Students participate in URI oceanography fellowships

HYUNYUNG BOO, a biology and computer science major at McGill University from Lexington, Mass., is one of 10 undergraduate students participating in an oceanography fellowship this summer at the University of Rhode Island.
HYUNYUNG BOO, a biology and computer science major at McGill University from Lexington, Mass., is one of 10 undergraduate students participating in an oceanography fellowship this summer at the University of Rhode Island.

NARRAGANSETT – For 10 weeks this summer, undergraduate students from 12 colleges and universities in the United States and Canada are conducting oceanographic research through the University of Rhode Island’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Oceanography (SURFO) program.
Students from Tufts University, McGill University, Colorado School of Mines and Rutgers University participated, among others. They were assigned a research project led by faculty and graduate students at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography.
According to information from the university, the program is in its 31st year and was the first of its kind in the country.
“One purpose of the SURFO program is to retain students in science fields by opening their eyes to possibilities in ancillary science-heavy disciplines, like oceanography,” Program Coordinator and Associate Marine Research Scientist Lucie Maranda said in a statement. “We have an amazing group of students this summer.”

According to Maranda, the program targets students from various disciplines with mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geology, computer science or engineering backgrounds. Students with limited exposure to oceanographic research at their home institutions are strongly encouraged to apply.

Nicole Statler, a University of Portland mathematics major from Omak, Wash., applied to the program to see if she wanted to pursue a career in oceanography.

“The program has been amazing,” she said. “I’ve learned about the disciplines within oceanography, about different career pathways, how to give a presentation on my research, how to write a research paper, and just the research process in general.”

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Statler is examining tides and the flooding risk at coastal national parks under various sea level rise scenarios. She created tools to collect data about water levels at particular sites and compute spring high tide values to determine whether sites could become inundated.

McGill University senior Hyunyung Boo, a biology and computer science major, is working with URI Assistant Professor Melissa Omand to automate data collection from an underwater holographic microscope being used to observe microplankton and marine debris.

Boo said she enjoys finding math and programming applications in the disciplines of biology and environmental science. “And because oceanography is interdisciplinary, it’s also the perfect way to incorporate life and physical sciences, as well as technology,” she said.

Keaton Brenneman, a senior marine science major at Rutgers University from Metuchen, N.J., applied to the program to get hands-on research experience.

“The thing I like the most about the program is learning about the different career opportunities in oceanography,” Brenneman said. “The various faculty members I’ve talked to have been candid about their careers and eager to impart their wisdom to me. I’ve been given lots of helpful advice that will prepare me well for my future.”

His summer research with Professors Thomas Rossby and Kathleen Donohue compared measurements of the Gulf Stream with predictions of where the Gulf Stream is and how fast it is moving.

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships in Oceanography program is funded by the National Science Foundation. More than 200 students have participated through the years, and 75 percent have pursued graduate school in a science, math or engineering discipline.

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