Sarah Nickford and Laura Glastra, two University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Oceanography students, have been awarded Graduate Student Fellowships from the NASA Rhode Island Space Grant Consortium—a program that provides support to student researchers in a NASA-related field of study. 

Sarah Nickford is a Ph.D. student at GSO, focusing on physical oceanography and biogeochemistry. Prior to joining GSO, Nickford received a B.S. in atmospheric and ocean science as well as an M.S. in physical oceanography from Stony Brook University. Nickford’s fellowship support will allow her to use Saildrone observations in conjunction with NASA satellite data. Her research objective is to quantify and produce a mechanistic understanding of wintertime air-to-sea CO2 exchange in the Gulf Stream and the subtropical mode water formation region. This will be accomplished by establishing relationships between ocean pCO2 and satellite-derived variables.

Laura Glastra is a Ph.D. student at GSO with a focus on physical oceanography. Prior to her time at GSO, Glastra received a B.S. in chemistry, a B.A. in physics as well as a minor in mathematics from Pacific Lutheran University. The research supported by R.I. Space Grant will allow Glastra to further examine the molecular processes and properties that control solute exclusion from ice during freezing. Along with this, Glastra will be examining how ice crystallography is influenced by solutes. Glastra’s research will help scientists better understand the biogeochemistry in the ocean worlds of our solar system.

Operating from Brown University since 1991, the NASA RI Space Grant Consortium (RISG) uses space-related science as a means for enhancing scientific literacy among educators and their students. RISG is committed to promoting science, technology, engineering and math at all levels, using NASA space exploration and research to gain interest and enthusiasm.