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SoMAS 50th Anniversary

September 5, 2017, 7:44 am
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Dear SoMAS Students, Staff, Faculty, Alumni, and Friends:

On behalf of us in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS), welcome to what promises to be an interesting and exciting fall semester.  I hope that all had a productive, enjoyable and memorable summer.

SoMAS of course is saddened and concerned about all who are experiencing the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey.  From the very nature of our work, we can relate to but not totally comprehend the consequences of such a catastrophic storm.  Our thoughts and best wishes are extended to all those impacted and hope that their lives can return to some sense of normalcy in the very near future.

We are pleased to have a number of new students joining the SoMAS family this fall including some 12 Ph.D., 8 MS, and 11 MA graduate students.  This incoming graduate student class includes a Graduate Council Fellow and two Maze-Landeau Fellows—significant honors.

There are 161 undergraduates divided among Atmospheric Sciences, Marine Sciences, Environmental Studies, and Sustainability Studies who will become an integral part of SoMAS as well.  This is a great class.  Many faculty and staff worked hard to assure that we are bringing in a bright and energetic new cohort of students, and David Black and Kamazima Lwiza deserve much of the credit as Graduate and Undergraduate Directors, respectively.  They were ably assisted by Ginny Clancy, Christina Fink and Christina Ozelis from our Educational Programs Office.

Graduation is one of the most joyous times at SoMAS.  It was wonderful to see the excitement and optimism in our graduates this past May.  And, after all these years, I still get a spring in my step when I hear Pomp and Circumstance.  We conferred 106 undergraduate degrees, 12 MS degrees, 9 MA degrees, and seven Ph.D. degrees.  With this graduating class, Gina Gartin retired.  Gina filled many roles during her long and distinguished tenure at SoMAS, most recently as the Staff Assistant to the Director of ITPA.  However, Gina will be remembered by many as the face of the student recruitment weekends, the new student barbeques, and most importantly, graduation.  We wish her well as she undertakes new and exciting adventures.

Our August graduating class was also impressive.  This group of students included a Ph.D. student, 16 MS students and 26 undergraduates.  Well done!

SUSTAINABILITY STUDIES in SoMAS

During the past year, we commenced the integration of the Sustainability Studies Program into the SoMAS family.  Merging our programs offers many stimulating opportunities.  Paraphrasing Anand Mahindra, the Harvard educated entrepreneur:  “embracing sustainability principles stimulates innovation.”  And in a number of fields, inspired by the notion of sustainability, innovation is now leading to improvement of the environment, the global economy, and the public good.  As part of this integration, we developed a long term plan for the Sustainability Program that includes focusing on environmental issues, branding, some consolidation of majors, and the adding STEM courses where appropriate.  An undergraduate scholarship for undertaking a successful, innovative sustainability project was created as part of the Liblit Memorial Scholarship Fund.

OUR 50th ANNIVERSARY

SoMAS (originally known as the Marine Sciences Research Center, MSRC) is continuing to celebrate its golden anniversary.  Can you believe it—fifty years of Making Scientific Research Count!  2017 is a year of several anniversaries:  25 years ago, the Institute of Terrestrialand Planetary Atmospheres joined us; 30 years ago, the Waste Reduction andManagement Institute was formed, and ten years ago the Sustainability Studies Program started out at Southampton.

Our celebratory event will occur during Wolfstock, the Stony Brook University Homecoming Celebration.  Join us on the weekend of October 13th as we explore “The Risk of Saying Nothing,” an environmental media conference where we will highlight our talent in communicating science.  Before Stony Brook University was known for the Southampton Writers Conference, MSRC held environmental writers’ workshops featuring notable authors from around the country.  Today, we communicate in many different ways besides traditional books and papers.  These new tools are necessary because “saying nothing” concerning the state of our environment and its sustainability is unacceptable and irresponsible.  We need to speak out boldly, creatively, and effectively.

Join us to celebrate and sharpen our communication skills.  How do we ferret out fake news?  And see the many excellent examples of messaging through art and photography.  Jerry Schubel, our former long-serving Director of MSRC, returns to give our Friday seminar.  Other featured participants include Minghua Zhang, former Dean and now editor of a prestigious atmospheric research journal, Malcolm Bowman reminiscing about the history and accomplishments of SoMAS, Howie Schnieder, Dean of the School of Journalism, speaking about fake news, Christine O’Connell interacting with the audience about communicating science, Heidi Hutner, talking about environmental communication, and David Taylor demonstrating how environmental messaging can be accomplished through poetry.

Saturday morning, join us for breakfast with a tour of the R/V SEAWOLF (nothing communicates more effectively than being hands on).  After noon, the Wolfstock Faculty Lecture at the Wang Center will be delivered by SoMAS endowed professor Carl Safina.

If you want to improve your environmental communication skills, this is a weekend you must attend.  It should be fun as well.

KUDOS

SoMAS is extremely proud of two of our junior faculty who were honored as National Science Foundation Career Awardees. It is rare for a school to have two recipients in a year.  Hyemi Kim and Lesley Thorne were recipients of this prestigious honor.

I am delighted to announce that Chris Gobler will become the inaugural holder of an endowed chair in Coastal Ecology and Conservation.  This endowed professorship, the third at SoMAS, is funded by four long-term and dedicated donors committed to Chris’s research.  Way to go, Chris.

Congratulations to Sharon Pochron of Sustainability Studies for having her ecotoxicology classes (EHI 350 and EHI 351) selected as a new SENCER model for teaching STEM to undergraduates.  SENCER is the signature initiative of the National Center for Science & Civic Engagement and is a “national project focused on empowering faculty and improving STEM teaching and learning by making connections to civic issues.”

Three SoMAS Ph.D. students have been honored with STRIDE (Science Training and Research to Inform Decisions) Fellowships for up to two years.  These prestigious awards went to Kylie Langlois, Lisa Herbert, and Tara Dolan.

We are pleased to welcome two new employees:  Diane Vigliotta, Staff Assistant to the Director of ITPA and Kaitlin Willig, Instructional Support Specialist working on several of our MOU projects with DEC.

BUDGET OUTLOOK

We are optimistic about the Federal budget prospects for marine programs compared to earlier this year.  While the budget hasn’t been approved, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate have marked up budgets for NSF and NOAA (including Sea Grant) that far exceed the draconian cuts proposed by the White House.  It could be that we will end up with a continuing resolution if no budget is passed that would have the affected agencies operating at FY 2017 levels.  While the U.S. EPA’s budget seems less certain, the National Estuary Program enjoys a great deal of support from Congress including the Long Island Sound Study.

Further, SUNY’s incoming Chancellor Dr. Kristina Johnson has indicated that environmental sustainability is among her priorities.  This is indeed good news for SoMAS.   SoMAS has just signed a number of Memorandums of Understanding with the New York State Department of Conservation for nearly $ 23 million in new awards involving more than a dozen faculty.  Some of these projects extend for up to a decade (possibly more) and involve considerable use of the R/V SEAWOLF.  New research projects include:

  • Ocean acidification
  • Investigation of the impact of ocean outfalls on the south shore of Long Island
  • Marine Animal Disease Lab
  • Nearshore ocean trawl survey
  • Ocean ecosystem monitoring
  • Atlantic Ocean surf clam survey
  • Bio-optical model for SAV

The Center for Clean Water Technology, managed jointly by SoMAS and the College of Engineering, received an appropriation of $ 3 million in the state budget.

My first year as interim dean has been extremely interesting and rewarding.  I want to thank the faculty, staff, and students for their good will and support.  All have helped to make the job very pleasant.  The search for a new dean this past winter was not successful.  However, a new search committee has been formed and the process has begun anew.

With all that is going on, it looks like the fall semester will be stimulating and lively.  I look forward to seeing and talking with you all.

Larry

From Left: Larry Swanson, Gina Gartin, Christina Ozelis, Christina Fink, Ginny Clancy and David Black
Jerry Schubel, former MSRC Dean and Director
Dr. Malcolm Bowman
Dr. Heidi Hutner
Dr. David Taylor
Dr. Minghua Zhang
R/V Seawolf
Dr. Roy Price, Center for Clean Water Technology
Flax Pond Marine Lab
Governor Cuomo with Clams
MADL Clam
Interim Dean, Dr. Larry Swanson
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Old Inlet Breach Flyover 2017-09-08

September 12, 2017, 9:44 am
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Dr. Charles Flagg took another flight over the Breach at Old Inlet on Fire Island on September 8, 2017.  The flyover mosaic is available below.

Mark Lang has assembled all the geo-referenced photo mosaics into a kml file that can be viewed using Google Earth.  By clicking between images and using the fade in-out button you can clearly see how the inlet is changing with time.  An offline version of the KML file is available as KMZ.  The full size image is also available.

For more information, please visit Dr. Charles Flagg’s website.

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New Student BBQ 2017

September 12, 2017, 12:34 pm
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Many thanks to the people who helped with New Student BBQ this past Friday.  Interim Dean Larry Swanson noted that “the food, decorations, and weather were great, and we had a very good turnout.  This is a wonderful SoMAS tradition and one of the highlights of the year.”

Kudos to Mark Wiggins, Steve Ortega, Mark Lang, Ginny Clancy, Kim Knoll, Steve Abrams, Tom Wilson, Alex Sneddon, Bonnie Stephens, Diane Vigliotta, Ping Liu, Paul Tompkins, Issac Klingensmith, Karin Schweitzer, Rachel Silver, Chris Crosby, Nicholas Leonardo, Wen Cong, Arianna Varuolo-Clarke, Megan Hahn, Wenda Zhang, Zeen Zhu, Johnny Bohorquez, Adam Charboneau, Nicholas Leonard, Laura Bonilla, and Jake Murphy for a job well done.

Photos by John Graham and Ginny Clancy

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MOU Administrator 1701504

September 22, 2017, 1:39 pm
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The School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) of Stony Brook University seeks applicants for the position of Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Administrator. The Senior Staff Assistant will administer its expanding portfolio of state MOU-funded projects within the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. This position will report directly to the Assistant Dean of SoMAS, but will support numerous faculty and project directors, technicians, postdocs, and graduate students. This position will also serve as liaison to NYS DEC and NYS DOS program managers.

As a skilled administrator and problem-solver with a broad range of experience to include budgeting, procurement and project administration, the Senior Staff Assistant will oversee funding from NY State MOU resources and help faculty PI’s manage allocations to fulfill project goals and meet deadlines while complying with all University, State, and Federal (pass-thru) policies. Due to the nature of the research, which may involve collaboration with non-university units, the incumbent must exercise excellent judgment in overseeing the resources to help faculty PI’s stay in fiscal compliance at all times. Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail is essential for success in this role. This role will need experience working with, and maintaining, confidential information with a high degree of professionalism, integrity, discretion, and tact. As well as experience interacting with individuals at various levels within an institution as well as the general public.

Required Qualifications (as evidenced by an attached resume):

Bachelor’s Degree and three years of full-time administrative experience. In lieu of the Bachelor’s degree, an Associate’s degree and five years of administrative experience may be taken into consideration. Experience managing financial accounts. Program and/or Project management experience. Experience in word processing, spreadsheet management, electronic messaging and internet applications (Microsoft Word, Excel, Google Apps, etc…).

Preferred Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree or higher in Marine Science, Environmental Science or related field. Administrative experience in an academic or Higher Education environment. Three or more years of experience managing grants/projects in an academic or higher education environment. One or more years of experience managing university state-purpose and/or IFR accounts. Previous experience managing MOU funded projects. Highly advanced Microsoft Excel capabilities to include formulas, pivot tables and multi-tab spreadsheet management. Previous experience with state procurement processes. Student employment processing experience. Experience utilizing Adobe Professional. Experience working with any of the following systems: PeopleSoft, CBM, TMS, SUNY BI, Wolfmart, and/ or SBU Reporting.

MOU Management: Play an integral role in the establishment and negotiation (re-negotiation) of the MOU’s between NYS DEC and SBU; or NYS DOS and SBU. Ensure SoMAS’ interests are protected and well-represented, and that the SoMAS Dean’s Office is kept apprised of all pertinent issues.

Develop research budgets with project investigators prior to submission to state sponsors to ensure comprehensive claim of recoverable costs, including proper salaries, fringe benefits, and tuition.

Establish IFR accounts and sub-accounts for the MOU project tasks; set up authorized approvers and signatories for each. Monitor and track allocations to ensure proper and accurate administration of accounts.

Work closely with the Assistant Dean during the budget process to ensure adequate annual allocations; work closely with the Assistant Dean during the IFR reconciliation process [2x per year] to ensure accuracy of account status.

Establish, maintain and track project administrative records regarding work plans and deliverables schedules for each PI/task manager, and solicit deliverables according to those schedules for submission to NYS DEC and NYS DOS based on due date.

Work to resolve budget issues if necessary with sponsors. Within scope of allowance from sponsors, submit budget revision requests, and apply for no-cost extensions well in advance of lapsing dates of MOU’s.

Accounts Administration:

Work independently to resolve account discrepancies, working with various campus offices such as Procurement and Accounts Payable, Payroll and Accounting.

Exercising signatory authority for all accounts and sub-accounts, review and approve all MOU purchase requisitions, expenditures and other transactions before posting to accounts to ensure they fall within budget and time frame of the approved projects.

Assist project personnel with requirements for state purchasing (including equipment bidding, single/sole source justifications, establishment of subcontracts to collaborating institutions, etc…). Use Wolfmart, Procurement Card (and reconciliations), or Material and Services Transfers, vouchers/requisitions, travel vouchers to accomplish these tasks as necessary.

Track equipment purchases for inventory control. Ensure that equipment is adequately insured (annually).

Monitor expenditures and perform general ledger activities to maintain financial accounts and records of MOU task files. Prepare journal transfers and accounting transfers as needed. Provide faculty PI’s with periodic expenditure reports, and engage PI’s, Dean’s Office, and sponsors as needed regarding deviations on plans.

Transfer graduate and undergraduate student payroll quarterly as equivalent expense to MOU IFR accounts prior to quarterly invoicing dates.

Prepare quarterly (or as required on a different schedule) invoicing to state agencies. Verify zero-balance status on IFR accounts after accounts receivable (outstanding invoicing) to validate all expenses have been billed. Submit requests to Accounting for journal vouchers. Submit all documentation to NYS DEC and NYS DOS as required to ensure payments; respond to inquiries if additional documentation is requested.

Serve as backup to Assistant Dean during fiscal year budget process, assisting with the verification of various SoMAS accounts status; assist with new input into the Campus Budget Module (CBM) to ensure proper spending allocations and ability to fill MOU-funded positions in subsequent budget years.

Research Coordination:

Assist PI’s administratively with coordination issues that may arise, as appropriate.

Attend meetings with NYS DEC and NYS DOS to discuss and develop work plans. Help SoMAS faculty advocate for their projects, and educate university officials, the public and lawmakers/politicians (when appropriate and when directed) about the positive research and environmental impacts resulting from the SoMAS collaborations with NYS DEC and NYS DOS.

HRS Appointments:

Prepare Taleo TMS requisitions and recruitment packages for MOU-funded positions. Work closely with SoMAS HR Coordinator and HRS Class & Comp and Recruiting to ensure successful and timely recruitment efforts.

Appoint graduate and undergraduate students to SoMAS interchange account based on awareness of approved budget and time frame of approved projects/tasks to which they will be charged. Track payroll on the interchange account for accuracy, interacting with Payroll, student appointments and Provost’s Office when necessary to rectify errant entries.

Work closely with Graduate Program Coordinator to ensure seamless processing of MOU supported students.

Other duties or projects as assigned as appropriate to rank and departmental mission.

 

To apply, visit Stony Brook @ Work and reference Job 1701504.

For more information about SoMAS, please visit http://somas.stonybrook.edu

Special Notes:

FLSA Exempt position, not eligible for the overtime provisions of the FLSA. Minimum salary threshold must be met to maintain the FLSA exemption.

Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation.  If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.

Stony Brook University will be 100% tobacco-free starting January 1, 2016. See our policy and learn more at stonybrook.edu/tobaccofree.

About Stony Brook:

Stony Brook University, home to many highly ranked graduate research programs, is located 60 miles from New York City on Long Island’s scenic North Shore. Our 1,100-acre campus is home to 24,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students and more than 13,500 faculty and staff. SBU is a comprehensive research-intensive university and a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), which includes 34 public universities among its 62 members. SBU consists of 12 schools and colleges and a teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art healthcare in the Long Island region. SBU also manages and performs joint research with Brookhaven National Laboratory, the only Department of Energy Laboratory in the Northeast, and shares doctoral programs with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a world-renowned molecular biology institute. Home to the Emerson String Quartet, the Jackson Pollack House in East Hampton, New York, the Humanities Institute, and the Southampton Arts Program, and with endeavors that extend to the Turkana Basin Institute in Kenya and the Ranomafana National Park in Madagascar, SBU sustains an international reputation that cuts across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

Stony Brook University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer. We encourage protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, women and minorities to apply.

If you need a disability related accommodation, please call the University Human Resource Services Department at (631) 632- 6161 or the University Hospital Human Resources Department at (631) 444-4700. In accordance with the Title II Crime Awareness and Security Act, a copy of our crime statistics is available upon request by calling (631) 632- 6350. It can also be viewed on line at the University Police website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/police.

 

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SoMAS Research Brings Drone Boats to Setauket Harbor Day

September 24, 2017, 1:47 pm
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Drs. Roger Flood, Kamazima Lwiza, Mary Scranton and PhD student Sarah Nickford attended the Setauket Harbor Day on September 23rd and provided a hands-on demonstration of a drone boat.  SoMAS is currently testing two different versions of the boat, one is capable of carrying much more weight than the other.

The boats are different from a typical remote-controlled vehicle in that routes can be programmed for autonomous operation.

Photos by Anne McElroy

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Old Inlet Breach Flyover 2017-09-24

September 25, 2017, 7:49 pm
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Dr. Charles Flagg took another flight over the Breach at Old Inlet on Fire Island on September 24, 2017.  The flyover mosaic is available below.  Dr. Flagg provided the following report:

I completed another over flight today to see what Jose’s waves had done.  The island in the middle of the breach was removed and the waves seemed to have eroded some of the shoals inside the breach.  And the main channel seems to have been widened.

Mark Lang has assembled all the geo-referenced photo mosaics into a kml file that can be viewed using Google Earth.  By clicking between images and using the fade in-out button you can clearly see how the inlet is changing with time.  An offline version of the KML file is available as KMZ. The full size image is also available.

For more information, please visit Dr. Charles Flagg’s website.

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SoMAS at SUBMERGE 2017

September 26, 2017, 10:54 am
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Sixteen volunteers did an outstanding job representing SoMAS and Stony Brook University at the SUBMERGE festival in Manhattan on Saturday September 16, 2017. Five tables of onshore exhibits informed and entertained the thousands of attendees on topics including effect of hypoxia on shellfish, fisheries science, mercury in seafood, and SoMAS educational programs. Over five hundred visitors toured the R/V Seawolf and the equipment and samples aboard.

Thanks to the volunteers for lending their time and talents: Justin Bopp, David Bowman, Kurt Bretsch, Ian Dwyer, Mike Fogg, Sam Gurr, Rebecca Kulp, Emily Markowitz, Maureen Murphy, Mark Nepf, Tara Rider, Jason Schweitzer, Matt Siskey, Nils Volkenborn, Tom Wilson and Helen Wilson. Thanks also to Steve Ortega and Mark Lang for their assistance during preparations, and to Kamazima Lwiza and Larry Swanson for their support of this important outreach effort.

Photos below by Kurt Bretsch, Tom Wilson, Helen Wilson, Emily Markowitz and Nils Volkenborn

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SoMAS Participates in Inaugural CommUniversity Event

September 28, 2017, 6:59 pm
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With excerpts from Campus and Community Celebrate First CommUniversity Day on SBU Happenings, September 26, 2017.

Stony Brook University launched a new campus tradition, CommUniversity Day, on Saturday, September 23, 2017. On a beautiful fall day, more than 200 University faculty, staff and students volunteered their time to share some of their areas of the campus with the community. Families, friends and neighbors enjoyed exploring roughly 80 interactive exhibits during the four-hour event.

In his address, President Stanley acknowledged several milestones for the campus, including the 20th anniversary of the Center for India Studies, the 40th anniversary of WUSB radio, and the 50thanniversaries of Stony Brook Hillel, SBU Concerts and the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. Cupcakes were distributed to mark the University’s 60th year.

SoMAS was well represented at the event, with exhibits of oceanographic equipment set up by Tom Wilson and Helen Wilson, including the chance to examine a large piece of brain coral and check out a variety of sand samples under the microscope.  Donna Selch had two different drones on display and several GIS projects looping on a monitor.  Christina Ozelis, David Taylor, Arlene Cassidy and Tara Rider spoke to students, potential students and families about our educational programs.  Maureen Murphy brought the Mercury and Seafood display, rounding out a great variety of exhibits to attract visitors.  We even had participants take their photo as a shark!

Many thanks to the volunteers who helped make the SoMAS presence a success!

Additional photos are available on the CommUniversity Day website.

Photos below by Mark Lang and Donna Selch

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New York State Senator Elaine Phillips Tours SBU Water Quality Research Labs 

September 29, 2017, 4:45 pm
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Above: Lisa Herbert (Left), SoMAS Ph.D. student, explains her research to Senator Elaine Phillips.

New York State Senator Elaine Phillips recently met with Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) researchers and the Center for Clean Water Technology staff to learn about the latest innovation and development in clean water technology.

Dr. Hal Walker, Co-Director of the Center for Clean Water Technology, welcomed the Senator and provided an overview of Stony Brook’s research. The Senator then toured several labs in SoMAS to observe firsthand Stony Brook’s state-of-the-art facilities and

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The Risk of Saying Nothing

October 2, 2017, 5:56 pm
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“The Risk of Saying Nothing”

Environmental Media Conference

Our 50th Anniversary celebratory event will occur during Wolfstock, the Stony Brook University Homecoming Celebration.  Join us on the weekend of October 13th as we explore “The Risk of Saying Nothing,” an environmental media conference where we will highlight our talent in communicating science.  Before Stony Brook University was known for the Southampton Writers Conference, MSRC held environmental writers’ workshops featuring notable authors from around the country.  Today, we communicate in many different ways besides traditional books and papers.  These new tools are necessary because “saying nothing” concerning the state of our environment and its sustainability is unacceptable and irresponsible.  We need to speak out boldly, creatively, and effectively.

A Facebook event has been created, but please register for the event through Wolfstock’s Alumni Events section so we can plan accordingly.  We look forward to seeing you there!

Schedule of Events

Friday, October 13th  10am – 6pm

School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences – Endeavour Hall, Room 120

All Day Wandering Art, History and Research Exhibits in SoMAS Hallways

10:00 Introductions and Welcome – Larry Swanson

10:05 “SoMAS – This Is Your Life!”  – Malcolm Bowman

10:30 “Fighting Fake News” – Howard Schneider

11:00 “Communication and Connection in Science” – Christine O’Connell

11:45 “The Curious Place for Poetry in Environmental Communication” – David Taylor

12:00 TBA – Minghua Zhang

1:00 LUNCH

1:30 “Environmental Communication: Writing, Media and the Arts” – Heidi Hutner

2:30 Transport to Wang Center

Stony Brook University – Charles B. Wang Center Lecture Hall 2

3:00 “Making Scientific Research Count for the next 50 Years; Some Thoughts” – Jerry Schubel

Stony Brook University – Charles B. Wang Center J Club in Jasmine

4:30 Reception / Club Red

Saturday, October 14th  8am – 1:30pm

Port Jefferson  – Harborfront Park – R/V Seawolf Dock

8:00 R/V Seawolf Dockside Breakfast

Stony Brook University – Charles B. Wang Center Lecture Hall 2

12:30 Wolfstock Faculty Lecture: “The Ocean and You” – Carl Safina

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

LARRY SWANSON: Interim Dean of SoMAS; Associate Dean, SoMAS; Director Waste Reduction and Management Institute; Former Executive Director, Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, NOAA.  Professional interests include marine pollution, marine boundary disputes, marine policy and planning.

MALCOLM BOWMAN: Malcolm is the longest serving faculty member of SoMAS/MSRC and has participated in the development of the School from it humble beginnings to one of the premier coastal marine and atmospheric science centers in the world. He researches storm surge science and finding the ways that work to protect Metropolitan NY-NJ and Long Island from future devastating megastorms for the next century and beyond.

HOWARD SCHNEIDER: Dean of the Stony Brook University School of Journalism and the former editor of Newsday. He also is the Executive Director of the school’s Center for News Literacy, which has taught more than 10,000 undergraduates how to judge the reliability of news and information.

CHRISTINE O’CONNELL: Assistant Professor of Science Communication in the School of Journalism and the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University. She received her PhD (from SoMAS) in marine science and was the Alda Center’s first Associate Director where she helped build and shape the organization and its curriculum.

DAVID TAYLOR: Assistant Professor in Sustainability Studies at SoMAS, David is the author and editor of eight books, three of which are attempts at poetry.

MINGHUA ZHANG: Former Director of the Institute for Terrestrial and Planetary Atmospheres (ITPA), Associate Dean and Dean of SoMAS, Minghua is a Professor at SoMAS and currently serving as Editor-in-Chief of a major scientific journal published by the American Geophysical Union, the Journal of Geophysical Research-Atmospheres.

HEIDI HUTNER: Heidi Hutner is the Director of Sustainability Studies, Associate Dean at SoMAS and an Associate Professor . She teaches and writes about Environmental Humanities.

JERRY SCHUBEL: Former MSRC Dean and Director from 1974 to 1994, Dr. Jerry Schubel has served as the President and CEO of the Aquarium of the Pacific since 2002. He has worked throughout his professional life at the interfaces of science, management, and policy on ocean issues and has published more than 225 scientific papers.

 

CARL SAFINA: Founding president of The Carl Safina Center and an Endowed professor at Stony Brook University, Carl is a MacArthur Fellow, a Guggenheim Fellow, a Pew Fellow in Marine conservation, an Utne Reader visionary, and a recipient of Chicago’s Brookfield Zoo’s Rabb Medal, among other honors.

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Laboratory Support Associate – 1702699

October 3, 2017, 7:00 am
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The School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) of Stony Brook University seeks applicants for the position of LABORATORY SUPPORT ASSISTANT.  The Laboratory Support Associate will assist the PI and faculty staff in the Marine Animal Disease Lab (MADL). Selected candidate will conduct histopathology, microbiology, and various molecular assays to diagnose shellfish and finfish diseases, determine causes of mortalities, and determine distributions, prevalence, relative abundances, and effects of infectious agents and pathological conditions. They prepare reports and manuscripts describing results of analytical efforts. The position obtains and processes aquatic animal tissues for disease diagnostic assays, conducts and analyzes assays, and documents assay results for disease investigations conducted or serviced by the Marine Animal Disease Laboratory. The selected candidate will have outstanding written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills. They will need to work independently as well as part of a team with a collaborative approach to problem solving. The selected candidate will need to have both strategic and analytical thinking skills with an ability to solve problems and make effective decisions.

Plan and conduct diagnostic analyses, archive and analyze all data graphically and statistically, and report results of regular health monitoring of New York commercial shellfish and finfish species.

Investigate the etiology and pathology of, and resistance towards, infectious and non-infectious diseases of New York marine and estuarine shellfish and finfish species.

Write diagnostic reports and scientific publications.

Provide assistance to other lab personnel with asset inventory and procurement.

Educate and train colleagues and students to correctly interpret the results of both novel and established diagnostic methods, through demonstrations and consultation.

Other duties or projects as assigned as appropriate to rank and departmental mission.

Required Qualifications (as evidenced by an attached resume):

Bachelor’s degree in Biological Sciences or related field. Two years of full-time experience in molecular or histological diagnosis. Experience with data analysis and writing of scientific reports.

Preferred Qualifications:

Master’s degree or higher in Biological Sciences or related field. Specialization in pathology, microbiology and immunology. Expertise in quantitative PCR and other molecular detection techniques (e.g. situ hybridization). Demonstrated skills for histopathological analyses of metazoan samples.

To apply, visit Stony Brook @ Work and reference Job 1702699.

For more information about SoMAS, please visit http://somas.stonybrook.edu

Special Notes:

This is a full time position. FLSA Nonexempt position, eligible for the overtime provisions of the FLSA.

Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation.  If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.

Stony Brook University will be 100% tobacco-free starting January 1, 2016. See our policy and learn more at stonybrook.edu/tobaccofree.

About Stony Brook:

Stony Brook University, home to many highly ranked graduate research programs, is located 60 miles from New York City on Long Island’s scenic North Shore.  Our 1,100-acre campus is home to 24,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students and more than 13,500 faculty and staff, including those employed at Stony Brook Medicine, Suffolk County’s only academic medical center and tertiary care provider.  The University is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and co-manager of nearby Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), a multidisciplinary research laboratory supporting world class scientific programs utilizing state-of-the-art facilities such as the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider, the National Synchrotron Light Source, and the Center for Functional Nanomaterials, and the New York Blue IBM BG/L+P supercomputer, owned by Stony Brook and managed by BNL.  Stony Brook is a partner in managing the Laboratory for the Department of Energy, and is the largest institutional scientific user of BNL facilities. As such, many opportunities exist for collaborative research, and in some cases, joint appointments can be arranged.

Stony Brook University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer. We encourage protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, women and minorities to apply.

If you need a disability related accommodation, please call the University Human Resource Services Department at (631) 632- 6161 or the University Hospital Human Resources Department at (631) 444-4700. In accordance with the Title II Crime Awareness and Security Act, a copy of our crime statistics is available upon request by calling (631) 632- 6350. It can also be viewed on line at the University Police website at  http://www.stonybrook.edu/police.

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Stony Brook Community Pioneers Technology-Based Response to Puerto Rico Crisis

October 16, 2017, 6:57 am
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From Stony Brook Community Pioneers Technology-Based Response to Puerto Rico Crisis on SBU Happenings on October 13, 2017

“In theory I would be on a plane heading for Puerto Rico, but I am a graduate student without much money — so I am glad to be helping the Red Cross with their relief efforts any way I can,” said Ian Bonnell ’16.

Bonnell, who is enrolled in the five-year Master’s program in mechanical engineering at Stony Brook, spoke as he documented the locations of storm-ravaged buildings in the hurricane-stricken U.S. territory. He was one of nearly 80 Stony Brook students, faculty and staff participating in an innovative initiative called “Disaster Relief Map-A-Thon: Puerto Rico.”

“It’s great that we can have an impact on the world from a remote location,” said Shafeek Fazal, associate dean for Library Technology, Discovery, and Digital Services.

Stony Brook is the first SUNY school to stage this type of technology-based response to a crisis, according to Chris Sellers, director, Center for the Study of Inequality and Social Justice and Policy. He and Sung-Gheel Jang, a lecturer and faculty director of the Geospatial Center, which offers Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and remote sensing related services for Stony Brook students, faculty, research and the surrounding community, read an article in The New York Times about similar efforts at Columbia University.

Department of History colleague Eric Beverley had attended that Columbia University event and upon his suggestion, Sellers and Jang decided to introduce the concept at Stony Brook as well.

The Map–A-Thon took place at the Stony Brook University Libraries North Reading Room and was organized by the Center for the Study of Inequalities, Social Justice and Policy, the Geospatial Center at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and Stony Brook University Libraries.

Stony Brook, NY; Stony Brook University: Disaster Relief Map-Athon for Hurricane Maria struck Puerto Rico in the Melville Library North Reading Room Learning Lab.

Using their personal laptop computers, during a three-hour period Stony Brook students, professors and employees navigated satellite maps in search of buildings not yet documented in relief efforts. Next, they zoomed in on street maps, traced outlines of structures and then uploaded and saved them to a master file used by the Red Cross as an aid to providing relief services to hurricane victims.

Jang, who is proficient with GIS, walked them through the process. Other volunteers familiar with the steps involved were on hand to lend support and answer questions.

“I’m not tech-savvy and it took me about five to 10 minutes to learn how to do,” said Will Darger Jr., a psychology/business major in Professor Lily Cushenberry’s Leadership and Creativity Lab, which recruited five of its 15 students to participate in the virtual relief effort.

Thomas Muench, a professor emeritus in economics who retired last year, struggled briefly with the process because he had taught mapping and was used to a different program — initially “drawing lines where I didn’t need to.”

Lizandia Perez, a staff secretary in the Chemistry building, had a personal stake in all of this. “My entire family lives in Puerto Rico,” she said. “One of my relatives lost a house. Others are missing rooftops.”

She learned what she could from the teaching session and then went back to her desk to work from her computer on her lunch break.

History professors Lori Flores and Nancy Tomes provided sign-in sheets for participating students to receive class credits.

“If this is successful we will have many more Map-A-Thons,” said Fazal. “Be on the lookout for other relief efforts.”

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The History of the Buildings of SoMAS

October 17, 2017, 6:20 am
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South Campus

Prior to contrary belief, the SoMAS buildings on South Campus are not named after shuttles in the space program.  In fact, our buildings and the space shuttles share their names from the same source:  famous ships.

The buildings of South Campus are designated with the name SURGE and a letter for each building.  What is now Endeavour was G Building, Discovery was H Building, Challenger was F Building and Dana was D Building.  In the mid 1980s, Dean Jerry Schubel authorized a naming contest for each building at MSRC. A nautical theme was chosen for the contest.  A representative from each building was responsible for finding suggestions, which were then voted on by the occupants.  Coastal Marine Scholar Bill Dennison was responsible for SURGE H, Dr. Edward Carpenter was responsible for SURGE F, Dr. Malcolm Bowman was responsible for SURGE J and Dr. Glenn Lopez for SURGE D.

Dr. Bill Dennison, currently at the University of Maryland, chose the name of Discovery for H Building.  According to him, “Discovery had an amazing history, including taking Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton to Antarctica, which intrigued me” because “I liked and still like nautical and science history.”

Dr. Malcolm Bowman chose the name Endeavour for G Building based on the importance of the boat in New Zealand, Dr. Bowman’s birthplace.  The HMS Endeavour was commanded by British Lt. James Cook on his first voyage from Britain to Australia and New Zealand.  To prove the point of the iconic nature of the boat, Dr. Bowman is reported to have pulled out a New Zealand coin with the boat’s impression on the back.

Dr. Edward Carpenter, now at San Francisco State University was a physical oceanographer in F Building and chose the name Challenger.  The HMS Challenger and the 1872 expedition named after the boat laid the foundation for oceanography and the name was the only logical choice.

The naming of D Building has an interesting “evolution.”  D Building was home to several faculty with strong evolutionary interests.  Originally, the residents of D Building wanted to name the building after Charles Darwin, the renowned scientist.  Unfortunately, that name did not fit the theme set by Jerry Schubel, but the name of the ship that Darwin sailed on for his famous trip was suggested.  That vessel, the HMS Beagle, was deemed an inappropriate name given D Building’s history of maintaining lab animals for biomedical research, including dogs.   Dr. Glenn Lopez chose the name Dana for D Building after the Danish ship Dana II, the “ship used by Johannes Schmidt during a voyage funded by the Carlsberg Foundation that ended up discovering that both American and European eels spawned in the Sargasso Sea.”

When the floor tiles in the hallways of the buildings on South Campus were eventually replaced, former facilities manager Cliff Jones worked with University Facilities to install the marine life artwork featured in the tiles.  Cliff worked with George Carroll to create the patterns used for the tiles.

In Endeavour Hall, a shark was installed near the main entrance by the aquarium.  In Discovery Hall, a sea horse was installed near the entrance by the Boat House.  In Challenger Hall, a pair of dolphins were installed as you walk through the doors closest to MASIC.  Dana Hall was the first building were the floors were repaired and unfortunately the tile replacement work was completed before any tile artwork could be installed.  When SoMAS had a presence in Dutchess Hall, a turtle was installed.  When SoMAS moved out of Dutchess Hall and the Stony Brook University Police Department moved in, the turtle was replaced with a police badge.

Many thanks to the efforts of John Marcinka from New Construction to help get the tile artwork installed.

Flax Pond Marine Laboratory

The Flax Pond Marine Laboratory is named after the tidal estuary on which is resides, Flax Pond.  According to the Friends of Flax Pond, the pond was originally named Fresh Pond.  The name changed in the 18th century when the pond was known for its use to separate the fibers of the flax plant in a process known as retting. In the 19th century, an inlet was created to open the area of shellfishing.

Take a virtual tour of the Flax Pond Marine Laboratory.

Natural Sciences Center

The Natural Sciences Center at the Southampton Campus is home to the SoMAS faculty based in Southampton.  The building was built by the SUNY Dormitory Authority for the LIU Southampton Campus and dedicated in September, 1965.

Take a virtual tour of the Natural Sciences Center.

Marine Sciences Center

Opened in 2013, the Marine Sciences Center on Old Fort Pond Bay at the Southampton campus is a brand new building that houses classrooms and research laboratories.  The building is LEED certified.  It was built on the site of the former marine station.

Take a virtual tour of the Marine Sciences Center.

Whale mandible information

Old Marine Station at Southampton

New Marine Sciences Center at Southampton

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Postdoctoral Associate – 1703129

October 19, 2017, 6:57 pm
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The School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) of Stony Brook University seeks applicants for a Postdoctoral Associate position in microbial oceanography under Prof. Gordon T. Taylor’s supervision. This position is associated with SoMAS’s Nano Raman Molecular Imaging Laboratory (NARMIL), whose mission is to provide novel microspectrometric solutions to problems in marine microbiology, biogeochemistry, atmospheric chemistry, and allied fields in the natural sciences and engineering (visit https://you.stonybrook.edu/nanoraman/). Incumbent will be expected to utilize sable isotype probing, Confocal Raman Microspectrometry and Atomic Force Microscopy to develop cutting edge single-cell techniques to examine flow of major elements, particularly carbon, through planktonic microalgal and bacterial hosts to their viral pathogens and to dissolved pools. This transdisciplinary project includes collaboration with Dr. Joaquin Martinez Martinez (Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences). Incumbent will also assist in the supervision and management of the lab.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: Applicants must possess an advanced degree (Ph.D. or equivalent) by 31 December 2017 and have training in one of the following: microbiology, microbial ecology, biological oceanography, biochemistry, molecular techniques, or biological applications of Raman spectroscopy.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Experience in one or more of the following areas: microbial oceanographic research experience, virology, single-cell analyses (e.g., single-cell genomics), marine biogeochemistry, FISH, qPCR, protistan, bacterial and viral cultivation, isotopic tracer methods, microfluidics, and Raman microspectrometry technologies. Experience supervising students is desirable. Preference will be given to candidates demonstrating creativity and technical giftedness, as well as those demonstrating excellent writing skills and productivity.

This will be an initial 18-month position funded by a Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation grant, with the possibility of extension contingent upon performance and funding. The salary is $47,500 to $53,000, commensurate with qualifications.

Apply no later than Nov 9 2017. Further information about this position and SoMAS, visit http://www.somas.stonybrook.edu/jobs/.

For a full position description, or to apply online, visit: www.stonybrook.edu/jobs (Req. # 1703129)

For more information about SoMAS, please visit http://somas.stonybrook.edu

Special Notes:

Pursuant to Executive Order 161, no State entity, as defined by the Executive Order, is permitted to ask, or mandate, in any form, that an applicant for employment provide his or her current compensation, or any prior compensation history, until such time as the applicant is extended a conditional offer of employment with compensation.  If such information has been requested from you before such time, please contact the Governor’s Office of Employee Relations at (518) 474-6988 or via email at info@goer.ny.gov.

Stony Brook University is 100% tobacco-free as of January 1, 2016. See our policy and learn more at stonybrook.edu/tobaccofree.

About Stony Brook:

Stony Brook University, home to many highly ranked graduate research programs, is located 60 miles from New York City on Long Island’s scenic North Shore. Our 1,100-acre campus is home to 24,000 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students and more than 13,500 faculty and staff. SBU is a comprehensive research-intensive university and a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities (AAU), which includes 34 public universities among its 62 members. SBU consists of 12 schools and colleges and a teaching hospital that provides state-of-the-art healthcare in the Long Island region. SBU also manages and performs joint research with Brookhaven National Laboratory, the only Department of Energy Laboratory in the Northeast, and shares doctoral programs with Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a world-renowned molecular biology institute. Home to the Emerson String Quartet, the Jackson Pollack House in East Hampton, New York, the Humanities Institute, and the Southampton Arts Program, and with endeavors that extend to the Turkana Basin Institute in Kenya and the Ranomafana National Park in Madagascar, SBU sustains an international reputation that cuts across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

Stony Brook University is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer. We encourage protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, women and minorities to apply.

If you need a disability related accommodation, please call the University Human Resource Services Department at (631) 632- 6161 or the University Hospital Human Resources Department at (631) 444-4700. In accordance with the Title II Crime Awareness and Security Act, a copy of our crime statistics is available upon request by calling (631) 632- 6350. It can also be viewed on line at the University Police website at http://www.stonybrook.edu/police.

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Old Inlet Breach Flyover 2017-10-20

October 24, 2017, 12:10 pm
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Dr. Charles Flagg took another flight over the Breach at Old Inlet on Fire Island on October 20, 2017.  The flyover mosaic is available below.  Dr. Flagg noted that there are major changes to the inlet.

Mark Lang has assembled all the geo-referenced photo mosaics into a kml file that can be viewed using Google Earth.  By clicking between images and using the fade in-out button you can clearly see how the inlet is changing with time.  An offline version of the KML file is available as KMZ. The full size image is also available.

For more information, please visit Dr. Charles Flagg’s website.

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SoMAS Researchers to use Climate Data to Better Predict Marine Distribution in Northeast

October 24, 2017, 9:25 pm
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Photo above from left, Hyemi Kim, Janet Nye and Lesley Thorne

From Researchers to use Climate Data to Better Predict Marine Distribution in Northeast on SBU Happenings, October 23, 2017

Scientists from Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) will be developing seasonal predictions of fish and marine mammal distributions in the Northeast United States with the goal to enhance protected species management. The research is supported by a $509,573 grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Science and Technology, in partnership with NOAA Research’s Modeling, Analysis, Predictions, and Projections (MAPP) Program.

The Northeast U.S. large marine ecosystem is highly productive and supports important commercial and recreational fisheries. It has also experienced some of the highest warming rates in recent decades. Communities in the Northeast have observed many climate-driven changes including shifts in fish distribution for most fish species, as well as changes in the timing of breeding or spawning, seasonal movements, and migrations.

Given these changes, the SoMAS team will use climate information to predict fish and marine mammal distributions on seasonal timescales to help fishermen and decision makers adjust their management approaches based on environmental conditions.

The team also plans to experiment with using these predictions to help reduce the incidental capture of non-target species, known as bycatch. Bycatch can increase costs and decrease yield for commercial fisherman, but more precise seasonal predictions of where marine mammals and fish will be distributed could decrease the likelihood of this concern.

“While traditional management approaches have focused on fixed areas, it is becoming increasingly recognized that bycatch could be reduced by incorporating dynamic environmental variables such as temperature into models to estimate high risk areas for fisheries bycatch,” said Lesley Thorne, PhD, Assistant Professor in SoMAS and lead investigator of the project, titled “Probabilistic Seasonal Prediction of the Distribution of Fish and Marine Mammals in the Northeast U.S.”

By combining species distribution models with climate models, the team will help predict where marine mammals and non-target species are most likely to occur over the next season.

“This information could have a significant impact in reducing fisheries bycatch,” said Thorne.

As part of this project, the research team will participate in the NOAA MAPP Program’s new Marine Prediction Task Force. The Task Force will allow the researchers to collaborate with other MAPP-funded scientists working on related projects, and combine resources and expertise to rapidly advance project objectives.

Co-investigators for the project are Hyemi Kim, PhD, and Janet Nye, PhD, both Assistant Professors in SoMAS.

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The Fate of Forage Fish on East Coast Lies With November Decision

October 26, 2017, 12:18 pm
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A letter signed by 118 scientists led by Professor Ellen Pikitch of Stony Brook University’s School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) makes the case for the importance of managing menhaden, the leading forage fish on the Northeast Atlantic Coast, with an ecosystem based approach. The current approach by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Menhaden Management Board (ASMFC) is to manage catch of the forage fish as if they don’t compete with other species or other species do not depend on them. The scientists believe that if the status quo remains populations of important larger fish for consumption, such as striped bass, cod and tuna will be affected. On November 13, the ASMFC will vote on whether to continue managing menhaden as a single species or start an ecosystem based approach.

For more background see the letter from scientists and this Q & A.

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SoMAS Researchers Correct Missing Key Elements in Computer Climate Models

October 27, 2017, 12:45 pm
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From the Stony Brook Newsroom Featured Research Photo, October 27, 2017

A team of SoMAS researchers, led by Professor Minghua Zhang, discovered that computer climate models are missing key elements to forecasting weather – such as this one in the photo above of an atmospheric convective system in the central U.S.–leading to flaws showing persistent dry and warm prediction biases in the region. The researchers found a way to correct these flaws for a more accurate prediction of future climate patterns. The research and findings, published in Nature Communications, call for better calculations in global climate models.

Lin, Y., Dong, W., Zhang, M., Xie, Y., Xue, W., Huang, J., & Luo, Y. (2017). Causes of model dry and warm bias over central US and impact on climate projections. Nature Communications, 8.

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Relevant Learning on the Rise at Stony Brook

November 3, 2017, 9:25 am
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Above: Distinguished Professor Jeffrey Levinton and student Quemar Blake check on a basket of oysters in Stony Brook harbor.

From Relevant Learning on the Rise at Stony Brook on SBU Happenings, November 3, 2017

Relevant learning — a teaching method through which faculty reconfigure their curricula by linking academic content to real-world problems — has long been central to Stony Brook’s mission. Now a key national initiative in relevant learning is housed at the University thanks to a visionary program, Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities (SENCER).

Using the SENCER approach, for example, a biology professor may choose to teach a course from the perspective of an HIV/AIDS patient, or an engineering professor may identify problems in Third World countries and encourage the class to come up with solutions.

Engaging students — especially undergraduates in the STEM disciplines — is one of the main objectives of relevance in the classroom.

SENCER, which receives funding from the National Science Foundation and other public and private sources, arrived at Stony Brook’s College of Engineering and Applied Sciences in March 2016. This past August, the University hosted its first SENCER Summer Institute.

It was Distinguished Service Professor David Ferguson, chair of the Department of Technology and Society and University liaison for SENCER, who asked Stony Brook University President Samuel L. Stanley Jr. about bringing the program to campus.

“As a co-principal investigator on the SENCER project, I will continue to work with faculty at Stony Brook and nationally to grow research and practice in the learning and teaching of STEM by engaging students and faculty in civic engagement projects,” says Ferguson.

Since 2001, when SENCER originated at the Association of American Colleges and Universities, 50 model courses and programs have been developed, engaging more than 3,000 educators and more than 600 formal and informal educational institutions and other organizations — all with the goal of connecting science, technology, engineering and mathematical content to critical local, national and global challenges.

 

Distinguished Service Professor David Ferguson (front, center) is the University’s liaison for SENCER, pictured with NCSCE Executive Director Eliza Reilly (left) and Lauren Donavan (right), from SBU’s Department of Technology and Society, surrounded by SENCER staff members.

At Stony Brook, courses with a heavy emphasis on the civic challenges of immediate relevance are on the rise. Among them are EHI 350: Design and Implement a Research Project in Ecotoxicology (Fall 2017) and EHI 351: Conduct and Communicate a Research Project in Ecotoxicology (Spring 2017), taught by Professor Sharon Pochron, who runs the Sustainability Studies Earthworm Ecotoxicology Lab.

There students investigate the role of environmental toxins, such as Roundup, on earthworm biomass and survivorship. They will unveil their findings at the Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities presentation in Spring 2018.

Another much-heralded course is EST 205: Introduction to Technological Design, taught by Professor Komal Magsi of the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Students in this class designed Aerogel-lined inflatable baby carriers for working mothers in Africa, an all-in-one sustainable crop planting kit for people facing malnutrition in Angola, and a water filter for people facing unsanitary conditions and water scarcity in Bolivia.

At Stony Brook, there also are many non-SENCER courses that are compatible with its approach, Ferguson said. He cited ESG 201: Learning from Disaster, an online course taught by Professor Gary Halada that examines disasters such as the Hindenburg, the Titanic and the Long Island Rail Road Pickleworks Wreck of 1926.

Halada, who teaches the course at the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, had been attending SENCER meetings prior to the initiative’s arrival at Stony Brook. That experience helped him to develop undergraduate research programs in nanotechnology and explore new models for sustainable energy education. Halada originally taught the course in the classroom but decided it would have a wider reach if it went online, which happened this past year. Last semester, 200 students enrolled in the course.

“One of the biggest impacts of engineering in the world is when something goes wrong,” said Halada. “It’s important for the public to become informed citizens and understand the difference between real risk and perceived risk.”

Another Stony Brook professor is heeding the battle cry for relevance in the classroom by making the focus of his classroom Long Island’s water quality and the food it harbors. Jeffrey Levinton, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolution, teaches Bio 371: The Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems, which compares the survivability of oysters and oyster beds in the environment of Jamaica Bay with those in Stony Brook Harbor.

Levinton seeks students such as Quemar Blake, who is on a pre-med track, to assist him with his fieldwork. On a gray and breezy late summer day, Blake seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the experience. As the two measured the oyster height with calipers, Levinton noted that the bivalves increased their size 25 percent from the time they were lowered into cages a month before.

“I wish I could teach all of my courses with this collaborative kind of approach. I strongly believe that team-based active learning increases a student’s dedication.”

Levinton gave a presentation on the course at the SENCER Summer Institute, and it was very well received.

Eliza Reilly, the executive director of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement (NCSCE), who is responsible for implementing and cultivating SENCER curriculum reform, is encouraged by what Stony Brook is doing.

“Stony Brook has everything it needs to be a national leader in applying SENCER approaches,” she says. “It’s just a matter of understanding that the talent is all there right under your nose.”

— Glenn Jochum

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SoMAS Faculty Wins Marsden Fund to Investigate How Microbiomes Shape Fish Parasite Phenotypes

November 3, 2017, 11:52 am
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Photo above: Assistant Professor Nolwenn M Dheilly in her laboratory 

The microbiome revolution is rapidly changing how we study ecology and evolution, as researchers increasingly realize that much of an organism’s phenotype can be attributed to its metagenome (combined DNA of its resident microorganisms). Parasitic organisms also have their own microbiomes. Can these shape parasite biology and host-parasite interactions?

Assistant Professor Nolwenn M. Dheilly rallied researchers from around the globe to answer this question and together they launched the Parasite Microbiome Project (Dheilly et al., 2017).

Professor Robert Poulin, from the University of Otago, NZ and Assistant Professor Nolwenn Dheilly teamed up to investigate the presence of microbes and their role in two New-Zealand native parasites. They received NZD$890,000 from the Marsden Fund, the most stringent and prestigious national contest of research ideas in New Zealand.

Using two flatworms that parasitize aquatic animals, the team will test for ontogenetic, inter-individual and geographic variation in parasite microbiomes and experimentally quantify their impact on parasite development and, ultimately, on parasite and host phenotype. This research will use a set of powerful tools ranging from metagenomic sequencing to experimental manipulation of microbiomes, to explore how bacteria shape what parasitic worms actually do.

This could have far-reaching implications for our understanding of parasitism and the development of new anti-parasite therapies.

Reference:

Dheilly NM, Bolnick D, Bordenstein S, Brindley PJ, Figueres C, Holmes EC, Martinez Martinez J, Phillips AJ, Poulin R, Rosario K 2017 Parasite Microbiome Project: Systematic investigation of microbiome dynamics within and across parasite-host interactions. mSystems 2(4) http://msystems.asm.org/content/2/4/e00050-17

–Nolwenn Dheilly

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