Degree program: M.A.M.A.
Year accepted: 2024
Advisor: TBD
Research: Effects of plastic pollution, climate change, and sea level rise on coastal communities; coastal resilience
Background: Bachelors degree in Marine Affairs, minors in Legal Studies and Marine Biology from the University of New Haven
Jocelyn Miller (she/her) is in her first year of the Masters of Arts in Marine Affairs program. Jocelyn is from Kutztown, Pennsylvania. She graduated from the University of New Haven in 2024 with a bachelor’s degree in Marine Affairs and double minors in Legal Studies and Marine Biology. She is currently employed by the Marine Affairs Department as a Graduate Assistant. Jocelyn has been interested in how plastic pollution, coastal resilience efforts, climate change, and sea level rise will affect coastal communities. She now wants to look at different management strategies to mitigate these issues in coastal communities. This stems from her work as a summer undergraduate research fellow at the University of New Haven. During this internship, she did research on the presence of microplastics in oysters in western Long Island Sound in her own lab. This process included dissecting oysters, vacuum filtration systems, and special chemicals to show the plastic content. The results showed the microplastic content increased as the testing site moved closer to New York. It also determined which part of the oyster was polluted with the most plastic. During the fellowship, she realized her love for solutions-based research concerning environmental issues – one of the many reasons she ended up in Rhode Island! Jocelyn decided to attend URI because of the excellent reputation of the Marine Affairs Department. During her time at the University of New Haven, Jocelyn had two professors who went to URI who had great things to say about the master’s program and the success it has brought to alumni. She was also drawn to the small-town living style, the proximity of the campus to the ocean, and the various research conducted by the Marine Affairs faculty.
Lastly, it certainly helped that the campus is located near the NOAA and EPA facilities as she would love to work for either organization upon graduation. NOAA and the EPA interest her because she wants to conduct research that leads to environmental policy implementation. URI has been very welcoming for Jocelyn and she is excited to take full advantage of the many existing opportunities here.