Research fellow: Timothy “Slater” Roosa
Hometown: Woodbury, CT
Major: Biology, with environmental science concentration
School: Salve Regina University
Faculty mentors: Jameson Chace (SRU) & David Borkman (URI)
Project: Trophic-level responses to climate driven sea level rise and associated abiotic conditions

A recent summer day found Timothy Roosa, who goes by the name Slater, driving the Salve research boat across the calm waters of Narragansett Bay, with stops to collect and track data from traps set several days earlier.

The rising senior is one of 38 Rhode Island students in the RI NSF EPSCoR Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program — 10 weeks of hands-on, intensive research training under the guidance of faculty mentors that comes with the support of a stipend to allow full-time concentration on the experience.

As part of the SURF project at Salve with Associate Professor Jameson Chace, Department of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Environmental Studies, Roosa helps conduct sampling to determine the impact of climate change and sea level rise on near shore species. The data collected will be correlated with sea bird habitats along the Bay, he says.

“I have really enjoyed the SURF experience so far,” Roosa adds. “Not only is the experience valuable for a future career, but I work in a beautiful area and get to spend every day on the water. I work with extremely intelligent and passionate people who I hope to learn many new things from and emulate in my work.”

Roosa’s post graduation plans include going onto graduate school for a master’s degree in marine biology and conducting his own research.

Story by Amy Dunkle | Photo by Katie Jones