The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Oceanography (SURFO) program is a 10-week research experience designed primarily for science, math and engineering students who will have just completed their junior year of undergraduate coursework. Participating students get hands-on experience with laboratory work, field work, data analysis, instrument development, numerical modeling and even a research cruise – all while working with GSO faculty and graduate student mentors.
We are excited to welcome students who will be joining the Bay Campus community for the summer of 2024:
Eli Bohlander
Purdue University, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
This summer I’ll be working with an underwater vision profiler camera for use on a profiling vehicle in Dr. Chris Roman’s lab with Jake Bonny. In the future, I hope to develop autonomous exploration vehicles in graduate school.
Deyanneira Colon
Aurora University, majoring in Biology and Communications with a specialization in professional writing and journalism
I will be working in Dr. Susanne Menden-Deuer’s lab with Rickie Ewton studying plankton community dynamics. I am still exploring graduate school but I would like to study marine sciences and work in the field of ocean conservation to inspire the creation of protected areas.
Ryleigh Emmert
Williams College, majoring in Geosciences with a concentration in Coastal and Ocean Studies
This summer, I am excited to join Andy Davies’s lab, with Phil Yang where I will conduct research to understand the distribution of deep-sea corals and their response to changing environments in the Gulf of Mexico using datasets from benthic lander platforms. In the future, I intend to continue my research career by pursuing a PhD in biological oceanography.
Ilana Jacobs
Boston University, Boston University Marine Program
This summer I will be working with Dr. Hongjie Wang to determine the impacts of water quality and alternative surface gear on oyster production in Rhode Island. I will be pursuing a PhD in oceanography after I complete my BA in Marine Science.
Jacob Krance
Mississippi State University, majoring in Geosciences with a concentration in GIS
This summer, I am excited to work as a SURFO intern In Dr. Katie Kelley’s lab with Rebecca Lippitt in examining the volcanism of young intraplate volcanoes in the Revillagigedo Islands via submarine lava samples collected at different depths. These samples will be investigated through a number of different analytical techniques including infrared spectroscopy, electron microprobe, and scanning electron microscopy to determine volatile content, major element geochemistry, and examine microscopic textures. In the future, I hope to continue into a graduate program focusing on oceanography or coastal environments/processes.
Samantha Kratman
Penn State University, Biology
I will be working in Dr. Roxanne Beinart’s with Michelle Beck on genetic analysis of Pompeii worms from deep-sea hydrothermal vents this summer. I hope to eventually pursue a Ph.D. in genomics, specifically working with coral symbionts.
Nathaniel Nowel
Nebraska Wesleyan University, Biology (2020-2024) & Washington University, Mechanical Engineering (2024-2026)
I will be working with Dr. Jaime Palter and Dr. Una Miller on analyzing data collected from multiple autonomous ocean platforms regarding air-sea exchange to better understand how wind and turbulence affect the upper ocean. My future plans involve conducting interdisciplinary research in oceanography.
Manavi Panjnani
Stevens Institute of Technology, majoring in Computer Engineering
I will be working on AUV development and testing as well as data image processing in Dr. Mingxi Zhou’s lab with Lin Zhao this summer. My plan for the future is to enter the robotics industry and eventually get my Masters/PhD in a related field.
Paola N Román Morales
University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez, Chemistry major with a minor in Project Management
This summer, I’ll be joining Dr. Rainer Lohmann’s lab alongside Asta Habtemichael to research the analysis of PFAS in the lower trophic levels of marine food webs. I plan to continue my academic journey by pursuing graduate studies in a field closely aligned with environmental science research.
Nina Storozhynska
Cornell University, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences with a concentration in Geological Sciences
This summer I’m excited to be working in Dr. Rebecca Robinson’s lab with Mollie Robinson analyzing variations in nitrogen fixation in the Mozambique Channel during a past warm period. I hope to pursue a PhD in biogeochemistry after undergrad and continue a career in academia!
Hector Torres-De Jesus
University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, majoring in Coastal Marine Biology with a minor in Microbiology
This summer, I’m excited to be joining Dr. Kelton McMahon’s lab, alongside Lauren Zane and Dr. Connor Love, where we’ll be exploring metabolite extraction from RI coral colonies for GC-MS analysis. In the future, I aspire to pursue a PhD in Marine Biogeochemistry and Microbial Ecology.
Alan Whelan
University of Maryland, double-majoring in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and Physics
I will be working in Dr. Kathy Donahue’s lab with Lindsay Grose, and in that project I will be using satellite data to examine the ways in which warm water from the Agulhas Current anomalously leaks into the southern Atlantic Ocean. I am very fascinated by the project as it is closely tied to my interest in the application of chaos theory to oceanography. In the future I plan to graduate from UMD and continue researching physical oceanography in a graduate program.