Awards recognize two graduate leaders from the Graduate School of Oceanography
December 9, 2024
The University of Rhode Island Coastal Institute is pleased to announce its 2024 Emerging Coastal Leader awardees. Awardees were selected based on academic achievement and demonstrated potential as future leaders.
The graduate students represent a wide range of disciplines, including marine affairs, biological oceanography, and ocean engineering. The Emerging Coastal Leaders Program acknowledges graduate students who are committed to pursuing impactful careers in coastal, marine, and estuarine science and management. The program provides each awardee with a small stipend to support research, access to professional mentorship through the Coastal Institute Senior Fellows network, and opportunities to present their work in the Coastal Institute community.
This is the second year for the new awards program, offered by the Coastal Institute for URI graduate students from interdisciplinary backgrounds aspiring to careers in coastal, marine, and estuarine science and management.
Two GSO students are awardees:
Rickie (Erica) Ewton, Graduate School of Oceanography
Rickie (Erica) Ewton is a Ph.D. candidate in Biological Oceanography. Her research investigates the interactions between marine microbes, such as plankton and coral symbionts, and their environments. Passionate about science communication, Ewton actively participates in public outreach, teaching, and mentoring. Her work fosters collaboration and makes marine science accessible to diverse audiences, advancing understanding and stewardship of ocean ecosystems.
Bryan Plankenhorn, Graduate School of Oceanography / College of the Environment and Life Sciences
Bryan Plankenhorn is a Ph.D. candidate in Biological Oceanography and a master’s student in Marine Affairs through URI’s dual degree program at the Graduate School of Oceanography and the College of the Environment and Life Sciences. Their doctoral research focuses on the harmful algal bloom species Pseudo-nitzschia and its production of domoic acid, a neurotoxin. Plankenhorn also explores how Indigenous values can be incorporated into contemporary marine resource management, emphasizing the importance of advancing Indigenous sovereignty in sustainable marine governance.
More on the full cohort of Emerging Coastal Leaders from Coastal Institute: https://www.uri.edu/news/2024/12/uri-coastal-institute-announces-2024-emerging-coastal-leaders/