Institute for Coastal Plain Science Awards Inaugural Graduate Student Research Assistantships
The James H. Oliver, Jr. Institute for Coastal Plain Science (ICPS) at Georgia Southern University is proud to announce the two inaugural recipients of the ICPS Summer Graduate Student Research Assistantships. Jason Duff and Jamie Alfieri were selected after careful review of all submissions by a committee of ICPS faculty. Each student will receive a summer research stipend of $4,000 to further their graduate studies.
Jason Duff
Duff is a M.S. student in the Department of Biology and is using field and laboratory methods to determine how antibiotics released into flowing waters, such as rivers, impact phytoplankton communities. Phytoplankton are microscopic algae that form the base of many aquatic food webs, so Duff’s project will aid in developing water resource protection and management strategies.
Alfieri, also a M.S. student in the Department of Biology, is determining if parasite loads in killifish can be an indicator of salt marsh health along the Georgia coast. Interestingly, he predicts that more pristine salt marshes will have more diverse and species-rich parasite communities. If true, this will allow parasites to be used as a bioindicator of marsh health.
Jamie Alfieri
The ICPS furthers the College of Science and Mathematics’ mission of transforming scientific knowledge into opportunities for economic development which are protective of our natural resources by 1) promoting, in coordination with public and private partnerships, interdisciplinary research and education directed toward understanding the physical and biological resources occurring below the Fall Line and their sustainable use and management and 2) enhancing curation of the extensive natural history collections and promoting their use as research and educational tools.
For the purposes of this competition, all applicants were asked to show how their research will lead to a better understanding of the physical or biological resources occurring below the Fall Line, and to demonstrate clearly how their project is interdisciplinary.
Georgia Southern University, a public Carnegie Doctoral/Research University founded in 1906, offers more than 125-degree programs serving more than 20,500 students. Through eight colleges, the University offers bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs built on more than a century of academic achievement. Georgia Southern is recognized for its student-centered and hands-on approach to education. GeorgiaSouthern.edu.
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