News Release

Recipients of UM Rosenstiel School's 2012-2013 Alumni Awards announced

From Galapagos to lionfish and climate ... and everything in between

Grant and Award Announcement

University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science

MIAMI – July 16, 2012 – The University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science today announced the recipients of the 2012-2013 Alumni Awards. The grantees were selected by a team of three alumni and a student representative, which disbursed more than $11,000 in funds.

"We received 30 applications from every division of the Rosenstiel School – from marine biology to meteorology," said Laura Bracken Chaibongsai, Alumni & Outreach Manager for the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science. "The projects were all very deserving. We selected ones that demonstrated the greatest potential for a broad impact, both on the student's academic career and on the scientific community."

Christine Beggs

Beggs graduated with Honors from Goucher College in 2010 with a BS in Biology. Presently, she is pursuing a Master's in Marine Conservation, and will use the Award to fund her internship at the Isabela Oceanographic Institute in the Galapagos. She will utilize her marine conservation media site, ProjectBlueHope.com to launch innovative online crowdfunding campaigns for local environmental projects.

Katinka Bellomo

Bellomo graduated from Universita' di Torino (Italy) with a BS and MS in Physics. She is currently working with Dr. Amy Clement to investigate the role of cloud radiative forcing on climate variability and change. The Alumni Award will support a two-month internship at the prestigious Max-Planck Institute in Germany, where she will use their IPCC coupled ocean-atmosphere model to run decadal prediction experiments.

Dominique Lazarre

Lazarre graduated from Eckerd College with a BS in Marine Science (Biology) and Environmental Studies. Her doctoral research is focused on understanding the dynamics that have allowed invasive Indo-Pacific lionfish to spread throughout the Western Atlantic and Caribbean, as well as their impacts on local fish communities. She plans to use the funds provided by the Alumni Award to discern how lionfish are impacting the spiny lobster trap fishery in the Florida Keys.

Patrick Rynne

Rynne has a BS from Brown University in Material Engineering, and a Masters degree in Ocean Engineering from Florida Atlantic University. His current research is focused on understanding the hydrodynamic processes of tidal inlet and estuarine systems. Patrick spearheads Waterlust, a student run project aimed at inspiring marine scientists to express their research through online media. He is using this award to establish an on-campus center for students and faculty to create their own Waterlust films.

Xaymara Serano

Serrano has a BS in Biology from the University of Puerto Rico and a MS in Marine Biology & Fisheries from University of Miami RSMAS. She is completing a PhD using the latest genetic tools to understand the extent to which reefs are effectively connected to one another, especially in the face of climate change. Xaymara will use the Alumni Award funds to characterize two algal symbionts using quantitative PCR assays.

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The goal of UM Rosenstiel School alumni is to build a strong network among graduates; enhancing their careers and opportunities, advancing their interests, and harnessing their skills and resources for the benefit of the academic community. To learn more about the Alumni Award and its recipients, or to make a donation to the Rosenstiel School, please visit: http://www.rsmas.miami.edu/outreach/alumni/awards/

About the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School

The University of Miami's mission is to educate and nurture students, to create knowledge, and to provide service to our community and beyond. Committed to excellence and proud of the diversity of our University family, we strive to develop future leaders of our nation and the world. Founded in the 1940's, the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science has grown into one of the world's premier marine and atmospheric research institutions. Offering dynamic interdisciplinary academics, the Rosenstiel School is dedicated to helping communities to better understand the planet, participating in the establishment of environmental policies, and aiding in the improvement of society and quality of life. For more information, please visit www.rsmas.miami.edu.


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