A “Hat Trick” of Kudos

The Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), an international society of fresh-water and marine scientists, recognized the work of GSO faculty, students and alumni this year.

Professor Karen Wishner was named an ASLO Sustaining Fellow for “having sustained excellence in [her] contributions to ASLO and the aquatic sciences,” and consistently contributing to the society through journals, conferences and committees. Along with the other members of the 2019 class of ASLO Fellows, Wishner was honored with a champagne toast at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in San Diego, Calif. in February.

Doctoral student Catherine Nowakowski was one of 21 students in the United States selected by ASLO to participate in its international research program. The Limnology and Oceanography Research Exchange (LOREX) is a National Science Foundation-funded initiative to provide training in international research for graduate students. With GSO assistant professor Kelton McMahon, Nowakowski is working to understand how the warming climate is changing the Gulf of Maine ecosystem. To make up for the limited records for this complex system, the Mystic, Conn. native applies compound-specific stable isotope analysis to deep-ocean coral to reconstruct how their diet has changed through time.

Sybil Seitzinger (Ph.D. 1982) was awarded the 2020 A.C. Redfield Lifetime Achievement Award from ASLO, which honors major, long-term achievements in the fields of limnology and oceanography, including research, education and service to the community and society. Seitzinger received the award in recognition of her critical research on the nutrient biogeochemistry of coastal and freshwater ecosystems, spanning from molecular organic chemical characterization to global scale models and the application of new knowledge. The award was presented at the Ocean Sciences Meeting in San Diego, Calif. in February. In 2011, Seitzinger was a recipient of URI’s President’s Award.