Yoshitaka Ota on advancing social equity in ocean governance worldwide - As Founder and Director of the research initiative Ocean Nexus, a scholarly network of researchers who advance ocean equity, Yoshitaka Ota aims to work towards his goal of social equity in ocean governance. He and Ocean Nexus have found a new home in the Department of Marine Affairs. 
Coastal Access Equity: Mallory Lentz’s Path to NOAA’s Coastal Management Fellowship - Growing up on the Chesapeake Bay, recent CELS graduate Mallory Lentz ‘24 always knew she wanted to study environmental science. “I’ve always been in tune with coastal issues,” says Lentz. “I was able to see the lasting effects that humans had on the environment.” Admiring the beautiful tidal estuarine landscape of the Severn River in […]
Ambarish Karmalkar: A Model Science Communicator - Geosciences professor Ambarish Karmalkar pairs regional climate change research with science communication.
Serving the Country and the Environment: David Bourbeau’s Application of RI CHAMP to the U.S. Coast Guard - David Bourbeau, a member of the U.S. Coast Guard, explored uses for RI-CHAMP for coastal resiliency planning while completing his master's degree in marine affairs.
Tolani Olagundoye: Guiding the Next Generation Through Service - Working at the nexus of leadership & community outreach, CELS clinical assistant professor Tolani Olagundoye has found her passion in youth development.
Into the Woods: Using Augmented Reality and Science Communication to tell the Story of the North Woods - Three MESM students have been working on an augmented reality project with the DWELL Lab focused on the North Woods
Determined to Dig Deep: Braden Fleming’s Journey to Soil Judging Champion - CELS alum Braden Fleming aimed high by studying the earth beneath his feet, leading him to a first-place finish in the individual division of the National Collegiate Soil Judging Competition.- Elizabeth Mendenhall’s Passion for International Ocean Policy Spurs Change - Assistant Professor Elizabeth Mendenhall carved out a career where the law meets the ocean. Her research focuses on the drivers and mechanisms of change in the Law of Sea Convention, which is basically a constitution for the oceans.
Energy and Engineering: Clare Laroche’s Path as an Energy Fellow and Ocean Engineering Major - In her work with the Cooperative Extension's Energy Fellows Program, Laroche’s work focused on communications and outreach for a solar siting project.
Vanessa García Polanco’s Path to Washington, D.C. and Back Again - As the policy campaign co-director at the National Young Farmers Coalition, García Polanco acts as an advocate inside the federal government to make sure programs are accessible to young and BIPOC farmers. 
Laura Meyerson: Saving the world one ecosystem at a time - Professor Laura Meyerson does fieldwork in Rhode Island and all over the world, all while teaching courses about her passion and inspiring students to get involved with policy, advocacy, and research.
Forestry Sparks a Flame in Rachel Howard - Inspired by a 400-year-old Ginkgo biloba tree during a URI study abroad trip to China, Environmental Science and Management and Chinese major, Rachel Howard discovered a love of forestry.
Feeding the Sense of Adventure: Pat McShane’s Journey to Maritime Law - The story of Pat McShane ’85, a self-proclaimed landlubber from Indiana whose longing for the ocean drew him to URI and set him on the path to becoming a prominent admiralty and maritime attorney and partner at Frilot LLC in New Orleans.
From Fear to Focus: Nelle Couret Shares Her Passion for Studying Bugs - Studying bugs may not be for everyone, but Nelle Couret learned that sometimes changing your perspective on these creatures can have a career-altering impact. 
Summer in South Dakota: Emily MacDonald’s National Science Foundation Research For Undergraduates Fellowship Experience - “I’ve been really grateful to URI for encouraging students to step outside their comfort zone and push boundaries and see themselves as capable,” said senior Environmental Science and Management student, Emily MacDonald...
Successful CELS Alum Shares Inclusive Science Lens with URI - Habtemichael draws from his breadth and depth of knowledge accumulated through his schooling and overall love of learning to develop and further programs that make transitions easier for underrepresented students in STEM. He This includes a mentorship position with CELS Seeds of Success, membership with the CELS Diversity Committee, and in co-leading Voices of Inclusion in Communities of Education and Science.
CELS Alumni Aim to Improve RI Water Quality, One Municipality At A Time - Tucked away in the basement of the Coastal Institute on the Kingston campus, CELS alumni Lorraine Joubert and Lisa DeProspo Philo are working to improve local water quality through a program called Rhode Island Nonpoint Education for Municipal Officials (RI NEMO).
MESM Students Come Together and Grow in the North Woods - “Many higher education institutions don’t emphasize the importance of campus natural resources and adjacent lands in their sustainability initiatives,”- Gabrielle Pezich, the current program manager.
MARC U*STAR Trainee, Ashley Tai, Finds Her Path Through CELS Involvement - Tai began her studies as a biology student, unsure of what she wanted to pursue and struggling with imposter syndrome. Through CELS Seeds of Success (SOS), which works to uplift those underrepresented in the STEM field, she found a group that helped her feel more confident in her ability to determine her path.- Science and Engineering Fellow Finds Purpose - “What drew me to apply to the program was how Dean Fontes showed how she really cared to help me find the best opportunity for me to succeed”
- From Marine Affairs Department Chair to Director of Rhode Island Sea Grant: Dr. Tracey Dalton Discusses Her Interdisciplinary Approach - “I’m hoping that in my role as Sea Grant Director, I’ll be able to facilitate collaborations and help build capacity among researchers to talk to each other across those disciplines a little bit easier”
- CELS Alum Breaking Barriers in Marine Science and Policy - “What was most helpful for me was conducting my own thesis research, as it was the first time that I executed my own idea from start to finish”
- CELS Lab Manager Awarded Staff Excellence Award for Motivating Science Skills - “I like to consider the mindset of the students and how to motivate them to become lifelong learners”
- CELS PhD Student Aids Rhode Island Waterways By Studying Invasive Plant That Smothers Them - “Invasive species can disrupt natural processes and food webs, and reduce species diversity by outcompeting and displacing natives,” states Dodd.
- CELS Alum at the Forefront of “Forever Chemical” Research and Consulting - CELS Alum at the Forefront of “Forever Chemical” Research and Consulting By Hannah MacDonald, CELS Communication Fellow Dr. Dylan Eberle has devoted his entire career to researching hazardous chemicals. “If it sounds like a big problem, that is because it is,” states Dr. Dylan Eberle, referring to a family of over 5,000 man-made chemicals known […]
- Former Ocean and Coastal Policy Director for President Obama Brings National Leadership Experience and Mentorship to CELS - Former Ocean and Coastal Policy Director for President Obama Brings National Leadership Experience and Mentorship to CELS By Gabriella Placido, CELS Communications Fellow Dr. Whitley Saumweber’s deep appreciation for the ocean began in his childhood and took him all the way to the White House. “I always had an emotional connection and intellectual curiosity in […]
- cels alumnus seeks to protect natural resources and reach people through law enforcement - Whether it’s searching for a lost hiker, cruising Rhode Island waters on a boat patrol, or checking that fishermen are in line with regulations, Joshua Bergeron says that there are many diverse aspects to his job as an environmental police officer (EPO). “No single day is the same,” he states. “One day you may be breaking up a fight at Scarborough State Beach, while the next day you could be checking fishermen. It’s exciting and gets your blood flowing!”
- CELS PhD Student at the Forefront of Biodiversity Research and International Collaboration - The award-winning CELS researcher motivated by her childhood experience now contributing more to the marine conservation research.
- CELS professor helps students see their future in STEM through inclusive teaching practices - Teaching isn't just about helping students understand different aspects of science to Dr. Bryan Dewsbury, an associate professor in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences. It’s about empowering students to develop confidence and a sense of belonging in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)...[Read more]
- CELS graduate student’s childhood experiences compel her to help solve Rhode Island’s solar conflicts - Imagine trying to study in temperatures exceeding 110 degrees with no air conditioning or fans and frequent power outages. That was a daily struggle for Vasundhara Gaur growing up in Lucknow, India...[Read more]
- CELS Alumna Titled Top Soil Scientist in the Country for Contributions to Science - Maggie Payne was going through a difficult time at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic when she received some of the best news in her professional career.Like many parents, she had to suddenly transition to working from home while simultaneously taking on the new home-schooling duties of her two young sons.“...[Read more]
- CELS Marine Biologist Keeps Seafood Industry Afloat Through Climate Change and Plastic Pollution Studies - “I’ve always lived by the sea and felt naturally drawn to it,” states Dr. Coleen Suckling, a marine biologist in the University of Rhode Island’s College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS). “I was especially fascinated as a child by marine invertebrates, which looked like weird and wonderful creatures.”... Read more
- CELS Student Dives Into the Microbial World - For as long as he can remember, Chris Schuttert has had an affinity for the mysteries of the microbial world. “I suppose what really started it was being a kid and being told that there’s this undiscovered world that we can’t see with our eyes,” says Schuttert... Read more
- CELS Professor Highlights Implications of Hurricane Dorian Through Research - When Hurricane Dorian struck the Bahamas in September 2019 leaving more than 60 people dead, over 1,000 people missing, and unprecedented destruction in its path, it hit hard for Dr. Amelia Moore. An assistant professor of sustainable coastal tourism and recreation in the University of Rhode Island’s College of the Environment and Life Sciences, Moore has been studying the region for 17 years and considers the Bahamas her second home... Read more
- CELS Alum Revolutionizes Turfgrass Management through Technology - The buzz of a drone hovers over an expansive green fairway. Your smartphone pings in your pocket as it receives a notification and important information from above. This is the future of turfgrass management in the golf industry, and College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS) alumnus Jason VanBuskirk is at the forefront. “I love turfgrass, I love technology,” says VanBuskirk...Read more
- From Seal Whiskers to Fish, CELS Graduate Student is Getting in Touch with Sensory Biology - If you’ve ever accidentally placed your hand on a hot stove, you know just how important our sense of touch is. But for other animals like fish, their survival depends on their ability to sense vibrations and currents underwater. As a College of Environment and Life Sciences (CELS) marine biology graduate student, this is exactly what Aubree Jones seeks to understand through her research in sensory biology...Read more
- CELS Professor is at a New Frontier of Soil Science - When it comes to underwater soils, Dr. Mark Stolt has earned a national reputation as a pioneer of soil science. In fact, Stolt, a professor of Natural Resources Science at the University of Rhode Island CELS... Read more
- CELS Alum Takes on Rhode Island’s Unsustainable Food Waste - The massive amount of food waste sitting in landfills can be a difficult fact to digest. According to Conor MacManus, a University of Rhode Island College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS) alumnus, approximately 90% of household food waste ends up in landfills. When you consider the fact that 40% of this food waste is compostable, MacManus says it’s a clear issue of unsustainability that needs to be addressed, especially in... Read more
- Marine Affairs Ph.D. Student Kaytee Canfield Eyes Tourism Injustice Across the Country - When most people look at Catalina Island off the coast of Los Angeles, they see a beautiful getaway from the mainland’s bustling city life...Read more
- Dr. Soni Pradhanang Knows the Importance of Water. It’s her Life’s Work. - “Water is central to everything. It links to all the essential elements – health, nature, food, industry, energy, urbanization, etc.,” says Dr. Soni Pradhanang, an assistant professor of hydrology and water quality in the College of Environment and Life Sciences’ Department of Geosciences...Read more
- CELS Professor Awarded Grants to Understand the Quantification of Environmental Values - Corey Lang is on a mission. He wants to understand what value people place on non-market goods such as open space and the siting of renewable energy...Read more
