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First Monday AN UPDATE FROM THE PROVOST | April 2022

PROVOST'S MESSAGE

B. Grant Hayes, PhD, Distinguished Professor

Interim Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

On March 1, over 150 ECU administrators, faculty, advisors, and staff from across our campuses convened for the 2nd annual Enrollment Summit. The summit focused on best practices that can be deployed within offices, departments, and colleges for engaging admitted students in the final weeks before summer. We know that high-quality, high-touch communication coming from our greatest asset - our faculty and staff - is crucial in demonstrating to prospective Pirates what ECU is all about. When prospective students engage with our physical campus and, more importantly, the people on our campus, they feel that something special that defines ECU. From our Enrollment Summit came ideas for actionable steps that we can take to truly engage prospective students as they are making their final decisions about where to further their education.

Signs of the positive energy and commitment to engaging our future Pirates were clearly evident on March 26 at our Pirates Aboard! event - it truly was a great day to be a Pirate! Thanks to the outstanding marketing of the event by our marketing and admissions offices, we attracted over 1,900 admitted students to Pirates Aboard. The day was overwhelmingly positive as a result of the excitement, energy, and Pirate Pride of our faculty and staff that set up booths, led tours, held informational sessions, and welcomed prospective students and families with a smiling face, a helping hand, and a servant's heart. Because of those efforts, we saw a marked increase in the number of students who committed to ECU. Thank you to all who gave their time and energy on to make it a truly special day.

That said, we're not where we want to be yet, and our efforts must not end with Pirates Aboard. Indeed, the coming days are even more important as students navigate processes and seek answers to the questions they have before making decisions about their futures. Returning to a theme I mentioned in February's First Monday, herein lies a crucial opportunity to communicate two key messages we convey here at ECU: "We want you here at ECU," and "We want you to be successful here at ECU." When we reach out to prospective students and participate in high-quality interactions with them, we signal to them that we are an inclusive and caring campus, and we are a campus who values them. We know the demographic challenges in higher education in NC which will confront us in the coming months, but if we sustain the energy, excitement, and engagement we've seen in our Enrollment Summit and Pirates Aboard events, we will be well positioned to meet those challenges.

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BY THE NUMBERS

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AROUND ACADEMIC AFFAIRS

OFFICE OF STUDENT FINANCIAL AID

The Office of Student Financial Aid is ready for summer and preparing for the 2022/23 academic year!

The one-page application to be considered for summer school aid went live on Wednesday, March 2. We have been reviewing and awarding students since Wednesday, March 9. We do have funds available to assist students, so if you know of students who would be best served by taking two classes (a minimum of six credit hours) this summer, please encourage them to apply for aid. The summer aid application is HERE.

We are also working closely with our partners, the Office of University Scholarships and the Office of Undergraduate Admissions in preparation for the 22/23 year. The Office of University Scholarships worked with committees across the campus throughout January and February to prepare their selections and after review by the funding authorities, sent that information to the OSFA for inclusion in the first award letter run.

On March 10, the Office of Student Financial Aid printed a record 10,266 award offers to entering freshmen, new transfer, and new graduate students. Those letters were mailed on March 10-11 so that admitted students would have them “in hand” prior to the March 18 Admitted Students Day and the March 26 Pirates Aboard Day, sponsored by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

We will continue to award entering students every Thursday until mid-May as they complete their financial aid files. Once spring grades have posted, we will begin to award the continuing student population. We have also been partnering with Admissions to set aside appointment times for students and parents to have one-on-one time with Financial Aid Advisors on the Admitted Student Days, of which there is one remaining on April 22. Admissions, Cashier and Financial Aid Offices did three, 45-minute panel Q&A sessions during Pirates Aboard on March 26.

OFFICE OF UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS

The campus-wide scholarship process is winding down and all of our scholarship selection committees have been busy! ECUAWard, the campus scholarship platform, processed a record number of student applications this cycle. As of March 22, 10,263 applications had been filed by students for scholarship consideration. All selections have been made and students notified for all programs except Nursing, Dental, and Medical awards, which follow a slightly different deadline. Those awards are due to be completed by mid-April.

As of March 22, ECU colleges and departments have been able to make over 2,100 scholarship offers to incoming and existing students for use in offsetting costs of attending ECU during the 22-23 academic year. These awards total, to date, $4,510,552, with this total to increase once the Health Sciences campus awards are completed. Additionally, 146 students received nearly $150,000 in Summer aid to help with the costs of study abroad – a return to travel for the first summer in several years.

PRE-PROFESSIONAL ADVISING

On March 12, Elizabeth McAllister, Director of Pre-Professional Advising at ECU, led a professional development workshop for the Health Professions Advisors of North Carolina. McAllister is President of the organization which has over 100 members from colleges and universities across the state. The virtual event provided information sessions on High Point University’s School of Dental Medicine & Oral Health, Duke University’s Doctorate of Occupational Therapy, and the PA-CAT Exam. Dr. Cedric Bright, MD, Interim Vice Dean and Associate Dean for Admissions at the Brody School of Medicine, shared insight on how advisors can prepare applicants for virtual interviews. The workshop concluded with a panel of the Deans of all North Carolina medical schools.

On March 21, Pre-Professional Advising hosted its 11th annual Health Professions Expo – a college fair for ECU students interested in health professions programs requiring an advanced degree. The event is part of a statewide tour each March which begins in Wilmington and ends in Boone. This year, a hybrid event was offered by ECU, with nine schools participating online and 23 in person. Students are provided with an opportunity to network with schools all over the southeast.

PIRATE ACADEMIC SUCCESS CENTER

Pictured L to R: Isabel Campbell, Katherine Pierce, and Savannah Heath

In partnership with the University Studies (BSUS) program in the Thomas Harriot College of Arts and Sciences, three graduating BSUS seniors, Isabel Campbell, Katherine Pierce, and Savannah Heath, are sharing their expertise and honing their skills through meaningful practicum experiences at the PASC.

Isabel Campbell of Southern Shores, NC, thematic core: Wellness and Administration. Expanding her knowledge of marketing and customer behavior, Isabel’s practicum explores the student experience at ECU through student journey mapping. Working in conjunction with the Strategic Enrollment Management Committee’s Student Success and Support Initiatives working group, Isabel engages with campus stakeholders and consultants from InsideTrack, conducts diagnostic student focus groups, and assists in developing PASC outreach and marketing strategies.

Katherine Pierce of Fayetteville, NC, thematic core: Analytical Study of Human Health. Katherine’s practicum focuses on expanding student knowledge of academic success strategies and increasing their engagement with campus resources. In addition to supporting PASC daily service operations, Katherine works with the Sophomore Success Coaching Program to encourage positive help seeking behaviors by sharing Starfish faculty alert data with low academic performing sophomores and their campus coaches.

Savannah Heath of Kinston, NC, thematic core: Human Behavior and Administration. Building her workforce skills in communication and consumer engagement, Savannah’s practicum focuses on supporting and engaging students participating in the Mindset for Academic Success program. Designed to assist students with under a 2.0 GPA in adopting new study strategies and increasing their engagement with support services, Savannah has developed multiple methods to engage struggling students with academic support services.

OFFICE OF GLOBAL AFFAIRS

On March 8, ECU students, faculty, and staff had the opportunity to join a facilitated discussion with eight students and their instructor from Ivan Franko National University of Lviv in Lviv, Ukraine. During that very powerful conversation, the Ukrainian students shared the current situation in Ukraine, how it is impacting them personally, and their hopes for the future. A recording of the session can be viewed HERE.

Spring Break Study Abroad

ECU Students in Belize
ECU Students in Honduras
ECU Students in France

Over spring break, students studying abroad were able to mix academic pursuits and fun through their programs abroad.

  • Students studying hearing and speech traveled to Belize to work with the local community to provide testing and gain a foundation in their observation skills. They also got a chance to visit some local historical sites, such as the Cahal Pech Mayan Ruins in San Ignacio.
  • ECU Pirates Promoting Community Wellness (PPCW) took a team of six student members to Taulabé, Honduras. They were able to connect with two local doctors who assisted in hosting two clinics in areas that have limited access to medical care. Students assisted in taking vitals, patient histories, distributing medications, and directing patients during clinic days. Throughout the two clinics, 230 patients were seen.
  • The College of Business Spring semester study abroad program to France was from March 5th through the 12th. Eleven students and two faculty members traveled to Tours and Paris. It was a positively memorable experience for all.

OFFICE FOR FACULTY EXCELLENCE

On April 8, Digital Learning & Emerging Technology Initiatives and the OFE will host a Teaching & Technology Tailgate: The Classroom Reimaged. This will be an online conference filled with 20-minute sessions throughout the day. Two simultaneous tracks will provide 23 faculty-led presentations and/or course tours that touch on a variety of topics, including new technology tools available to ECU faculty, innovative ways to engage students, and using the Quality Matters rubric for course design. Please check out the full schedule, register HERE, and plan to log in and attend as many sessions as you can.

Colleague Connections
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Two new Faculty Learning Communities launched this spring and are specifically for faculty members in fixed-term positions. In Colleague Connections, Sambuddha Banerjee (THCAS), Lisa Ellison (THCAS), Jocelyn Nelson (CFAC), Heidi Puckett (COE), and Tomegia Winston (COE) are collaborating on a project that will pull together helpful resources and information for faculty members in fixed term roles as well as find new ways to spotlight some of the work and accomplishments of colleagues at ECU. In the second group, Rosa Alvarez-Bell (THCAS), Dina Al-Dajani (CHHP), Claudia D’Esposito (COB), Rebecca Harris (COE), and Vera Tabakova (THCAS) are working together to utilize the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning to explore effectiveness of selected instructional strategies in their respective courses.

OFFICE OF RESEARCH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & ENGAGEMENT

2022 Research & Scholarship Awards

ECU faculty were honored on March 16 at the 6th annual Research & Scholarship Awards ceremony. This year, Dr. Angela Lamson with the College of Health and Human Performance was recognized for more than 20 years of excellence in research at ECU with the Lifetime Achievement Award. Additionally, Dr. Elizabeth Ables received the Five-Year Research & Creative Activity Award, and Dr. Randall Etheridge received the Scholarship of Engagement Award. Outstanding researchers and artists from each ECU college and school, as well as faculty inventors and the 2021-22 Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy cohort were also recognized. View the full list of those awarded and recognized on the REDE website.

Research and Creative Achievement Week (RCAW), April 4-8

We’re thrilled to have received 340 abstract submissions for this year's Research and Creative Achievement Week (RCAW) event. Students will be conducting their poster presentations at the Main Campus Student Center and online April 4 and 6. Please join us in supporting the students in this effort.

Other programs taking place during RCAW include Laser TAG Image Competition and the Innovation & Entrepreneurship Showcase. Find the full schedule of events HERE.

EOSA Faculty Recognition

Congratulations to the following faculty members who have been selected to participate in the 2022-2023 Engagement and Outreach Scholars Academy (EOSA) program. Learn more about the 2022 EOSA cohort HERE.

  • Dr. Myshalae Jamerson-Euring, College of Allied Health Sciences
  • Dr. Christine Kowalczyk, College of Business
  • Dr. Travis Lewis, College of Education
  • Dr. Shirley Mai, College of Business
  • Dr. Carol Massarra, College of Engineering and Technology
  • Dr. Mitzi Pestaner, College of Nursing
  • Dr. Linda Quick, College of Business
  • Dr. Aimee Smith, College of Arts and Sciences

I-Corps Completes in Spring 2022 Cohort

The I-Corps spring 2022 cohort completed its program on Friday, March 25 with final presentations from several faculty or student-based innovations. Projects included:

  • NoPest-Ag5: A low toxicity nanopesticide targeting household pests; Lok Pokhrel, assistant professor of Public Health and Shannon Donnelly, masters student in biology.
  • Invenire: A digital platform to promote rural museum and library resources; Annie Anderson, Director of the Country Doctor Museum, Layne Carpenter, Laupus Library archivist, and Elizabeth LaFave, doctoral candidate in Chemistry.
  • Omphalos Dose: A personalized medicine approach to prescription opioids; Stefan Clements, associate professor of physiology, Kori Brewer, professor and associate chief of emergency medicine research, and Mandee Schaub, masters student in physiology.
  • Handy Help: A digital platform for promoting services and resources of handymen; Chandler Barnes, student in entrepreneurship, Tyler Bartone, student in business management, and John Stallings, student in applied economics.
  • Key-to-Hope: A mission focused endeavor to promote the worship experience for small churches in India through provision of musical instruments; Luke Thomas, student in public health and Mina Akhnoukh, student in engineering.
  • Life After: A digital platform to automate legacy planning following the death of a loved one; Corey Pulido, teaching instructor and Doug Thomas, student of the Miller School of Entrepreneurship.

I-Corps Innovation Ambassador Program

The Office of Licensing & Commercialization is seeking referrals of graduate students who are interested in learning skills essential for identifying and assessing innovations for future development by serving as an ECU I-Corps Innovation Ambassador. This experiential internship program is made available through a grant from the National Science Foundation for highly motivated graduate students in the physical and life sciences, engineering, and technology fields. Please refer candidates to the Office of Licensing & Commercialization or to ECU I-Corps.

UNC System Undergraduate Research Program Award 2023

The University of North Carolina Undergraduate Research Program Award is a grant mechanism to provide funding to universities or consortia of universities within the UNC System to support and enhance undergraduate research (UR). The UNC System’s Undergraduate Research Council (URC) has identified three areas of focus for this RFP: Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs); Inclusive Excellence; and Digital Learning.

See complete RFP for more details. Proposals are due by 11:50PM, Monday, April 18, 2022. They should be submitted HERE. ECU is limited to two proposals in 2023. Faculty are allowed to collaborate with others outside ECU, as long as they are not the lead.

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COLLEGE UPDATES

ARTS & SCIENCES

Dr. Marianne Montgomery, associate professor and chair of the Department of English, has been selected as Harriot College’s associate dean for faculty and student affairs. She will begin her new role on July 1. “Marianne has been an amazing colleague as a faculty member and chair, and I am excited to have her take on this new leadership role," said Dean Allison Danell. "I know she will be a fantastic associate dean.” Read the full article for the college’s new leadership positions.

Dr. Siddhartha “Sid” Mitra, professor in the Department of Geological Sciences and Department of Coastal Studies, is a scholar of black carbon and other environmental contaminants. Mitra has co-authored a paper, "The hadal zone is an important and heterogeneous sink of black carbon in the ocean," which demonstrates that black carbon, typically generated by humans, is detectable in the deepest parts of the ocean at 8,200 meters down. The article, co-authored with colleagues at the Southern University of Science and Technology in China, appears in the journal Nature, Communications in Earth and Environment.

ECU’s Water Resources Center (WRC), under the direction of Dr. Stephen Moysey, professor of geological sciences, has announced the recipients for the spring 2022 Faculty Seed Grant Program and Water Scholars Awards Program. This semester, the WRC chose two recipients for a Type II Research Seed Grant and 10 recipients for the Student Water Scholars Awards. The full list of names and projects may be viewed HERE. "We are looking forward to seeing how these projects develop over the next year and contribute to our understanding of water and to building a stronger water resource community in Eastern North Carolina through innovative, and creative research and educational activities,” Moysey said.

Dr. Christopher Oakley, professor of history, has been selected as one of two Coastal Scholars awarded by ECU’s Integrated Coastal Programs and the Coastal Studies Institute. Oakley will collaborate with colleagues and specialists in the fields of history, anthropology, archaeology, geography, and biology on a multidisciplinary project to examine and reconstruct the maritime history, culture, and legacy of the Algonquian-speaking Indigenous people of North Carolina. “While the Outer Banks is littered with references to American Indian history and culture, little is known about the original inhabitants of the Outer Banks, and, in short, Algonquian history itself,” Oakley said. “Additionally, there is a tendency to think of Native Americans as exclusively terrestrial people and cultures, but evidence strongly suggests that Algonquian culture was heavily influenced by the sea and the coast well before the arrival of Europeans.”

Dr. Melina Kane, associate professor of sociology, works with InclusivECU, a new university Living Learning Community for LGBTQ+ students and allies whose goal is to make ECU a more welcoming and inclusive campus. Earlier this semester, Kane took members of the group to see the 25th-anniversary tour of “Rent” at the Durham Performing Arts Center. Spirited discussions after the show included how the terminology and presentation of LGBTQ people have changed over time, the continued relevance of debates about economic inequality, and the role of technology in our lives.

BUSINESS

Dr. Kent Alipour in the COB’s Department of Management breaks down his recent research that looks at Team Cognition, and that breakdown includes ways to achieve successful teamwork. Alipour says, “Teams can take advantage of their broader pool of information, expertise, and resources by regularly devoting blocks of time for collectively recognizing, sharing, and communicating task-related information. To learn more, click HERE.

The MilIer School of Entrepreneurship had another successful showing at this year’s annual Small Business Institute Conference. Drs. Amy McMillan and Dennis Barber took home the Best Paper Award (Do Entrepreneurs Do Good Deeds to Maximize Wins or Avoid Losses? A Regulatory Focus Perspective). Two student teams took first and second place for their projects. For more information, click HERE.

Drs. Stephanie Bae and Cynthia Deale from the School of Hospitality Leadership recently won the best paper award at the recent SECSA (Southeast, Central and South American and Caribbean Federation) Conference of International CHRIE. The title of the paper was “Undergraduate students’ views of effective online hospitality instructors: A scholarship of teaching and learning study.” For more information, click HERE.

The Miller School of Entrepreneurship values cross-campus research collaborations and the formation of inter-disciplinary scholarly partnerships. As a result, the Miller School launched the Engaged Entrepreneurship Scholar (EES). The program intends to extend the research capabilities of its entrepreneurship faculty by leveraging diverse skills and approaches from various scholarly fields. The inaugural EES is Dr. Emily Yeager from the Recreation Sciences department in the College of Health and Human Performance. Dr. Yeager’s current research focuses on sustainable tourism development with a focus on rural destinations. For more information, click HERE.

EDUCATION

Elementary education alumnus Matt Daniel was named the Pitt County Teacher of the Year. Matt is one of the youngest to receive the award. Learn more HERE.

Dr. Anne Ticknor, Dr. Charity Cayton, and Dr. Africa Hands were recognized as outstanding research scholars and artists at this year’s Research & Scholarship Awards ceremony.

Dr. Daniel Dickerson was inducted into ECU’s chapter of the National Academy of Inventors during this year’s Research & Scholarship Awards ceremony.

English education alumna Scott Childress for his upcoming book series! He is working on a young adult mystery fiction set on Cape Cod. Learn more HERE.

North Carolina Senator Deanna Ballard visited the ECU Community School to learn more about the school. She is the chair of the Appropriations on Education/Higher Education Committee.

Three of this year’s nine regional principals of the year are ECU educational leadership graduates. Congratulations to Alison Covington, Dr. Patrick Greene, and Keith Richardson. Learn more HERE.

FINE ARTS & COMMUNICATION

The College of Fine Arts and Communication Access, Belonging, Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity (ABIDE) committee held a candlelight vigil honoring victims of anti-Asian hate crimes on Tuesday, March 15 on the ECU Main Student Center Lawn.

People gathered to commemorate the victims of the tragic Atlanta Spa Shootings in March 2021 as well as honor all anti-Asian violence over the recent years. The ABIDE committee works to foster a sense of belonging and support individuals who feel invisible in the ECU community. There were numerous speakers from the ECU student body, faculty, staff, and the Greenville community at the event.

School of Art and Design first-year student, Noelle Story, won the LifeWTR "Art through the Eyes of a Pirate" competition sponsored by Minges Bottling Group. Story was presented with a grand prize of $2500.

Adam Berman (School of Art and Design MFA May ’22 Printmaking) received an Honorable Mention Award from the prestigious Windgate Fellowship program- “Honoring the Future: Creating Climate SmART Communities”. The nomination was made by School of Art and Design, and Gerald Weckesser, Honors Faculty Fellow, served as Adam’s fellowship advisor.

School of Communication undergraduate student Caroline Inderlied (Journalism) and alumna Sydney Hunnell (Media Studies) received awards for the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s 39th Gold Circle Awards program. Caroline won first place in the “Non-fiction Interview” category for collegiate student magazines for her article, “Stepping off the Sidelines,” where she wrote about a young woman working in the male-dominated world of sports broadcasting. Sydney won a Certificate of Merit in the “Non-fiction Article” category for collegiate student magazines for her article, “The Invisible Illness,” where she wrote about a college student in recovery from a substance abuse disorder. Both articles were published within the School of Communication’s student magazine, Countenance, which has received several awards for its written articles and design. Countenance is a general long-form feature magazine produced by students in the Fall Feature Writing class and the Spring Desktop Publishing class since 2017.

School of Music Assistant Professor Virginia Driscoll (Music Therapy) received the regional Research Award for the Southeastern Regional American Music Therapy Association (SER-AMTA) Conference March 23-26. Dr. Driscoll and nine undergraduate students presented at the conference. The students included Raley Pope, Katja Beebe, Kamryn Cox, Guy Divon, Alejandra Ferretiz, Emma Golomb, Raegan Knox, Zach Palma, and Rachel Vaughn. Together they wrote a grant funded by REDE and the Office of Undergraduate Research. The poster presentations at the conference emerged from that research.

Guest artist Donna Vaughn, pictured front row, fourth from left, with students.

The School of Theatre and Dance welcomed guest artist Donna Vaughn March 14-16. Vaughn is a former student of SOTD Director Jayme Host from George Washington Carver Center, a performing arts high school in Towson, MD. After studying dance and graduating from Virginia Commonwealth University, Vaughn danced with Hubbard Street 2 and DanceWorks Chicago in national and international performances. Vaughn has been in numerous shows including the Tony award winning Disney’s The Lion King and a variety of commercials, ads, award shows, and Jill Scott’s music video, “Back Together.” Vaughn teaches in workshops, institutions, and studios and is the founder of Dynamix Works, a professional training workshop. While at ECU, Vaughn taught a variety of classes including Advanced Modern: Jazz and Music Theatre Majors.

HEALTH & HUMAN PERFORMANCE

The Academy of Leisure Sciences annual conference on research and teaching included an award selection for Edwin Gomez, Chair of the ECU Department of Recreation Sciences. Gomez earned the Excellence in Teaching award, which included criteria of outstanding ability as a teacher of leisure services over one’s career, including quality of teaching, academic advising, campus participation and involvement, and previous teaching awards. The organization also highlighted how Gomez incorporated his neighborhood parks and recreation research and activism into opportunities for student learning.

Dr. Angela Lamson, a Nancy W. Darden Distinguished Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Science, was presented the ECU Research & Creative Activity Lifetime Achievement Award. More on her and the award is in this news story, which includes a video segment and highlights how Lamson in 2005 helped ECU create the first doctoral program in medical family therapy.

The Department of Recreation Sciences earned the 2022 ECU Diversity and Inclusion (Group) Award. Faculty members Emily Yeager, Deb Jordan, David Loy and Cari Autry were featured in the nomination. A diversity course within the department also was featured, as well as initiatives by professors Matthew Fish and Lori Ann Eldridge.

Two HHP professors received new funding for research related to the American Athletic Conference: Dr. Christine Habeeb, “Student-Athlete Mental Health: Utilizing Teammates to Foster Help-Seeking” – AAC - American Athletic Conference; Dr. Stacy Warner, “Empowering Unrepresented College Athlete Voices” – AAC - American Athletic Conference.

INTEGRATED COASTAL PROGRAMS

L-R: Jo Williams, Janet Barker George Bonner, Lindsay Dubbs, Mike Muglia

Outer Banks Woman’s Club (OBWC) delivered a $500 check to CSI in support of the kick-off of the Department of Energy’s Waves to Water Prize. The co-chairs for the Environment Community Service Board OBWC hand-delivered the check to the leadership team of the NC Renewable Ocean Energy Program, George Bonner (Director, NCSU), Dr. Lindsay Dubbs (Associate Director, UNC-CH), and Mike Muglia (Assistant Director of Science & Research, ECU).

Dr. Nadine Heck (second from left) at the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center.

Nadine Heck (Assistant Professor, DCS) participated in an expert workshop on Mangrove Science for Action - How Threats and National Governance shape Mangrove Conservation outcomes at the NSF funded National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC) in Annapolis. The workshop was organized by mangrove conservation leaders at WWF USA and Griffith University in Australia. The project explores how different threat levels and national governance contexts affect mangrove conservation outcomes at the global and protected area scale. The international working group includes a mix of academics, legal scholars, conservation practitioners, and government institutions to generate actionable science on mangrove conservation.

Dr. Sean Charles (center) standing in what used to be a mangrove forest. Now, all of the plants and soil are gone (much of it to carbon dioxide), and the water is a meter deep in the middle of the pond. Unfortunately, because of these factors, the mangroves are unlikely to come back.

Drs. David Lagomasino (Assistant Professor, DCS), who leads the CSI’s Coasts & Oceans Observing Lab, and Sean Charles, a postdoctoral scholar at CSI, are co-authors on a recent publication in the journal Environmental Research Letters entitled, “A review of carbon monitoring in wet carbon systems using remote sensing.” The paper focuses on environments known as wet carbon ecosystems that have properties that allow them to sequester carbon, taking it from the atmosphere and storing it instead…an important process in a time of changing climate and increasing global temperatures. Read more HERE.

Before the HERO WEC could begin pumping water back to the pier to be desalinated, the device first had to be lifted over the side of the pier. The operation called for all hands on deck.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) and administered by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the Waves to Water Prize is a five-stage, $3.3 million competition. CSI and Jennette’s Pier are hosting the DRINK Finale and have been gearing up for the event over the last two years. The four competing teams arrived in late March, assembled their devices, answered questions during a public event showcasing their work, and have pitched their designs to investors. The stakes are high as the DRINK Finale kicked off on March 30. The devices will be deployed for five days in April in the energetic Atlantic Ocean off of Jennette’s Pier as the weather cooperates, and $1 million in awards is up for grabs! The grand prize winners will receive $500,000, and additional prizes totaling $500,000 will also be awarded for other individual metrics. Learn more about the remaining teams and their devices in this video.

Dr. Rachel Gittman (Assistant Professor, Biology, CSI) was recently featured by The U.S. Coastal Research Program for a Women in Science series, which can be found HERE. The article is entitled “From Conquering Obstacles to Teaching the Next Generation” and was written by Christina Alagna, published on March 10, 2022.

The lab is currently funded by the U.S. Coastal Research Program and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers through a 3-year grant to Gittman and Sid Narayan for a project entitled “Evaluating the Coastal Protection and Ecological Co-Benefits of Novel Marsh-Oyster Restoration Approaches.” Two ICS students, Megan Geesin and Georgette Tso, and two Biology M.S. students, Nina Woodard and Anna Albright, are conducting research funded by this grant.

Lagomasino (3rd from right) and team after a day in the field.

David Lagomasino (Assistant Professor, DCS) led a team of 17 researchers from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, University of Maryland, Yale University, and ECU on a field campaign across the coastal zone of South Florida. The team split up to collect information on greenhouse gas emissions and forest recovery in mangrove wetlands across a gradient human and hurricane related disturbances.

The project is supported by the NASA Carbon Monitoring System Program, a unique program that connects satellite-based models with stakeholder decision making. The teams are working with Everglades National Park, the Everglades Foundation, along with other conservation groups in the Caribbean to address climate impacts on coastal communities. The project is led by Dr. Ben Poulter of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and supported by Co-Investigators, Lola Fatoyinbo (NASA Goddard), Peter Raymond (Yale University), and David Lagomasino (ECU).

LIBRARIES

Featured now in the Janice Hardison Faulkner Gallery are a variety of historical photographs to view and read accompanying facts. On loan from the Museum of the Albemarle is Look Again: Discovering Historical Photos, consisting of reprints of photographs highlighting the evolution of the photographic process from the end of the 19th century through the 20th century. Academic Library Service employees Patrick Cash and Larry Houston also curated an accompanying exhibit of photographs, including some of the oldest and rarest images found in ECU Special Collections.

A library forum, titled The Chosen, was led by employees Lisa Barricella and Cindy Shirkey to give insight into course adopted textbooks and streaming video services provided by ECU Libraries. Barricella and Shirkey broke down how cost savings are calculated for students in various class sizes, and they provided insight on how materials are chosen to be made available and what factors play a role in those decisions. More on course reserves and other services to faculty can be found HERE.

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