MEES Alumni > Alumni Notes > MS

MASTER'S ALUMNI:


1980s

Dr. Ann Barse (MS '88). See entry under "Doctorate Alumni, 1990s".
Dr. Jay Blundon (MS '81) graduated from the MEES program with a master's in 1981. Jay became 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 in 1999. Jay and his wife Lettie (married for 26 years) still live in Memphis, where Jay is the chair of the Neuroscience Program at Rhodes College. They have two sons: Brandon, age 19, a sophomore music education major at the State University of New York in Potsdam; and Gaven, age 17, a senior in high school. Details of Jay's research and teaching can be found at his website.

Dr. Jason Caplan (MS '82). See entry under "Doctorate Alumni, 1980s".
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 (1999-2001) 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.
Dr. Judith Stribling (MEES, MS '89). See entry under “Doctorate Alumni, 1990s".

1990s

Mr. Richard 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 martriculation, 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 prepatory 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. Mr. Arnold was selected as an Educator Astronaut by NASA 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.
Mr. Ernie Clarke (MS '99) has moved on to become manager of the Cano Palmo biological station in a remote area of Costa Rica after a stint at Starr Ranch Audubon Sanctuary in southern California as Biological Educator.

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. Her husband, David Bader, is an Associate Professor in the College of Computing at GA Tech and they just celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary! Her daughter, Sadie is now four years old, and is attending Pre-Kindergarten at the GA Tech preschool. More information on Sara can be found here.
Dr. James D. Hagy, III (MS '96). See Entry under "Doctorate Alumni, 2000s".
Mrs. Melissa Ederington Hagy (MS '95) has worked in environments as diverse as Lake Onandaga, NY, the Everglades, the San Francisco Bay-Delta, Pensacola Bay and Mobile Bay while working at the Academa of Natural Sciences Benedict Estuarine Research Center, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, and most recently part time at the University of West Florida all since graduating from the MEES Program. Her work in science has built on her research expertise in organic geochemistry developed while a student allowing her to have gained a broader experience in other laboratory and field methods and data management. Melissa and her husband Jim have three daughters, born in 2000, 2002 and 2006. Melissa started a part time career as a fitness instructor while a student at Chesapeake Biological Laboratory and has continued with that to date. Currently, she is the group fitness director and an instructor at a health club where she lives in Gulf Breeze, FL. Her active lifestyle helped her place 2nd in her age group in her first triathlon in 2004.
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 masters 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 agro-chemicals within the environment.
Ms. Julie E. Keister (MEES, MS '96), a Biological Oceanographer and Zooplankton Ecologist with NOAA, is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in the Biological Oceanography College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. Her research focuses on the physical and biological processes that effect abundances and distributions of zooplankton in coastal ecosystems. Julie is interested in how variability in mesoscale circulation features such as eddies and filaments affect the advection of zooplankton across the continental shelf to the deep sea in the California Current System. One goal of her dissertation research is to understand the relative importance of physical versus biological factors in controlling zooplankton distributions and the potential implications to zooplankton populations, predator populations, and the global carbon cycle. 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. In her spare time, Julie enjoys hiking, backpacking, snow boarding, ultimate Frisbee, floor hockey, soccer, watching movies and reading. (8/07)
Mi Ae Kim (MEES, 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 non-profit 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. To support Mi Ae's fight in locally preserving environmental health, or for more information on BCWWG, click here. When not busy meeting the demands of her career, Mi Ae spends time with her 1-year old daughter while trying to meet the challenges that face a working mom (8/07).
Dr. Joan Maloof (ENVSC, MS '91). See entry under "Doctorate Alumni, 1990s".
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. In 2003, Jill took maternity leave from MD DNR and remains at home as a stay-at-home mom.
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 (7/07).

Ms. Lori Thiele (ECOL, MS '99) In collaboration with The Humane Society of the United States, Lori studied the effectiveness of immunocontraception for controlling urban-suburban white-tailed deer populations. Her research as a Masters student in the MEES Program, allowed her to pursue a career as a city animal control officer with the Prince George's County Animal Shelter.

2000s

Mr. Art Abrams (ECOL, MS '02) Art, in cooperation with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, studied the role of gray squirrels in maintaining the life cycle of the deer tick, a major player in spreading Lyme Disease while pursuing an MS from the MEES Program. Currently, he is an employee for ANRI, BARC in the USDA.
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 marine-related 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 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.
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 (7/07).
Mr. Tim Culbertson (ECOL, MS '05) studied the effects of ammonia on maintenance of plant diversity and ecosystem functioning in treatment wetlands receiving agricultural wastewater under the guidance of Dr. Baldwin. Currently, Tim is a Population and Environmental Sciences (as well as Computer Sciences) teacher at the Harker School. He is a member and judge for the American Orchid Society, a member of the Strybing Arboretum Society and a member of the UC Berkeley Botanic Garden Society.
Ms. Ellen DeRico (MS '01) is a general biologist for Johnson Control World Systems at the National Wetlands Research Center located in Lafayette, LA, where she assists Karen McKee, a Principle Investigator with USGS, on research involving underground biomass production of mangrove islands in Belize, Central America. Ms. DeRico's Masters thesis research explored nutrient dynamics and plant community structure of a constructed wetland system for treating dairy milk-house waste.
Ms. Juliet M. Healy (ECOL, MS '01); In collaboration with Patuxent Wildlife Research Center and the EPA, Juliet studied the use of Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) cameras mounted on helicopters for detecting bird carcasses in the field, a new technique for assessing the safety to wildlife of outdoor use of pesticides.
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 which 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 multi-species modeling, of the National Marine Sanctuaries. Currently, Olaf is pursuing a PhD at the Center for Limnology, University of Wisconsin.
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. Kristin Mielcarek (ECOL, MS '06) earned a Masters degree in Ecology under the supervision of Dr. Court Stevenson at Horn Point Laboratory on the Choptank River. Kristin's research focused on marsh restoration and creation using dredged material from the shipping channels of the Chesapeake Bay. After matriculation, Kristin volunteered for Catoctin Land Trust and Chesapeake Wildlife Heritage performing stream buffer plantings in Washington County, Maryland. Originally, Kristin grew up on a farm on Maryland's Eastern Shore with five other siblings. She now lives in Hagerstown, Maryland, with her husband Jeremy; Taylor, a seven-year old black Lab; and Benjamin, Taylor's younger human brother, who arrived during the summer of 2006. Kristin currently works for the Canaan Valley Institute, in the Stakeholder Services & Assessment Division, on the Outreach Team as a Watershed Circuit Rider (7/07).
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. Although she values good friends, her family, her dog Suman, she enjoys reading novels, watching fish underwater, investigating nature and trying to identify creatures (birds, insects, ascidians, sponges, etc.) eating chocolate and laughing.
Mr. Robert (Bob) F. Murphy (FISH, MS '05) 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 non-profit, 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. Bob and his wife Beth currently reside with their two boys, Ian and Declan, in Edgewater, MD, in the South River watershed.
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 subsistence-level 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. Eric lives with his wife, Jessica (Davis) Nagel (current MEES student), and two very happy, energetic dogs in Laurel, Maryland.
Mr. Frank Pendleton (ENVSC, MS '03) conducted his masters research project in the Okavango River delta in Botswana examining the effects of pesticide spraying for tse tse fly control on bird populations. Since completing the MEES Masters Program, he became a fish and wildlife biologist with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services working on the Lake Champlain Complex. The Lake Champlain Ecosystem & Resources Program has a primary objective to promote conservation of fish and wildlife in the watershed through cooperation, conservation education, and implementation.
Ms. Jessica Peterson (MS '03, ECOL) 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. Kelly Neff Phyllaier (MS '02) is currently employed at the Maryland Department of the Environmental Wetlands and Waterways Division. She worked on the initial plant colonization of a recently reconstructed tidal freshwater marsh at Kingman Lake, Washington, DC. In addition to monitoring the plant composition, the project involved evaluation of seed dynamics, including seed dispersal and seed bank analysis, and determining the environmental factors influencing the plant community. Kelly also earned her B. S. in Agronomy from the University of Maryland.
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. (8/07)
Ms. Kristin Rusello (ECOL, MS '05) studied the ecological development of vegetation, soil, and seed banks at restored tidal freshwater marshes and the assessment of habitat trends to prioritize restoration activities for her master research while a student in the MEES Program. In 2005, Kristin received the 2005 Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. Rusello spent her fellowship year in NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) in the Office of Response and Restoration under the supervision of Chief of the Damage Assessment Center, Pat Montanio. Her work focused on implementing the Estuary Restoration Act and updating and refining the National Estuaries Database. Currently, Kristin is support for NOS involvement in the NOAA Habitat Program, which coordinates habitat restoration and protection efforts across NOAA.
Dr. Peter Sakaris (FISH, MS '02) is now an Assistant Professor of Biology. Peter graduated in 2002 with a Masters degree in fishery science at University of Maryland, Eastern Shore. Peter then entered graduate school at Auburn University and has successfully received his Ph.D. degree in fisheries and allied aquacultures in 2006. Peter married Catherine McCracken on December 2, 2006 (7/07).
Dr. Abby (Cohen) Schneider (CHEM, MS '01). See entry under "Doctorate Alumni, 2000s".
Yanmei Shi (MS '05, ECOL) is currently persuing a PhD in Biological Engineering at MIT. Shi's Master's thesis concerned the measurement of in situ expression of Proteorhodopsin genes at the North Pacific central gyre station ALOHA.
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 Science's Office of International Programs, then spent 2001 as a research assistant at Maryland Sea Grant College. Currently, Stacy is still with the EPA and gave birth to a little baby girl, Delia Merran Tisa on April 5th, 2006.
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 AmeriCorps 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.
Ms. Pamela Toschik (ECOL, MS '04) received her B.S. in Natural Resources from Cornell University in 2001. After graduation, she enrolled in the University of Maryland MEES Program. Her master's research, conducted with Barnett Ratter of the USGS-Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, focused on the effects of contaminants and habitat quality on osprey nest site use and reproductive success in the Delaware Bay. In 2004, Pamela received the 2004 Knauss Fellowship Award. She spent her fellowship year with the National Science Foundation's Office of Polar Programs. Her work will focus on management and policy related to research in Antarctica Currently, Pamela is still with the NSF, Office of Polar Programs as an Environmental Policy Specialist .
Mrs. Sarah (Hypio) U'Ren (MEES, MS '00) has been working in watershed management in her home state of Michigan. She married her college sweetheart, Randy U'Ren, in May 2001. Sarah worked for two years at the Annis Water Resources Institute of Grand Valley State University as a watershed project coordinator where she authored a watershed management plan for the Muskegon River watershed, one of the largest in the state. In 2002, she and her husband moved to Traverse City in northern Michigan where she became a Project Coordinator for an environmental nonprofit organization, "The Watershed Center Grand Traverse Bay". There, Sarah has continued to author yet another watershed management plan, this time for the Grand Traverse Bay watershed and currently, she is heading numerous education and watershed restoration projects. To date, she has applied for and received over $1.5 million in grant funding for watershed projects. You can visit her organization's website at: www.gtbay.org. Sarah's husband, Randy, is an optometrist and coaches a local high school boys' soccer team. They welcomed a beautiful baby girl, Danielle, into their family on April 9, 2005. Since then, they have been enjoying all the ups and downs of parenthood and loving life in beautiful northern Michigan. (8/07)