The Current-Winter 2019

RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCoR

WINTER 2019

RI C-AIM, Meet SURF Ways of the Ocean Scientist Plant Life Beyond SURF Plastics Unseen

RI C-AIM | RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCoR

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THE

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Principal Investigator/Project Director

Welcome to our Winter 2019 issue of The Current where we

Geoffrey Bothun University of Rhode Island

celebrate the accomplishments of undergraduate students

CURR ENT Co-Principal Investigators Breea Govenar Rhode Island College

who have participated in our Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program.

Jeffrey Morgan Brown University Neal Overstrom Rhode Island School of Design Lewis Rothstein University of Rhode Island Science & Technology Liaison Christine Smith RI Commerce Corporation Administrative Team

SURF is a signature program of Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR (Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), in partnership with Rhode Island INBRE (IDEA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence), that seeks to diversify and provide technical and professional development training to our state’s next generation workforce. SURF is also a catalyst for innovation, providing a platform for collaboration, research translation, and community engagement.

Sally J. Beauman Project Administrator Barbara ‘BJ’ Carangia Scientific Research Grant Assistant Jim Lemire Undergraduate Coordinator Shaun Kirby Communications & Outreach Coordinator All editorial content produced by

With the inception of the Rhode Island Consortium for Coastal Ecology Assessment, Innovation, and Modeling (RI C-AIM) in 2017, our current NSF EPSCoR Track-1 project, we have created SURF+ to expand our activities year-round and retain students in STEM fields. We take great pride watching our SURF and SURF+ students grow as individuals and gain confidence towards their career path. Recruiting has begun for our 2019 SURF program, and we look forward to another great year.

Shaun Kirby unless otherwise stated.

Design

Best wishes,

Studio Rainwater www.studiorainwater.com Copyright © 2019. All Rights Reserved.

Geoffrey D. Bothun, On the Cover: Roger Williams University’s Leah Hintz examines coral species in the lab of SURF mentor, Dr. Koty Sharp.

Principal Investigator & Project Director Professor of Chemical Engineering, Division of Research and Economic Development, University of Rhode Island

CONNECT WITH RI C-AIM WWW.URI.EDU/RINSFEPSCOR

The Current Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR 224 Pastore Hall

RI

R H OD E ISL A N D CON SORT I U M F OR

Coastal Ecology Assessment Innovation & Modeling

University of Rhode Island 51 Lower College Road Kingston, RI 02881 401.874.6880

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Rhode Island EPSCoR is funded by the National Science Foundation under the current Award #OIA-1655221.

Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

THE CURRENT | WINTER 2019

FEATURES 2

RI C-AIM, Meet SURF Initiative brings new research focus to undergraduate projects

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Meet Our Students Learn about the Class of 2018’s research pursuits, institutions

6 Ways of the Ocean Scientist Eva Lincoln learns trade of zooplankton research

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Chemical Reactions Salve Regina students help develop

marine sensors

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Beyond SURF Alumni detail career paths post-SURF

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Plastics Unseen Leah Hintz investigates impact of microplastics in local coral species

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16

Hungry Science Krystyna Kula and Christopher Jenkins

Plant Life

explore the bay’s food webs through

Brown, RISD students visualize flora of RI salt marshes

its tiniest creatures

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The Grad Mentor URI’s Timo Kuester explains role in guiding undergraduate research

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On the Detection Trail Ohio native Sam Rush conducts research on the causes of algal blooms

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Life on the Bay Marcos Figueroa and Ana Nimaja

20 Taking Measure Lyndsay Marlowe and Colby Masse study CFCs in Mount Hope Bay

capture human experiences of RI coast

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World of Nano Dr. Irene Andreu discusses new role in the RI Consortium for Nanoscience & Nanotechnology at URI

RI C-AIM | RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCoR

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SINCE 2007

338 UNDERGRADUATES have participated in the SURF program.

C-AIM, MEET SURF

120

FACULTY MEMBERS at nine institutions across Rhode Island have served as mentors in the SURF program.

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THE THE CURRENT CURRENT || WINTER SUMMER2019 201

$ 1.6+ MILLION

in stipend and research supply funds awarded to SURF students.

RI C-AIM | RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCoR

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Meet the SURF Emily Baranowski

Carlos Barreto

Issaiah Burch

Juliette Caffrey

Sara Chlastawa

University of Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island

Salve Regina

Roger Williams University

Salve Regina

Cell & Molecular Biology

Mechanical Engineering

Biology

Mechanical Engineering

Biology

Emily Curylo

Jayden Decosta

Gwendolyn Fall

Marcos Figueroa

Erin Frates

Providence College

Roger Williams University

University of Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island

Chemistry, Secondary Ed

Forensic Science

Ocean Engineering

Economics, Spanish

Cell & Molecular Biology

About the Program For the past 12 summers, SURF has provided undergraduates the opportunity to get Leah Hintz

Christopher Jenkins

Joshua Jeudy

Roger Williams University

University of Rhode Island

Salve Regina

Marine Biology

Marine Biology

Chemistry

their hands dirty and feet wet (figuratively and literally in many cases) as they engage in state-of-the-art research across Rhode Island. Students in the SURF program gain invaluable experience and skills exploring careers in research beyond the classroom.

With RI C-AIM’s focus on Narragansett Bay, SURF students are helping advance our understanding of this important resource.

As members of the research community

Shannon Kingsley

Krystyna Kula

Nadia Lahlaf

Brown University

University of Notre Dame

Brown University | RISD

Ethnobotany, English

Biology

Computer Science, Illustration

today, SURFs are in position to be innovative leaders tomorrow.

Jim Lemire, SURF Coordinator Roger Williams University

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Class of 2018 Michelle Lee

Matthew Leiskau

Adelaide Levenson

Erika Lincoln

Eva Lincoln

University of Rhode Island

Roger Williams University

University of Rhode Island

Salve Regina

Rhode Island College

Chemistry

Chemistry, Secondary Ed

Chemistry

Biology

Chemistry

Lyndsay Marlowe

Colby Masse

Alec Mauk

Nicholas Mongeau

Ana Nimaja

Roger Williams University

Roger Williams University

University of Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island

Chemistry

Biochemistry

Marine Biology

Marine Biology,

Political Science, Spanish

Communication Studies

Caroline Rocchio

Dana Rojas

Samuel Rush

Ben Sacco

Evelyn Spencer

University of Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island

University of Rhode Island

Chemical Engineering

Cell & Molecular Biology

Chemical Engineering

Marine Biology

Marine Biology

Jackson Sugar

Hannah Theriault

Erin Tully

Darrell Valenti

Andrew White

University of Rhode Island

Roger Williams University

University of Rhode Island

Roger Williams University

University of Rhode Island

Ocean Engineering

Biology, Mathematics

Marine Biology

Mathematics, Secondary Ed

Chemical Engineering

RI C-AIM | RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCoR

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Ways of the Ocean Scientist This past summer, Eva Lincoln was working in an unfamiliar place: a boat at the edge of the continental shelf, facing 12-foot swells and waking up at 2 a.m. to process water samples with tiny specks of phytoplankton in them. And she loved it.

“Sleep was relative,” laughs Lincoln, a senior at Rhode Island College. “Our daily routine was, once we got to a station, to take water samples from the CTD (an

Eva Lincoln (left) prepares plankton samples with Dr. Gayantonia Franze. Photo: Miraflor Santos/WHOI

instrument to measure salinity, temperature and depth profiles in the ocean), and place these water samples in our incubator. It was our job to make sure everything got done on time and that we handled the

accurate chlorophyll readings. The data collected

samples carefully.”

will help scientists better understand how quickly plankton, the base of the marine food web, grow

For 10 weeks, Lincoln was immersed in hands-on,

and die.

oceanographic research as a SURF student, working under Dr. Susanne Menden-Deuer, professor at URI’s

“It is a privilege to provide students with the

Graduate School of Oceanography and a leading

opportunity to explore their own research interests,

expert on plankton ecology.

and Eva’s experience was the real thing,” notes Menden-Deuer. “With access to the high-caliber

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“She gave me the reins and said, ‘I want you to

research environment at GSO, students like Eva

figure out what aspects of oceanography you find

quickly attain a high degree of proficiency, and as

interesting, and then we can build a project from

oceanographers, we gain a new colleague with a

there,’” says Lincoln.

unique perspective.”

At the end of her SURF experience, Lincoln was invited

Functioning as a researcher on board a ship was an

by Menden-Deuer to conduct research aboard the

entirely separate, and important, lesson for Lincoln.

R/V Endeavor. Working with a fellow undergraduate,

“At the dock, we had to make sure we had all of the

Lincoln filtered the water samples over 24-hour and

equipment needed,” she explains. “On the first day we

then 12-hour periods in order to achieve the most

had to get up super early, and I was so sick. I had to go

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back to bed. There is so much that goes into not just

Knowlton. “The experience really builds confidence,

the actual science, but preparing for the cruise.”

and that students can cross institutions and see how things go is so valuable.”

The fourth-year RIC student, who also tutors anatomy and physiology at the Community College of Rhode

Lincoln presented her research on single-cell

Island, has always had a deeply inquisitive mind, and

herbivores, or ‘microzooplankton,’ at the annual

wanted to know more about plankton interactions in

SURF conference this past July. For her work, she

marine food webs.

was honored by Rhode Island Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor at July’s SURF Conference for producing

“I have always been the pain in the butt kid who

outstanding research.

asks, ‘Why does that happen?’” she says. ““Plankton are an essential part of the food web and are eaten

The RIC senior knows that she loves the environment

by so many things. If you add more nutrients to the

and chemistry. Now, Lincoln’s focus is getting

phytoplankton, does that make them happier and

accepted to the best-fitting graduate program.

therefore better food for the zooplankton?”

“You get that little taste of what it is going to be Dr. Sarah Knowlton, Lincoln’s advisor and chair of

like when you go to graduate school through SURF,”

physical sciences at RIC, first suggested SURF as

she emphasizes. “I can’t wait to be in graduate

a possible research experience, meeting with the

school myself.”

undergraduate this past spring to guide her through the application process.

“With SURF, you are in the middle of a research lab, learning all sorts of techniques and interacting with faculty, graduate students and post-docs,” explains

Below: Eva Lincoln explains her summer research to Rhode Island Secretary of Commerce Stefan Pryor and Christine Smith, Managing Director of Innovation, RI Commerce Corporation.

Photo: Michael Salerno/URI

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PLANT LIFE Brown, RISD SURFs visualize flora of Rhode Island salt marshes

Top: Shannon Kingsley and Dr. Tim Whitfeld document species in the marshes near Tillinghast Place, Barrington, RI. Photo courtesy Jen Bissonnette. Right: Kingsley and Lahlaf co-created a booklet, ‘Bending,’ which captures their summer research.

When Shannon Kingsley and Nadia Lahlaf first

dual degree in computer science and illustration from

arrived at the Rhode Island School of Design’s

Brown and RISD, at the time. “Every day we had a

Edna Lawrence Nature Lab in May, their goal was clear: produce a tangible product highlighting how climate change has affected

different thing on the agenda, and our experiences were about finding what was interesting to us and then figuring out how to convey the information about salt marsh ecology that seemed important.”

plant life in Rhode Island’s salt marshes since the 1950s.

On some days, Lahlaf and Kingsley, a sophomore studying English and ethnobotany at Brown, collected plant specimens from salt marshes at Tillinghast

Getting there, however, was a road left wide-open by

Place, a RISD satellite campus located alongside the

mentors Dr. Timothy Whitfeld, assistant professor of

Providence River.

ecology and evolutionary biology at Brown, and the Nature Lab’s Dr. Jennifer Bissonnette and Lucia Monge.

During others, they examined plant species at Brown’s Herbarium or took highly detailed images

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“They told us from the start that it was up to us to find

with the Nature Lab’s “macro-pod,” a camera which

our own direction and decide what kind of concrete

snaps nearly 65 images of an item over time and

thing we would be producing,” explained Lahlaf, a

compresses them into one, creating a high resolution,

fourth-year student from Billerica, Mass., earning a

3D representation.

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After about six weeks, the SURF students had to

“We have different strengths and backgrounds, and

decide upon a medium to showcase their research: an

the biggest challenge was finding our own direction,”

illustrated book detailing specific plant species and

emphasized Lahlaf. “I really enjoy the problem-

how they had been impacted by climate changes in

solving aspect of computer science, and drawing and

Narragansett Bay.

painting are things I have done since I was little.”

“I love to read and write, it is really as simple as that,”

“As an ethnobotany major, I have taken a lot of

added Kingsley.

classes about the history of science and people’s uses of plants for medicine and religious rituals,” said

Although Kingsley and Lahlaf are unsure of what they

Kingsley, a North Attleboro, Mass., native, about her

will do after graduation, the SURFs have produced an

interest in the SURF project. “We can learn a lot by

informative and visually compelling product, the fruit

combining humanities and sciences.”

of a successful 10-week partnership. Moreover, their project highlighted the opportunities, and challenges,

Both SURFs were able to explore their educational

of working across disciplines to bring diverse per-

interests through creating the booklet. While Kingsley

spectives and skills together around a common goal.

took charge of writing compelling, scientifically accurate copy about Rhode Island’s flora, Lahlaf put

“We did everything collaboratively, which was an

her creative juices to work by organizing the book’s

awesome experience,” said Lahlaf as Kingsley nodded

plant images and developing salt marsh illustrations.

in agreement.

Kingsley and Lahlaf contibuted highly detailed illustrations and information on the flora of RI’s saltmarshes in their booklet.

RI C-AIM | RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCoR

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CHEMICAL REACTIONS Finding a home in the labs at Salve When he was six years old, Salve Regina junior Joshua Jeudy moved from Bridgeport, Conn., with his parents back to their home, Akra, Ghana. Upon returning, he noticed a stark difference in the perception of science among Ghanaians and Americans.

Salve’s Josh Jeudy gets ready to share his SURF research poster at the annual conference this past July.

“Here, we appreciate it but don’t cling to it,” explained

“Just in the field alone, I have learned physical,

Jeudy. “Back in Ghana, you hold onto it really tight and

analytical, electrical, organic chemistry—all different

don’t let go because it will get you somewhere.”

things I haven’t even taken yet,” added Jeudy. “You run into error, but it is the good kind of error because you

Jeudy worked alongside Dr. Bernard Munge, professor

are doing something that no one has thought to do.”

and chair of chemistry at Salve, and fellow SURF

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Issaiah Burch to develop devices which can detect

Jeudy described the microfluidic device as something

chemicals in sea water. The pair learned about the

similar to a glucose meter, but instead of testing blood

field of ‘microfluidics,’ or the study of fluid movements

for sugar levels, it is a tool which can determine how

at sub-milimeter scales, discovering how to use

much nitrate or phosphate is in a particular water

electrical currents to test the sensitivity of devices

sample. “It’s like a GPS tracking phosphate and nitrate

being developed by RI C-AIM.

levels continuously through time in the ocean.”

“We have become familiar with the equipment and

Burch and Jeudy both gave high praise to Munge for

lab etiquette, getting to know other students as well,”

his expertise in chemical engineering and guidance as

said Burch about his first few weeks on the job.

an educator. “I never thought that electrical chemistry

THE CURRENT | WINTER 2019

would be interesting, but Munge makes it interesting

Jeudy, who has spent the last five years working as an

and fun,” said Burch. “He wants our aspirations and

emergency medical technician, wants to continue his

goals to become a reality.”

own already active research on the effects of alcohol on human anatomy.

The SURF students understood, however, that conducting long-term research requires a high level

“This is why I love chemistry,” he said. “You think about

of self-reliance. “There is nobody watching over you,

something so small, but who knows if it is the answer

telling you to do that at this time,” stressed Jeudy.

to the next biggest question?”

“It has to get done or we are not moving forward with the experiment. You have to learn how to manage your time.”

Both students intend to follow a career path in scientific research. Burch, although he does not know where, wants to study chemistry at the graduate level. “When things start moving forward, I want to put a mattress in this lab and live in here,” he laughed. “I want to get my foot in the door of the

“I love chemistry, and thinking about something so small, but who knows if it is the answer to the next biggest question?”

scientific community.”

Salve’s Issaiah Burch explains his research on sea water nano-sensors at the annual SURF conference this past July. Photo: Michael Salerno/URI

Salve’s Issaiah Burch explains his research on sea water nano-sensors at the annual SURF conference this past July. Image by Michael Salerno

RI C-AIM | RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCoR

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BEYOND SURF Alumni detail career paths since their SURF research experience

From Training Into the Real World: A Former SURF’s Journey

Former SURF Steven Tadros collects coral in the British Virgin Islands for the reef restoration project he worked on in 2015 with URI’s Dr. Graham Forrester. Photo: Graham Forrester

Steven Tadros didn’t want to become a

After his SURF project ended, Tadros continued to

lawyer or doctor, like his parents Mary and

work alongside Forrester, a professor of natural

Oncy implored. Marine biology was the 2015 SURF’s passion. Now an ocean scientist for

resources science at URI, on coral reef restoration, presenting his work at two conferences. A friendship formed between the undergraduate and his mentor, a

global environmental consultancy firm RPS,

relationship which has been invaluable for Tadros as

the Ashland, Mass., native counts his SURF

he navigates his career path.

experience as one of the most important.

“SURF gave me the opportunity to go out into the field, collect and analyze data, but I cannot express enough

“My parents emigrated from Egypt, so they are very

gratitude for putting me with Dr. Forrester,” he says.

traditional,” Tadros explains. “Being a marine biologist

“He has been a great resource for me professionally.”

was kind of a joke to them at first, but now they know I am taking care of myself and are proud.”

As an ocean scientist at RPS, Tadros trains organizations across the globe on the company’s

In 2015, Tadros wanted more research experience

software which models the effects of a potential

in the field. Enter former SURF mentor Dr. Graham

oil spill, as well as help draft environmental impact

Forrester, who brought the then University of Rhode

statements for those groups. Looking to the future, the

Island junior on board to study coral reef restoration

2015 SURF has a wide-open road.

in the British Virgin Islands.

“I’m 24, so every week my mind changes about what “We would dive three to four times a day in five foot

I want to do,” says Tadros with a laugh. “Right now,

waters, where the conditions were tough when waves

I am building experience and making unbelievable

would take you from the coral,” recalls Tadros. “We

connections. That’s a good thing.”

were trying to create an innovative and cheap way to restore the reefs there.”

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Oceanic Office: 2014 SURF Finds Calling As Marine Tech

was being afflicted by a disease of which scientists knew little. The SURF experience, she says, helped her discover a passion for working on the sea.

“When you are designing an experiment, I feel like I

The best time on a research cruise is at

am using the same part of my brain as when someone

sunrise, according to Jillon McGreal. As a

says, ‘Here is this fitting that needs to go with this

marine technician for the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences, the 2014 SURF has become

other super crazy fitting, help me figure it out’,” the Chatham, N.Y. native explains. “You have to think about everything, which inspires me to be creative.”

the go-to person between scientists and ship crew, troubleshooting anything from sample

After graduation, McGreal was unsure of her next step,

equipment launches to wireless internet.

not wanting to pursue a doctorate or work strictly in a lab. While working as a cruise technician aboard the R/V Siquliak through URI’s Graduate School of

“You do a lot,” says McGreal, who graduated from the

Oceanography in 2017, however, one of the crew

University of Rhode Island in 2015 with a bachelor’s

members taught McGreal a skill which provided a

in marine biology. “My main job is taking care of

spark for her career path: welding.

scientific equipment, but we are in charge of safety on the deck, securing supplies at shore, and even getting

“I didn’t grow up with my dad having projects in the

toilet paper. I like being awake when the sun comes

garage or cars or anything, and in the past I would not

up, but our espresso machine is key!”

feel super confident doing more technical things,” she admits. “But learning how to weld gave me confidence

In 2014, McGreal researched Asterias forbesi, better

to do more mechanical work.”

known as the Atlantic sea star, alongside mentor Dr. Marta Gomez-Chiarri. The echinoderm at that time

McGreal was accepted into the IYRS School of Technology & Trades in Newport and, after a year of working among the insides of ships, earned certificates in the installation and maintenance of marine systems, from engines and hydraulics to plumbing and electrical networks.

“We learned on systems which teachers would intentionally break,” explains McGreal. “We learned how to figure things out and make the equipment work again. One of the big takeaways for me was not being intimidated by things I haven’t seen before and being able to troubleshoot.”

Now, the former SURF student is not looking too far ahead into the future, enjoying much of her time as a reliable hand aboard the many research cruises organized by BIOS. “I get to be involved with the science but work with my hands every day,” she says. “This is my dream job, and the ship is my home.”

Left: Former SURF Jillon McGreal (third from left) found her passion as a marine technician aboard research cruises, like here in 2014 on the R/V Endeavor. Photo: Mike Costa/URI Graduate School of Oceanography

| RHODE RI C-AIM RHODE ISLAND ISLAND NSF NSF EPSCOR EPSCoR

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PLASTICS UNSEEN 14

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Roger Williams University junior Leah Hintz could sit in front of the microscope for hours, so long as her specimen, a species of coral found in the waters off Fort Wetherill in Jamestown, did as she hoped: ingest microplastic beads.

“Sometimes the coral don’t cooperate,” said Hintz with a laugh this past summer.

“A few times we have been sitting here for three hours and nothing happens. I’ll think, ‘this is too long’ and wait another hour, but that is science.”

“Microplastics are everywhere—every time we wash our clothes in the washing machine, plastic microfibers shed from our clothing and wash into the water supply.

But why was Hintz, a Fairfield, Conn. native, feeding

biomarker indicating plastic levels in waters which

the tiniest plastic particles to this coral, named

may seem clean, especially in urban areas.

Astrangia poculata? To discover how one of the world’s most concerning environmental hazards is

Hintz and her fellow RI-INBRE undergrad colleagues

affecting food webs at the microscopic level.

also became scientific troubleshooters, figuring out a way to trap microplastic beads within the

“Plastics in the ocean are weathered down and

waters off Fort Wetherill for a period of time so

become microplastics,” explained the Roger Williams

that local seawater microbes would grow on them.

University student. “They are everywhere—every

Their solution was simple; a small piece of PVC pipe

time we wash our clothes in the washing machine,

wrapped on both sides by a nylon mesh. The SURF

plastic microfibers shed from our clothing and wash

researchers could thus bring the beads covered in

into the water supply. Eventually, these microplastics

microbes back into the lab and examine how those

are ingested by animals like filter feeders and get

microbes, together with the plastics, impact the

transferred through the food web into species that

health of Astrangia.

we eat. It is not good.”

Sharp was impressed by Hintz and her fellow “It’s a concern for us because of human seafood

undergraduate researchers.

consumption, but it’s also a threat to marine life. The nutrition of the animals is impacted by

“I think that the most important thing to teach our

microplastics,” added Dr. Koty Sharp, Hintz’s mentor

students is that when you work together, your science

and assistant professor of biology at RWU. “If your

is better,” asserted Sharp. “This group has had to

gut is filled with plastic instead of proteins and carbs

design their methods from scratch—they’re figuring

and fats, there’s little in there to provide energy for

out original methods for how to deploy equipment

growth and reproduction.”

and run experiments. These guys work as a team.”

By measuring how many microplastics the local

Since the summer, Hintz has pursued her enthusiasm

coral ingests, scientists are using the species as a

for oceanic research, studying coral in Bermuda this past fall.

Left: Dr. Koty Sharp points out to SURF undergrad Leah Hintz how a local coral species ingests microplastics.

RI C-AIM | RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCoR

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Hungry Science SURF students research coastal food web dynamics When Krystyna Kula was a child, she learned

Kula collaborated with SURF mentors Dr. Tatiana

first-hand about Narragansett Bay as a

Rynearson and Dr. Susanne Menden-Deuer, to

volunteer for Save The Bay. This past summer, the Rhode Island native returned from her

complete her research at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, learning how to culture the zooplankton Oxyrrhis marina.

undergraduate institution, the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, to work with Bryant

The end goal, said Reid, is to better understand how

University’s Dr. Christopher Reid, studying

hydrocarbons, called ‘lipids,’ travel via ingestion from

how microorganisms transport carbon and

the tiniest zooplankton to economically important species such as shellfish, a process known as ‘trophic

other nutrients into larger species.

upgrading’.

“We don’t really know right now how carbon moves

For Kula, her first experience in a research lab was

through the food chain,” explained Kula, a biology

much different from the classroom as she learned

major. “We are feeding isotopically labeled carbon

to use equipment such as a gas-chromatography

to yeast, which will then be fed to a dinoflagellate

machine to separate and identify chemicals from

plankton. That will help us see how carbon moves

water samples.

through the food chain.”

Top: Krystyna Kula processes data on phytoplankton with mentor and Bryant University’s Dr. Christopher Reid.

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“In class, you learn for the test and forget about it, but

Jenkins traveled frequently between the shore and

this is something that has an actual application to the

lab throughout summer, collecting water and

real world,” she said. “This experience is a good look at

sediment samples and then navigating lab

how it would be if research was my job day-to-day.”

equipment to gather meaningful data about the bay’s various organisms.

Reid, who hosts a small group of undergraduate and graduate researchers at Bryant, has always tried to

“Measuring samples is a pretty tedious process,”

foster a friendly working environment through which

said Jenkins. “In the lab, I put water samples in

students can learn together. “I was a little bit nervous

acetone and then ‘sonicate’ them, or blast them with

coming in,” admitted Kula, now a sophomore at Notre

sound waves, which breaks open the cells so the

Dame. “But everyone was really welcoming and

phytoplankton chlorophyll pigments are exposed

helping me with how everything works in the lab.”

and we can read them.”

Although she has a few years before deciding on

“It’s a steep learning curve,” the marine biology major

graduate school, Kula knows the experience will serve

continued. “When you are in the lab, you have to be

her well. “I took this past summer to figure out if this

able to make sure you are organized and know which

was something I could do every day.”

step to take and when.”

Jenkins, who continues to advance this work during

Of Chlorophyll and Plankton

the academic year in RI C-AIM’s SURF+ program, is looking to finish his degree a year early with a view

When Christopher Jenkins first arrived at the

towards graduate school. His goals for the summer

University of Rhode Island’s Bay Campus from

SURF experience, however, were a bit humbler.

Shoreview, Minn., his goal was to pursue research related to zoo keeping. Then he discovered

“I really like being able to say I can take a good

Narragansett Bay through scuba diving.

sample and take care of a machine and not have it break on me,” he said with a smile.

“I came here and didn’t do anything involved with a zoo at all,” laughed Jenkins, a marine biology major working with Dr. Colleen Mouw, assistant professor at URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography. “I’ve wanted to get a good work ethic and well-rounded experience, as this is something I have never really done before.”

Jenkins gathered information about ‘absorption’ properties of phytoplankton, or the amount of light they intake. This data allows scientists, explained Jenkins, to identify the occurrence and abundance of specific species in the bay.

“When you have a sample of water, or anything, you have light going through it,” he said at the time. “The floor, for example, has a very high absorption value because you can’t see through it. The idea is we want to look at a water sample and find the absorption patterns that correlate to specific species.”

RI C-AIM | RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCoR

Minnesota native Christopher Jenkins spent this past summer traveling between the research dock and Dr. Colleen Mouw’s lab at URI’s Graduate School of Oceanography.

17

THE GRAD MENTOR Written by Timo Kuester, University of Rhode Island

Andrew was a great help for me, not only regarding our research, but also on a professional level.

I already had some leadership experience from

This past summer, I was given the opportunity

my commitment as the membership co-chair

to mentor Andrew White, an undergraduate

at Graduate Assistants United GAU, the local

at the University of Rhode Island, as part of the SURF program.

graduate assistant union. Guiding Andrew oneon-one instead of making decisions in a group setting where everything can be discussed beforehand was definitely the biggest challenge.

My research involves the development of novel

18

detection methods for environmental pollutants

Figuring out his work and communication style,

in Narragansett Bay, and I am seeking to develop

and giving meaningful feedback was a steep, but

sensors as part of a larger network which would

extremely valuable learning experience for me. It

allow access to real-time environmental data.

also helped with structuring my own research as

These sensors could be used as an early warning

I had to coordinate Andrew’s project as well as my

system for events such as algae blooms.

own simultaneously.

Andrew supported this work by creating his own

As someone who is pursuing a doctorate in chemical

project, taking an approach we had tested in our

engineering, I will help guide graduate students

lab and improving a device which was closer to

and others in the future. It was a great experience

being useful in the ocean. He got a chance to

to practice my leadership skills in a working

investigate a few potential deployment sites, and

environment, and I am looking forward to working

also design and 3D-print his own devices for

with another student during this summer’s SURF

continuous measurement operation, testing them

program. I hope to impact their learning experience

with artificially polluted water.

in a meaningful way.

THE CURRENT | WINTER 2019

On the Detection Trail Sam Rush goes behind the microscope to examine causes of algal blooms Toledo, Ohio native Sam Rush came to Rhode Island

The Toledo native credited his graduate mentor,

to conduct meaningful research on the causes of

Akram Abbasi, for guiding him through the

algal blooms. “I grew up sailing on Lake Erie, and we

challenging aspects of his research. Rush enjoyed

have had issues with algal blooms there,” recalled

his work so much that he has continued to conduct

the University of Rhode Island senior during his SURF

research with Bose and Abbasi into the school year,

experience this past summer. “We had a week when

and is a regular visitor to the Rhode Island Consortium

we couldn’t cook or wash clothes with water, so that’s

for Nanoscience & Nanotechnology’s lab at URI.

what got me interested in this kind of research.”

“Algae can act as a natural concentrator for certain Rush worked under Dr. Arijit Bose, professor of

nutrients, so I have been testing the gold nano-

chemical engineering at the University of Rhode

sensors in algae to see if we can detect nitrates and

Island, figuring out how to use gold nanoparticles

phosphates at a low concentration in seawater,”

to detect chemicals such as nitrate and phosphate

explained the URI senior. “The questions I am trying

in seawater.

to answer are: How do the algae uptake the nanosensors? Where are the sensors going? How

“I made the templates for the gold nano-sensors,”

long will the sensors stay in the algae when put back

explained Rush. “Every day, I would make up a

in sea water?”

procedure for my designs, and test things like binding agents and temperature which may create the most

Although his SURF and SURF+ research experiences

responsive sensor.”

have been formative, the chemical engineering student says he is not sure graduate school is the

For Rush, finding the right combination of chemical

path just yet. “I am done with class for a little bit,”

materials to produce a nano-sensor which could

he laughed. “I have always been good with machines

actually detect contaminants was a long process.

and have helped assemble things like wind tunnels

“It is a lot of lab work, and understanding what is fully

and 3D printers, so I’d like to go more into a job where

going on with my experiments was tough,” he said.

I can work on research equipment.”

Andrew White and Samuel Rush have continued their summer research as SURF+ students at the University of Rhode Island.

RI C-AIM | RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCoR

19

Taking Measure RWU’s Marlowe, Masse research impact of CFCs in Mount Hope Bay Roger Williams University senior Colby Masse described Narragansett Bay as a ‘sink’ for chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). He and SURF colleague Lyndsay Marlowe worked this past summer under Dr. Stephen O’Shea to discover the process by which these chemicals are deposited into the bay’s sediment, and also transformed into other chemical compounds that could prove harmful to the environment.

“CFCs were used in aerosols and refrigerants and were non-carcinogenic, but scientists started to notice there was a big gaping hole in the ozone, and they were contributing,” explained Masse, a biochemistry major from Williamstown, Mass. “Countries regulate them now, but they can still affect the ozone years after being released. That is why we see them in the ocean sediment.”

The ozone protects the Earth from harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun, and its depletion causes both atmospheric and ocean temperatures to rise, ultimately impacting ecosystems throughout the globe, including Mount Hope Bay, where the students gathered samples.

Masse and Marlowe tested potential techniques to better understand how CFCs are transformed in sediment and ocean water, and whether their chemical makeup changes for better or worse in the process. Beyond the research itself, the SURF students learned to use complex equipment and discovered that scientific inquiry is much a process of trial-and-error.

Colby Masse prepares to take sediment samples aboard the R/V InVincebleSpirit. Photo courtesy Jill Rodrigues/RWU

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THE CURRENT | WINTER 2019

Lyndsay Marlowe explains her research at the annual SURF conference this past July. Photo: Michael Salerno/URI

“Getting all of the tests to work properly is a challenge,” admitted Marlowe, a junior at Roger Williams studying chemistry who hails from Tewksbury, Mass. “There’s a lot of preparation and, when something is not working, a lot of troubleshooting.”

“We are looking at CFCs and organisms in anaerobic environments, so it is a struggle to keep our samples unexposed to oxygen,” added Masse. “We try to keep samples in an inert gas like argon, but it is tough

“A lot of the time when you go to research presentations, you sit through talks and at the end, you ask, ‘ok, who cares? They don’t know how it contributes to larger science. Here, we do. Figuring out all these different applications for our work, that is why it is rewarding.”

when you are doing live tests. They take multiple hours.” For O’Shea, the experience is one uniquely available to students in a small laboratory like that housed at RWU. conducted will be crucial for future SURF students.

“They are not giving samples to a technician, but

“Because I am contributing to something a lot bigger

doing hands-on experimentation themselves,” the

definitely makes me excited to see what results come

chemistry professor emphasized. “The lab and

of it long-term,” said Marlowe, who continued her work

instruments are robust enough for research, the data

with O’Shea into the school year.

collected from which is publishable. Students can set up experiments and follow them all the way through,

“A lot of the time when you go to research

uninterrupted by classes coming in and out.”

presentations, you sit through talks and at the end, you ask, ‘Ok, who cares?’” noted Masse, who is

Many SURF projects are single steps in a larger

currently applying to become a physician’s assistant.

research program, and O’Shea’s work on CFCs is no

“They don’t know how it contributes to larger

different. Marlowe and Masse felt a greater sense

science. Here, we do. Figuring out all these different

of accomplishment knowing the research they

applications for our work, that is why it is rewarding.”

RI C-AIM | RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCoR

21

LIFE ON THE BAY SURFs capture human experiences of Rhode Island’s coast Some days, SURF students Ana Nimaja and Marcos Figueroa traveled along the rocky shoreline only to find bay users who wanted

Left to right: Leah Feldman, Sabrina Alvarez Ogando, Dr. Katherine M. Lacasse, Marcos Figueroa, Ana Nimaja, Talya ten Brink, Sonia Refulio Coronado, and Dr. Suchandra Basu.

Photo: Tracey Dalton

nothing to do with them. On a good day,

“The students worked on two different projects, an

however, coastal visitors opened up about

intercept survey on recreational use around the bay

their experiences along Rhode Island’s coast,

where we visit about 20 different sites,” explained ten

detailing the bay’s significance beyond

Brink, a marine affairs doctoral student at URI. “The

scientific research and tourist dollars.

other interviewed recreational fisherman at four sites in Warwick.”

“Catching people off-guard has been our specialty,”

Reaching out to the Coastal Resources Management

admitted Nimaja, a senior political science and

Council (CRMC) for input, ten Brink was asked to

Spanish major at the University of Rhode Island, this

learn more about how millennials and minority

past July.

groups utilize the bay’s coastal resources as the state organization gathers data for a new Narragansett

Nimaja and Figueroa teamed up with SURF mentors

Bay planning initiative.

Dr. Tracey Dalton, professor of marine affairs at

22

URI, and Talya ten Brink, as well as a group of social

“I have always been interested in the needs of people

scientists from Rhode Island College, the University

who have two jobs and don’t have time to speak

of Rhode Island and the Environmental Protection

at community meetings,” she emphasized. “I think

Agency, to conduct surveys of coastal users about

it is really important to capture the voices of bay

how they interact with coastal areas in and around

users who access the coast, a natural and healthy

Narragansett Bay.

environment.”

THE CURRENT | WINTER 2019

“You don’t realize how important a place is to somebody until you sit down and talk to them.”

“It will be a really long process, but hopefully we can connect with local communities and share these findings directly so that there is more awareness about the importance of coastal areas for minority groups, especially in urban areas like Providence,” said ten Brink.

For the SURFs, learning more about the social

Enter Nimaja and Figueroa. Both students speak

importance of Narragansett Bay has opened their

Spanish fluently and are double majors in the

eyes to new career pursuits. “It is important for me

language, a crucial qualification when surveying

to understand how the environment can affect

Spanish-speaking coastal visitors. They did, however,

sustainability and the overall economy, so it’s made

face a big challenge in gathering substantive

me more curious to explore the field of resource

information through interviews, learning the skills of

economics more,” admitted Figueroa, who plans on

qualitative data collection.

applying to graduate school after URI.

“Sometimes people don’t want to talk. They’ll grunt at

Nimaja wants to take a gap year and perhaps

you and you say, ‘That’s discouraging’,” said Nimaja.

teach English in Spain before pursuing a law degree.

“But then you have that one Cambodian man who has

Although she was initially interested in criminal

broken English but is willing to talk and speak about

justice, environmental law is now an option to consider.

how the bay reminds him of his homeland. It is really great to hear all that.”

“When I first read our project descriptions, it sounded very scary because it was all really science-y,” said

Ten Brink and the students have learned myriad

Nimaja. “I didn’t realize the environment mattered

reasons why Rhode Islanders visit the shore, from

to so many, but having this experience has me

cancer patients looking for a moment of peace to

really appreciating Narragansett Bay more. It has

older residents remembering past beach and fishing

definitely impacted my perception of what I can do

excursions. “I am a huge history buff, and the nostalgia

with my career.”

attached to Rocky Point is incredible when you talk

to older folks,” noted Nimaja. “You don’t realize how important a place is to somebody until you sit down and talk to them.”

Figueroa, who majors in political science and economics, has discovered how much Rhode Islanders are investing in order to recreate around Narragansett Bay. “If you can figure out how far people are willing to travel to a place, you can perhaps understand how much money they are spending in gas,” he said. “You can understand how much the space is really worth to the overall community.”

Since the summer, ten Brink has worked with the rest of the research team to analyze visitor survey data and interviews. Results from both studies will inform conclusions made by C-AIM researchers about Narragansett Bay as a social and economic resource for recreational uses.

RI C-AIM | RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCoR

Marcos Figueroa and Ana Nimaja

23

WORLD OF NANO

RIN2’s Andreu building expertise for STEM students

24

THE CURRENT | WINTER 2019

Dr. Irene Andreu listens intently with a group of graduate students to learn about the newly arrived confocal Raman microscope.

As new director of operations for the Rhode Island Consortium for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (RIN2), the Huesca, Spain native has found a home guiding faculty and

“Not everyone will end up doing academic research in the future, and the hands-on experiences here will help students as they pursue careers.”

students in using some of the most high-tech pieces of research equipment available.

Andreu arrives from Simon Fraser University in

Since arriving in June, Andreu has trained 36 people

Burnaby, British Columbia, where she worked as

in new microscopy techniques, and counts a dozen

a post-doctoral researcher for three years in the

C-AIM graduate and undergraduate students as

Gates Research Group, studying nanomaterials for

regular users.

biomedical applications. In 2015, she completed her doctorate in physics at the Instituto de Ciencia

“Right now, training is one-on-one,” she notes. “I think it

Materiales de Aragon in Zaragoza.

would be good to organize workshops to give users a more theoretical background behind the equipment,

“The food in Spain is so good and I’ll miss that!” she

to help them analyze their data and optimize the

explains. “But here I can interact with a lot of different

conditions for their measurements. I help people use

people and help them solve research problems.”

the equipment and then they leave, but it would be

Now, she is not only managing the various material

good if we can get users talking to each other.”

characterization instruments being utilized at RIN2, but also training researchers on how the equipment

But why create a network among RIN2 users if they

can generate the best results for their work.

only need to use the equipment for specific projects?

Many of the same techniques and tools, stresses

“A lot of our users have biological samples, the

Andreu, to which researchers are first exposed at RIN2

preparation for which I have had to improve my

are being utilized in the real-world.

knowledge upon,” says Andreu. “There are so many different components inside a biological or

“A lot of material science-related companies

environmental sample, and when you are examining

developing new textiles, polymers and construction

materials like bacteria, ‘squishy’ things, we have to

materials are using these microscopes,” she says.

prepare those samples so that we can interpret the

“Environmental safety, for example, is a field with a lot

signals and how it relates to a project.”

of jobs in asbestos remediation. The best way to find asbestos is with an electron microscope.”

The new RIN2 director, for example, has been freezing seawater samples for users in order to examine

Particularly for students working for the first time on

bacteria growth in suspension, a technique called

RIN2’s equipment, the more informative a research

cryo-scanning electron microscopy (CryoSEM).

experience Andreu can provide, the better. “Our work does not happen in a vacuum, and people are using

Beyond the research, however, Andreu is hoping to

these machines outside of the university,” she says.

build a network of faculty and students across the

“Not everyone will end up doing academic research

state who can share their own expertise on how

in the future, and the hands-on experiences here will

to use RIN2’s equipment, as well as spur potential

help students as they pursue careers.”

collaborations on future projects.

Top: Dr. Irene Andreu maintains one of the TEM microscopes at RIN2. Bottom: Close-up of RIN2’s new confocal Raman microscope.

Bottom, Inset: A diatom on top of sea lettuce, an image acquired by cryogenic scanning electron microscopy at the Rhode Island Consortium of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. Photo: Samuel Rush/Irene Andreu/Arijit Bose

RI C-AIM | RHODE ISLAND NSF EPSCoR

25

SURF Class of 2018 at Roger Williams University

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RH O D E IS L A N D C O NSO RT I U M F OR

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protecting crucial mammal and fish species, the

51 Lower College Road

bay’s waters help many stakeholders thrive.

Kingston, RI 02881 401.874.6880

Through RI C‑AIM, engineers, scientists, businesses, students and coastal communities are working together to position Rhode Island as a center of excellence for assessing, predicting

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THE CURRENT | WINTER 2019