The Marine Science Center is proud to announce the successful PhD dissertation defense of seven graduate students in the past year: Althea Moore, Nicholas Colvard, Jennifer Elliot, Sarah Gignoux-Wolfsohn, Lara Lewis-McGrath, Christine Ramsay-Newton, and Lin Zhu. Upon successful defense of their dissertations, these students earned doctorate degrees as successful graduates of Northeastern’s Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology PhD program.
Dr. Althea Moore’s work was based in Florida and focused on how abiotic and biotic factors influence species interactions in ecosystems such as salt marshes and mangrove forests. Working with Assistant Professor Randall Hughes, Althea used laboratory and field observations and manipulations to investigate symbiotic interactions between marsh plants and various fungal and animal cohabitants. Her research advanced understanding of the ways in which environmental stressors, including those associated with climate change, influence these important, but threatened, coastal habitats. Through her involvement in Graduate Student Government, Althea made her mark at the MSC during her short time here, having moved from Florida mid-way through her PhD when the Hughes lab relocated to Northeastern in 2013. Althea helped to start an official Marine Science Center Graduate Student group, and facilitated regular student gatherings for discussion and professional development. She also spearheaded the development of an MSC Sustainability Plan, and helped to connect MSC leadership with sustainability leaders on the Boston Campus. Althea defended her dissertation in June 2016.
A student of Professor Brian Helmuith, Dr. Nick Covlard’s research focused on how marine algae respond to stressors in the intertidal environment, including temperature, humidity, oxygen production, and grazing. These algae are important foundation species, providing a habitat and stress relief for intertidal organisms, and serving as the base of the food web in coastal ecosystems. Colvard’s work provides for a comprehensive understanding of energy allocation and development in these ecologically important primary producers. Nick was involved in outreach efforts during this time at the MSC and enjoyed speaking with visiting student groups about research in the Helmuth Lab. Additionally, Nick advanced public appreciation of the marine environment during this role as a surface support diver during Fabien Cousteau’s Mission 31 Project on the Aquarius underwater laboratory off the coast of the Florida Keys. Nick’s research efforts and involvement earned him a Dissertation Completion Grant during his last year of graduate school. Colvard defended his dissertation in May 2016.
Dr. Jennifer Elliott studied the impacts of human development, and an invasive sponge species on the benthic community structure of a fringing coral reef. Elliott worked with Professor Mark Patterson, and her work was based in her native country of Mauritius. Her research used historical datasets, field surveys, and laboratory manipulations to understand the tempo and scale of changes in Mauritius. The first part of her work investigated the spatiotemporal trends in the benthic community structure and stability, and also aimed at discriminating between the effects of four local and four global stressors on the coral reef communities. The second part of her work addressed aspects of the autoecology of Terpios hoshinota, a coral-killing sponge likely to be a recent arrival in Mauritius. Elliot’s influential work earned her a Dissertation Completion Grant during her last semester of graduate school. Elliott defended her dissertation in March 2016.
A student of Associate Professor Steven Vollmer, Dr. Sarah Gignoux-Wolfsohn’s worked focused on using emerging genetic techniques to identify bacteria associated with the Caribbean staghorn coral affected by white band disease. Sarah’s field work was based at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panana, where she was actively involved in the Three Seas Program as a Teaching Assistant. During her dissertation work, Sarah raised money for her research, while also raising public awareness about the plight of corals, with a successful crowd funding campaign. Sarah was actively involved in outreach efforts during her graduate studies, and coordinated marine debris art projects at several MSC Open House events. Sarah’s meaningful research earned her a Dissertation Completion Grant in Spring 2016. Sarah defended her dissertation in April 2016, and her work advanced our understanding of the causes and consequences of disease in corals, which will aid in future efforts to conserve and manage these important reef-building animals. Sarah will begin a postdoctoral fellowship at Rutgers University in September.
Dr. Lara Lewis-McGrath’s research focused on in gene expression in our local decapod, the American Lobster. During her dissertation work with Professor Joseph Ayers, Lara used transcriptomic techniques to identify differences in gene expression in different organs of individual animals, and also in animals exposed to different environmental conditions. Lara’s work provided foundational knowledge on this ecologically and economically important crustacean, and also advanced transriptomic methods in her field. During her graduate studies, Lara was also actively involved in student-life at Northeastern, serving as elected Vice President for Academic Affairs in the Graduate Student Senate and being recognized for her work on enhancing graduate student life and involvement at the MSC with the Provost’s award for Graduate Community Service. Lara defended her dissertation in September 2015 and is currently a postdoctoral scientist in bioinformatics and translational medicine at AstraZeneca.
During her dissertation, Dr. Christine Ramsay-Newton studied the invasion strategies the invasive seaweed, Daysiphonia (formerly Heterosiphonia) japonica and its invasion in the western North Atlantic. Christine worked with Dr. Matthew Bracken and MSC Assistant Professor Randall Hughes. The subtidal surveys and field and laboratory experiments she conducted during her dissertation helped advance understanding of invasive algae and their ecological roles in invaded habitats. Christine’s work is highly collaborative, and her PhD research was completed in partnership with University of Rhode Island researchers with whom she had worked during her Master’s research, which also focused on invasive algae. Christine made outreach an important part of her graduate work, via several projects with the University of Rhode Island and at the MSC, including a research-based summer experience at the MSC for students from the KIPP Academy Lynn. In recognition of Christine’s hard work and contributions to the field, she received the Cheney Scholarship in 2013, an award made possible by the generous contribution of MSC Emeritus Professor Donald Cheney. Christine defended her dissertation in April 2015 and is currently an Assistant Professor at Mitchell College.
Dr. Lin Zhu’s work used electrophysiology and genetic techniques to better understand the mechanisms at play within the nervous system of the American lobster. Lin worked with Professor Joseph Ayers and her research contributed to an important body of knowledge this ecologically and economically important species. Lin defended her dissertation in July 2015 and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
The Marine Science Center faculty and staff are proud to congratulate these graduates on their scholarly achievements, and wish them the best of luck as they continue on to future opportunities.
