|
MMES - Student Profiles
2012 MMES Students
Katie Baltzer
I received my B.S. in Marine Biology and General Biology with a minor in music in 2009 from Southwestern College in Winfield, KS. Although I am a small-town farm girl, I had the opportunity to study and research at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, the University of Notre Dame, and James Cook University in Australia focusing on a variety of subjects. After graduating, I visited friends around the world and began working as a microbiologist for a pharmaceuticals manufacturer. After about two years, I decided that it was not for me and it was time to pursue a graduate degree at UVI. While at UVI I am particularly interested in behavioral studies and the effects of toxins on marine organisms. In my free time I enjoy swimming, diving, hiking, music, and travelling around the world. |
|
|
|
Victor Brandtneris
|
|
|
|
Rosmin Ennis
I am from New Hampshire, but I got my B.S. in marine biology with a minor in oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. While in Rhode Island, I worked with chlorophyll and nutrients of Narragansett Bay in the Marine Ecosystems Research Lab at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography. My primary focus was the reduction of nutrients from wastewater treatment facilities in the Narragansett Bay watershed. I also had the opportunity to study abroad at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences. While in Bermuda, I worked with the nematocysts of upside down jellyfish and siphonophores. It was also there that I became more interested in coral reef ecosystems. Upon graduation, I continued working in the Marine Ecosystems Research Lab, but eventually shifted my focus instead to the effects of stress hormones on the development of larval summer flounder. I finally left Rhode Island and moved down to St. Thomas to start the MMES Program. I am interested in studying the impacts of water quality on coral communities. |
|
|
|
Howard Forbes
I was born on the island of St. Croix. I obtained a B.S. degree in Biology from the University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas). While at UVI, I was a MARC scholar, which afforded me the opportunity to conduct research at UVI as well as at other institutions such as Rutgers University. However, I did most of my research though with Dr. LaVerne Brown at UVI, where I was interested in determining if synergy could be exhibited when you fractionate ethno-medical preparations. Living in the Virgin Islands is ideal for the research interests that I have considering that there exists both anecdotal and documented literature on the numerous medicinal plants that are used here. I applied to UVI to the Masters in Marine Environmental Sciences Program to continue my research and further develop my understanding of Caribbean traditional medicine from both the perspectives of chemistry and natural resource management. |
|
|
|
Jon Jossard
Jon grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he earned his BS degree with a double major in History and Environmental Science from Wisconsin Lutheran College. While there, he was able to do freshwater research on Wisconsin’s lakes and streams, as well as travel around the world studying History, Archeology, and Marine Ecology. After graduation due to poor planning and impulsivity he ended up teaching English in Yinchuan, China, for a year before going to graduate school. Having done biological monitoring work in the Caribbean, and having heard about the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) at a Scientific Conference in Costa Rica, he decided that UVI would be an ideal place to pursue a master’s degree. He is earning a master’s degree to bolster his background in science, so he can conduct scientific research. |
|
|
|
Jennifer Kisabeth
Jen completed her undergraduate degree in 2012 at Coastal Carolina University with a major in marine science and a minor in environmental science. As an undergrad she greatly valued all of her hands-on learning experiences including numerous labs held in the marsh, at the beach, and on the water collecting and analyzing samples. While attending CCU Jen was able to travel to Discovery Bay, Jamaica once for a coral reef ecology course and a second time to assist a graduate student with lionfish research. Jen’s undergraduate research was on the covering response of Lytechinus variegatus as well as a senior thesis on the timing and intensity of Crassostrea virginica spat across a spatial and temporal scale. She decided to attend UVI after meeting a UVI graduate student in Discovery Bay. Jen wants to pursue a master’s degree because she would like to further her education and gather skills to help her succeed in her future careers. Jen’s current research interest is on stressors of Acropora palmata outcrops, including predation by Coralliophila abbreviata. In her free time Jen enjoys scuba diving, swimming, and camping. |
|
|
|
Wesley McSparin
I graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.S. in Biology in the Spring of 2011. I then worked as a lab technician for a plant pathology lab at UK for the next year until I was accepted into the MMES program here at UVI. I’m not completely decided on my thesis but I’m interested in doing molecular and physiological testing on Caribbean organisms to find a suitable marine model for Cystic Fibrosis research. Outside of school I like to snorkel, run/exercise and read novels. |
|
| |
|
Maggie Rios
I graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and a minor in Biology. I am originally from Southern California and have always had a love for all things marine. In 2010, I spent about five months in Monteverde, Costa Rica for a study abroad program in which I participated in an Internship with ProNativas, an NGO that is interested in doing educational outreach about the importance of native plant species in Costa Rica. I conducted a baseline study for the organization on the potential of invasive plant species in Monteverde. Through this opportunity, I was also able to participate in some other research opportunities that took me to the coast. This is where my interest in Lionfish was sparked. I am interested in looking at the affect of Lionfish (pterois miles and pterois volitans) on local coral reef communities here in the Caribbean. |
|
| |
|
Moriah Sevier
Moriah is the 2012-13 MMES student representative.
Moriah Sevier grew up in the redwoods of Northern California. She moved to Santa Cruz California in order to attend Cabrillo Community College and University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC). Her studies were focused on temperate marine systems including kelp forests. She graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in two areas: Marine Biology and Ecology & Evolution. After graduation she spent three years working as an independent contractor, a SCUBA technician for UCSC, a mooring technician with Oregon State University, and as a laboratory technician at Cabrillo Community College. She also spent four months as a lab and field volunteer studying the effects of nutrient input in the coralline system for a PhD student in Curacao at the Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity field station. Moriah has decided to attend University of Virgin Islands (UVI) and enter the Masters of Marine and Environmental Science (MMES) program because it offers her the opportunity to further her understanding of warm water ecosystems. The beautiful island, small cohort size, fantastic professors, and the chance develop her own research project all influenced her decision to study at UVI. For her thesis she is interested in studying land sea interactions, specifically the relationship between gorgonian disease and anthropogenic inputs into the marine realm.
|
|
| |
|
Kayla Tennent
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Katie Baltzer
I received my B.S. in Marine Biology and General Biology with a minor in music in 2009 from Southwestern College in Winfield, KS. Although I am a small-town farm girl, I had the opportunity to study and research at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology, the University of Notre Dame, and James Cook University in Australia focusing on a variety of subjects. After graduating, I visited friends around the world and began working as a microbiologist for a pharmaceuticals manufacturer. After about two years, I decided that it was not for me and it was time to pursue a graduate degree at UVI. While at UVI I am particularly interested in behavioral studies and the effects of toxins on marine organisms. In my free time I enjoy swimming, diving, hiking, music, and travelling around the world. |
|
|
|
Victor Brandtneris
|
|
|
|
Rosmin Ennis
I am from New Hampshire, but I got my B.S. in marine biology with a minor in oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. While in Rhode Island, I worked with chlorophyll and nutrients of Narragansett Bay in the Marine Ecosystems Research Lab at the URI Graduate School of Oceanography. My primary focus was the reduction of nutrients from wastewater treatment facilities in the Narragansett Bay watershed. I also had the opportunity to study abroad at the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences. While in Bermuda, I worked with the nematocysts of upside down jellyfish and siphonophores. It was also there that I became more interested in coral reef ecosystems. Upon graduation, I continued working in the Marine Ecosystems Research Lab, but eventually shifted my focus instead to the effects of stress hormones on the development of larval summer flounder. I finally left Rhode Island and moved down to St. Thomas to start the MMES Program. I am interested in studying the impacts of water quality on coral communities. |
|
|
|
Howard Forbes
I was born on the island of St. Croix. I obtained a B.S. degree in Biology from the University of the Virgin Islands (St. Thomas). While at UVI, I was a MARC scholar, which afforded me the opportunity to conduct research at UVI as well as at other institutions such as Rutgers University. However, I did most of my research though with Dr. LaVerne Brown at UVI, where I was interested in determining if synergy could be exhibited when you fractionate ethno-medical preparations. Living in the Virgin Islands is ideal for the research interests that I have considering that there exists both anecdotal and documented literature on the numerous medicinal plants that are used here. I applied to UVI to the Masters in Marine Environmental Sciences Program to continue my research and further develop my understanding of Caribbean traditional medicine from both the perspectives of chemistry and natural resource management. |
|
|
|
Jon Jossard
Jon grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he earned his BS degree with a double major in History and Environmental Science from Wisconsin Lutheran College. While there, he was able to do freshwater research on Wisconsin’s lakes and streams, as well as travel around the world studying History, Archeology, and Marine Ecology. After graduation due to poor planning and impulsivity he ended up teaching English in Yinchuan, China, for a year before going to graduate school. Having done biological monitoring work in the Caribbean, and having heard about the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) at a Scientific Conference in Costa Rica, he decided that UVI would be an ideal place to pursue a master’s degree. He is earning a master’s degree to bolster his background in science, so he can conduct scientific research. |
|
|
|
Jennifer Kisabeth
Jen completed her undergraduate degree in 2012 at Coastal Carolina University with a major in marine science and a minor in environmental science. As an undergrad she greatly valued all of her hands-on learning experiences including numerous labs held in the marsh, at the beach, and on the water collecting and analyzing samples. While attending CCU Jen was able to travel to Discovery Bay, Jamaica once for a coral reef ecology course and a second time to assist a graduate student with lionfish research. Jen’s undergraduate research was on the covering response of Lytechinus variegatus as well as a senior thesis on the timing and intensity of Crassostrea virginica spat across a spatial and temporal scale. She decided to attend UVI after meeting a UVI graduate student in Discovery Bay. Jen wants to pursue a master’s degree because she would like to further her education and gather skills to help her succeed in her future careers. Jen’s current research interest is on stressors of Acropora palmata outcrops, including predation by Coralliophila abbreviata. In her free time Jen enjoys scuba diving, swimming, and camping. |
|
|
|
Wesley McSparin
I graduated from the University of Kentucky with a B.S. in Biology in the Spring of 2011. I then worked as a lab technician for a plant pathology lab at UK for the next year until I was accepted into the MMES program here at UVI. I’m not completely decided on my thesis but I’m interested in doing molecular and physiological testing on Caribbean organisms to find a suitable marine model for Cystic Fibrosis research. Outside of school I like to snorkel, run/exercise and read novels.
|
|
| |
|
Maggie Rios
I graduated from Northern Arizona University with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies and a minor in Biology. I am originally from Southern California and have always had a love for all things marine. In 2010, I spent about five months in Monteverde, Costa Rica for a study abroad program in which I participated in an Internship with ProNativas, an NGO that is interested in doing educational outreach about the importance of native plant species in Costa Rica. I conducted a baseline study for the organization on the potential of invasive plant species in Monteverde. Through this opportunity, I was also able to participate in some other research opportunities that took me to the coast. This is where my interest in Lionfish was sparked. I am interested in looking at the affect of Lionfish (pterois miles and pterois volitans) on local coral reef communities here in the Caribbean.
|
|
| |
|
Moriah Sevier
Moriah is the 2012-13 MMES student representative.
Moriah Sevier grew up in the redwoods of Northern California. She moved to Santa Cruz California in order to attend Cabrillo Community College and University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC). Her studies were focused on temperate marine systems including kelp forests. She graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor of Science in two areas: Marine Biology and Ecology & Evolution. After graduation she spent three years working as an independent contractor, a SCUBA technician for UCSC, a mooring technician with Oregon State University, and as a laboratory technician at Cabrillo Community College. She also spent four months as a lab and field volunteer studying the effects of nutrient input in the coralline system for a PhD student in Curacao at the Caribbean Research and Management of Biodiversity field station. Moriah has decided to attend University of Virgin Islands (UVI) and enter the Masters of Marine and Environmental Science (MMES) program because it offers her the opportunity to further her understanding of warm water ecosystems. The beautiful island, small cohort size, fantastic professors, and the chance develop her own research project all influenced her decision to study at UVI. For her thesis she is interested in studying land sea interactions, specifically the relationship between gorgonian disease and anthropogenic inputs into the marine realm.
|
|
|