Degree program: M.A.M.A

Year accepted: 2026

Advisor: TBD

Research: Coastal flooding adaptation, salt-water intrusion, long-term disaster recovery in disadvantaged communities, wastewater, and coastal resilience

Background: B.A. in Biology with a minor in Political Economy from Wheaton College (MA)

Profile:

Daphne was born in Delaware and spent the first part of her life in Florida and Louisiana. Growing up in these areas and witnessing the effects of hurricanes on coastal communities sparked her interest in coastal issues. At ten, she moved North to rural Maine, where she pursued many interests from being a local “Bug Camp Counselor” to exploring the Maine woods on Nordic skis. Though living further from the coast than ever before, she remained fascinated by coastal ecosystems.

Daphne attended Wheaton College in Massachusetts for her undergraduate degree in biology. Following an internship with an avian rehabilitation center, she became more interested in how policy affected conservation efforts. While speaking to advisors and looking at potential graduate schools, Daphne became more intrigued by the intersection of coastal conservation and impacts on coastal communities. The following summer she participated in a NSF funded Research Experience for Undergraduates at East Carolina University’s Coastal Studies Institute. There, she contributed to a long-term research study examining attributes that affect farmers’ decisions to participate in conservation contracts. Daphne’s time in undergrad served to reinforce her enjoyment of conducting hands-on research in the field and learning from the researchers and stakeholders she meets.

After graduating from Wheaton in 2025, Daphne worked as a farm technician at Johnny’s Selected Seeds before beginning the Master of Arts in Marine Affairs program in the Fall of 2026. Her interest in the program was sparked after learning about the emphasis of community connection in faculty research. Here, she desires to explore different avenues of interdisciplinary studies while researching ways to aid coastal communities.

Outside of classes, Daphne works with Enrollment Services as a graduate assistant. She spends her free time rollerblading, reading, listening to podcasts, crocheting, and deep-diving into video-analyses and historical documentaries on the internet.