslednik (Cornell University). © Rochelle Seitz.
REU 2019 L to R: Thalia Wallace (Community College of Philadelphia), Mary McGuiness (NJ Inst. of Technology), Anna Bi Ledwin (William & Mary), Cristobal (Tobi) Yañez (University of Virginia), Kayla Rutherford (James Madison Univ.), Josephine Hall (Univ. of Arkansas), Magaleate Kostelnik (Univ. of Tampa), Sarah Monica (Vanderbilt University), Coral O’Brien (Virginia State University), Chante? Lively (Nova Southeastern University), Brittany Baker (Oakland University), Nicholas Coleman (Coastal Carolina University), and Jacob Wacht (W&M). © J. Dreyer/VIMS.
REU 2018 L to R, front row: Rochelle Seitz (REU Program Director), Nathaniel Carter, Emma Hicks, Serina Moheed, Katherine Longmire (REU Teaching Assistant), Jenny Dreyer (REU Program Coordinator). Middle Row: Marta Faulkner, Soely Luyando-Flusa, Teresa Lin, Jill Ashey, Nicole Killen, Quazetta Brown. Back row: Isiah Sanders, Maya Thomas, Colleen Scott. Photo by Chris Katella
REU 2017 L to R, back row: Emily Mushlitz, Walker Calhoun, Jeremy Mak, Derek Richardson, Noa Randall, Jane Sedlak, Gray Ryan; Font row: Viola Yu, Jen Gonzalez, Emily Chei, Josh Sacks, Colleen Naeger. Photo by David Malmquist
REU 2016 L to R, back row: Kylie Smith, Stephanie Wilson, Michelle Onofrio, Leigha Stahl, Lev Looney, Josh Himmelstein, Alex Kramer. Bottom row left to right: Kathrene Lo, Rebecca Whitney, Samantha Askin, Cynthia Harris, and Cristin Wright. Photo by Chris Katella
REU 2015 L to R: Keiko Nomura, Corelle Rokicki, Shannon Jones, Haley Baker, Diana Lutz, Ben Fowler, Katherine Longmire, Kristen Bachand, Nate Hua, Spencer Weinstein, Justin Shawler, and James Brown. Photo by Erin Fryer
REU 2014 L to R: David Matthews, Matthew Schliep, Yishen Li, Jinwei Song, Jennifer Fredley, Elizabeth Wallace, Paige Bippus, Richard He, Julia Carroll, Robert Boyd, and Brianna Stanley. Not pictured: Rebecca Kolkmeyer. Photo by David Malmquist
Summer Intern Class 2013 L to R: Martin Wong, Hannah Ehrmann, Peter Sweetser, Brittany Peachey, Chris Lynum, Nina Jackson, Nicol Parker, Mary Chang, Marc Hammond, Lauren Kelly, John DeRosa, Caitlin Seppi, Alma Ramirez Velez. Photo by David Malmquist Photo by David Malmquist.
Summer Intern Class 2012 L to R: Alex Kellum, Pearce Cooper, Joey Matt, Caitlin Fikes, Lydia Bienlien, Jessica Braunstein, Laura Tait, Margaret Walker, Sean Lusk, Madeline Karp, Sabrina Ramirez, Natalie Ross. Photo by David Malmquist.
Summer Intern Class 2011 L to R: Dylan O'Connell, Seth Theuerkauf, Daniel O'Hara, Drew Howard, Julianne Decker, Nicholas Hernandez, Akela Kuwahara, Alexandra Badia,Jessica Sahu Teli, and Emily Wei. Missing from the picture are Heather Richardson and Sara Wilson. Photo by David Malmquist.
Summer Intern Class 2010 L to R, front row: Angelina Haines, Courtney Wickel, Leslie Bland, Zoe Almeida, Elizabeth Gomez, David Fryxell, co-director Rochelle Seitz, and Director Linda Schaffner. Back Row: Nyanza Rothman, Molly Martin, William Bennett, and Robert Isdell. Photo by Susan Stein.
Summer Intern Class of 2009 Against the window, back to front: Lance Dixon (Temple Univ.), Austin Allen (W&M), Genevieve Ho (Univ. of Michigan), Courtney Wickel (W&M), Hadley McIntosh (College of St. Benedict), and Stacy Aguilera (Stanford Univ.). Middle row, back to front: Alex Brett (College of the Atlantic), Sammy Allen (Presbyterian College), Monica Poteat (Elon Univ.), Sara Walkup (UC Berkeley), Program Director Linda Schaffner, and Caitlin Adams (Swarthmore College). Photo by David Malmquist.
Summer Intern Class of 2008 From L: Elizabeth Hamman, Juan Alvarez-Rosario, Sarah Donelan, Natasha Gownaris, Ben Lawson, Julia Moriarty, Jonathan Lefcheck, Samone Brockett, Leandra Darden, Bhae-Jin Peemoeller, Ryan Scott, Jenna Luek, and Caitlin Bovery. Photo by David Malmquist.
Summer Intern Class of 2007 Front Row (L to R): VIMS REU Coordinator Linda Schaffner, Margaret Simon (Haverford College), Dominique Franson (Univ of Maryland), Queen Akwari (Claflin Univ), Diana Chin (Boston Univ), and Payal Dharia (VIMS graduate student). Back Row (L to R): Laura Mulvey (Case Western Reserve Univ), Hilary Griffin (Elmira College), Cora Johnston (Hampshire College), and Stephanie Henderson (Ottawa Univ). Not pictured: Carolyn Ewers. Photo by David Malmquist.
Summer Intern Class of 2006 Front row: Barbara Salgado. 2nd row (from L): Talia Fletcher, Paul Littreal (a Mellon Intern), Cara Babineaux, Andria Salas, Katherine Kokotky, and Adrienne Wiggin. 3rd row (from L): Carolina Funkey, Emilee Mroz, Miranda Westphal, David James, Philip Matich, Sara Tappan, and Dan Naly. Photo by David Malmquist.
Ten college and university students from around the nation completed their summer internships at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science last week, presenting the results of their research projects to an audience of faculty, staff, and students in VIMS' McHugh Auditorium.
The students were part of the "Research Experience for Undergraduates" program at VIMS, now in its 21st year. Directed by professors Linda Schaffner and Rochelle Seitz, the program is funded by the National Science Foundation, VIMS, The College of William and Mary (W&M), private donors, and grants to individual faculty.
During the 10-week program, each student worked with one or more faculty mentors on an in-depth research project, typically gaining experience in both the field and laboratory. The subjects of this year's research projects varied widely, from a study of how by-catch reduction devices affect the commercial crab catch to a field trial that attempted to use robotic subs to monitor oil in water.
REU program director Linda Schaffner says "the REU program is a transformative experience for students." She notes that many REU students continue on to graduate school and successful careers in science. "Even if a student's project doesn't turn out exactly as planned," she says "they still gain valuable experience as to how science really works."
Program co-director Rochelle Seitz notes that "this year's students were particularly enthusiastic. We expect great things from them in the years ahead."
Student projects
L. Zoe Almeida (Scripps College): Responses of tidal freshwater plants to increases in salinity. Mentors: Dr. Jim Perry and Lori Sutter.
Will Bennett (University of Mary Washington): Effects of by-catch reduction devices (BRDs) on the commercial crab catch. Mentors: Dr. Romuald Lipcius, Dr. Rochelle Seitz, and Danielle McCulloch.
Leslie Bland (James Madison University): Studying and comparing Chesapeake Bay 3-D hydrodynamic models. Mentors: Dr. Marjy Friedrichs and Dr. Carl Friedrichs.
David Fryxell (University of Connecticut): The effect of nutrient depletion on biomass accumulation and species composition in a natural algal community. Mentor: Dr. Emmett Duffy.
Elizabeth Gomez (Brown University): Effects of shoreline development and upland usage on multiple trophic levels in Chesapeake Bay. Mentors: Dr. Rochelle Seitz and Theresa Davenport.
Angelina Haines (Randolph College): Effects of current and bioturbation on sediment reduction and oxidation. Mentor: Dr. Robert Diaz.
Robert Isdell (University of North Carolina, Greensboro): A study of habitat type and its effects on juvenile blue crabs. Mentor: Dr. Romuald Lipcius.
Molly Martin (Massachusetts Institute of Technology): Using AUVs to monitor oil in the water column. Mentor: Dr. Mark Patterson.
Nyanza Rothman (Vassar College): Trace metal cycling in an algal floway system. Mentors: Dr. Aaron Beck and Dr. Elizabeth Canuel.
Courtney Wickel (The College of William and Mary): Macrobenthic production and food-web structure in shallow tidal-freshwater habitats, including beds of Hydrilla verticillata. Mentor: Dr. Linda Schaffner.