{"id":189467,"date":"2025-05-07T11:06:03","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T15:06:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/?p=189467"},"modified":"2025-05-07T11:06:03","modified_gmt":"2025-05-07T15:06:03","slug":"commencement-2025-making-ocean-science-accessible-to-all-has-been-a-goal-of-uri-oceanography-student","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/uncategorized\/commencement-2025-making-ocean-science-accessible-to-all-has-been-a-goal-of-uri-oceanography-student\/","title":{"rendered":"Commencement 2025: Making ocean science accessible to all has been a goal of URI oceanography student"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gabrielle Armin made educational outreach a priority as a URI doctoral student<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

May 7, 2025<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Having published a dozen peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals, Gabrielle Armin<\/a>, who will earn her Ph.D. from the University of Rhode Island\u2019s Graduate School of Oceanography<\/a> this month, can discuss her research with experts in her field. She can also talk about it with elementary school students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI tried to make the most of my time at GSO, learning as much as I could,\u201d said Armin. \u201cI am proud of my publication record and dedication to outreach while I have been here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a self-proclaimed \u201cNavy brat,\u201d Armin and her family moved a lot, which contributed to her interest in oceanography. She refers to Pensacola, Florida,<\/strong> as her hometown, but she has also lived in Colorado, California, and Rhode Island.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLiving in various coastal communities inspired me to pursue oceanography,\u201d said Armin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After earning her bachelor\u2019s degree in environmental engineering from the University of Florida, Armin\u2019s desire to study oceanography came to fruition.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Armin leads a group of students at the Ra\u00edces Dual Language Academy in Central Falls in the process of ballasting the keel of their miniboat.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI came to URI based on a recommendation from a previous mentor who raved about the research and campus culture at GSO,\u201d said Armin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armin\u2019s research has ranged from computer modeling to scientific diving, with a focus on quantitative microbiology in coastal waters. One of her most memorable research experiences involved a trip to Tihany, Hungary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI had the opportunity to study how temperature affects cellular processes of microscopic plants called phytoplankton,\u201d said Armin. \u201cTemperature can affect how nutritious these plants can be for other organisms that rely on them for food. In freshwater lakes, phytoplankton blooms can be especially affected by temperature and lead to decreased water quality.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quantifying the link between phytoplankton physiology and the environment was the subject of Armin\u2019s dissertation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI used a scientific model, basically a series of math equations, that describes important biological processes in the cell and connects the cell to the environment by temperature, light intensity, or nutrient concentrations,\u201d said Armin. \u201cA model like this allows us to predict how phytoplankton may react to a changing environment and gives us insight into how the overall health of the ecosystem, or our climate, might be affected as a result.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the past four years, Armin worked with GSO\u2019s Public Engagement<\/a> Office to share her passion for ocean science with students in grades kindergarten through 12th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Armin prepares samples for cell density measurements from mesocosms in Tihany, Hungary.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cI want kids to know about different career options in the ocean realm,\u201d said Armin. \u201cWhen I was in school, if you were good at science and math, they pushed you toward medicine and engineering. But those aren\u2019t the only options. I want our future scientists to know there is a place for them to follow their passions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armin has led tours for students visiting GSO on field trips and delivered classroom lessons to public schools throughout Rhode Island, increasing environmental literacy and interest in marine science. She has participated in GSO\u2019s Miniboat Program, empowering students to become community scientists and global ocean stewards. She\u2019s also been a camp counselor for GSO\u2019s summer oceanography camp, creating and facilitating lessons and activities for middle school and high school students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhile helping students construct a miniboat, that was later released into the Gulf Stream on a research cruise, I engaged elementary, middle, and high school students in underrepresented communities of Rhode Island in oceanographic lessons and activities,\u201d said Armin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armin was adept at making scientific concepts relatable and fun for students of all ages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGabby is a scientist and, at the same time, a communicator,\u201d said assistant professor Keisuke Inomura, Armin\u2019s advisor. \u201cShe can convey complex ideas in simple terms, disseminating scientific knowledge to the broader public.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armin isn\u2019t sure what the next step will be in her career, but she\u2019s ready to make a difference in protecting the environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI want to do my part to protect our coastal ecosystems and to work with coastal communities to understand their needs,\u201d said Armin.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Working with K-12 students during her time at GSO, Gabrielle Armin made educational outreach a priority.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4762,"featured_media":189468,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[79,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-189467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-uncategorized"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4762"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=189467"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":189472,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/189467\/revisions\/189472"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/189468"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=189467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=189467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=189467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}