This year\u2019s 10 recipients of the Emerging Coastal Leaders Awards reflects an expanded cohort prompted by an exceptionally strong applicant pool. Awardees span the natural sciences, social sciences, policy, economics, and communication \u2014 demonstrating the interdisciplinary strength that underpins URI\u2019s national leadership in coastal and ocean scholarship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis cohort highlights the depth of talent and purpose within URI\u2019s coastal and environmental sciences,\u201d says Elin Torell, director of the Coastal Institute. \u201cMentoring emerging researchers is an essential part of the Institute\u2019s work, and we look forward to supporting these students as they grow into the collaborative leaders our coastal communities will rely on in the years ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Emerging Coastal Leaders Program<\/a> provides a research stipend and opportunities for awardees to engage with the Coastal Institute community and share their work across the University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Four GSO students and one staff member are awardees:<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n Teagan Cunningham<\/a> uses the Regional Ocean Modeling System to simulate nutrient transport from open-net pen aquaculture in Maine. Her research evaluates how nutrient inputs influence coastal water quality and ecological dynamics. Cunningham collaborates with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Conservation Law Foundation to strengthen nutrient monitoring and inform aquaculture permitting. Her work bridges physical oceanography, field sampling, and applied coastal management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Frankie Lopez<\/a> researches predator\u2013prey interactions among plankton on the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf as part of the NES LTER (Northeast U.S. Shelf Long-Term Ecological Research) program. Lopez combines shipboard sampling, laboratory experiments, and ecological modeling to understand how environmental variability shapes plankton dynamics, carbon flow, and biogeochemical cycles. Her work provides insight into how foundational ocean processes may shift under changing climate conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Malachy McCaffrey<\/a>, an NSF Graduate Research Fellow, investigates changes in vessel activity around offshore wind farms in Southern New England. His research integrates GIS, remote sensing, and qualitative interviews to understand how commercial, recreational, and industrial users interact within evolving marine spaces. McCaffrey brings extensive field experience \u2014 from the Bering Sea to the Florida Reef Tract \u2014 and works at the intersection of ocean science, community engagement, and environmental justice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Justin Sankey<\/a> investigates PFAS contamination in estuaries and coastal ecosystems, focusing on sorption behavior, environmental transport, and the development of adsorbent materials for remediation. Sankey coordinates multi-partner sampling efforts and collaborates with aquaculture practitioners and Tribal partners, including the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, to assess PFAS exposure pathways. His work spans field research, laboratory experimentation, and applied environmental chemistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mackensie duPont Crowley<\/a> examines how Rhode Island newspapers frame sea level rise, emphasizing narrative structure, journalistic constraints, and the translation of complex climate science for public audiences. Her work contributes to understanding how local media shape awareness of climate risk and community preparedness. duPont Crowley brings experience from Save The Bay and the Surfrider Foundation and manages digital communications at the Graduate School of Oceanography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This year\u2019s awardees were celebrated at the Coastal Institute Mid-Year Meeting on Dec. 2. The event included highlights from several members of last year\u2019s cohort<\/a>, who provided updates on their research progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The URI Coastal Institute catalyzes research and partnerships that strengthen the resilience of coastal ecosystems and the communities that rely on them. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge exchange, and engagement with regional and global partners, the Institute advances science-based solutions to coastal and watershed challenges. For more information, contact Amber Neville at 401-874-6513 or visit https:\/\/ci.uri.edu<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This press release was written by Amber Neville, with the URI Coastal Institute.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Four GSO students & one staff member were recognized for their research that advances understanding of coastal and marine systems and supports evidence-based decision-making in Rhode Island, the region, and beyond.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4762,"featured_media":191830,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[79],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-191824","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191824","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=191824"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191824\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":191836,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/191824\/revisions\/191836"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/191830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=191824"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=191824"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=191824"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/1-49-1024x1024.jpg\")
Teagan Cunningham<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
M.S., Oceanography<\/strong>, GSO<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/Screenshot-2024-09-05-123235.jpg\")
Frankie Lopez<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ph.D., Oceanography, GSO<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/3-40-1024x1024.jpg\")
Malachy McCaffrey <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
M.S., Oceanography, GSO<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/4-26-1024x1024.jpg\")
Justin Sankey<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ph.D., Oceanography, GSO<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nMackensie duPont Crowley<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/gso\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/916\/5-18-1024x1024.jpg\")
M.A., Communication Studies, Harrington School of Communication and Media<\/strong> | GSO Public Engagement<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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