Highlights H i g h l i g h t s
Tackling the Gulf oil spill UNC
College of Arts and Sciences researchers have been involved in frontline efforts to understand and deal with the BP oil spill, and their efforts have gained national media attention. Marine microbiologist Andreas Teske and doctoral student Luke McKay searched the Gulf for life forms that could shed light on the impact of the oil spill and be helpful in the clean-up. McKay and several graduate students have been working in the Gulf on research expeditions studying the spill. McKay was aboard one of the first research expeditions to visit the area shortly after the spill began to unfold. Marine sciences grad student Lisa Nigro also spent time in the Gulf studying the oil spill and was featured on “The Story” on National Public Radio. UNC alumna Samantha Joye (’87 biology, ’93 Ph.D. marine sciences) led a research cruise through the spill site to confirm
the existence of underwater plumes. She is a professor of marine sciences at the University of Georgia. She was featured on CNN. Fluid dynamics experts Richard McLaughlin and Roberto Camassa in the department of mathematics helped to explain why the oil spewing out of the BP spill was forming underwater plumes that were not rising to the surface. They developed a video from an experiment conducted in their wave laboratory (snipurl.com/zwe2j) that shows how oil could plume and spread. Both researchers, along with students, analyzed video of the spill to estimate the amount of oil gushing into the Gulf. McLaughlin and Camassa’s work was
Graduate student Luke McKay on board the RV Pelican.
featured on CNN and National Public Radio and in The New York Times. Rick Luettich, Sewell Family Distinguished Professor of Marine Sciences, has been leading efforts to provide better predictions of where the oil spill could spread, in near shore areas, using advanced computer models. He was featured in media outlets including National Public Radio, U.S. News & World Report, Scientific American and The Christian Science Monitor. More on UNC scientists’ work at snipurl.com/zwej7. •
New Venable Lights Up From left, chemist Wenbin Lin, marine scientist Chris Martens, chemistry graduate student Joe Della Rocca and marine scientist Dan Albert in the rooftop greenhouse of New Venable Hall, which will be dedicated Oct. 12 at 3:30 p.m. More online at www.chem.unc. edu/alumni. 22 • college.unc.edu • Fall 2010 • Carolina Arts & Sciences