URI Friends of Oceanography Awards Graduate Fellowship
to Portsmouth Resident
Narragansett, R.I. -- November 16, 2000 -- Friends of Oceanography at
the URI Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) recently awarded its annual
fellowship to Heather Saffert of Portsmouth.
Saffert is pursuing a doctoral degree in biological oceanography. As
part of her graduate research, she is developing, with industry partner,
SubChem Systems, Inc., of Jamestown, a new remotely-deployed instrument
to monitor water quality. The instrument, placed on a mooring buoy, will
collect and transmit near real-time data on the abundance of sewage-derived
bacteria in marine waters via satellite to the Internet. She plans to test
the instrument by conducting water quality studies in Narragansett Bay.
Her major professor is GSO biological oceanographer Dr. David Smith.
"The Friends of Oceanography Fellowship has given me the opportunity
to advance my education and begin an innovative research project,"
said Saffert. "I deeply appreciate all the support and encouragement
I have received. I hope to contribute to the field of marine microbial ecology
and to improving water quality monitoring and management."
A native of Burnsville, Minnesota, Saffert attended Wesleyan University
in Middletown, Connecticut, where she received a B.A. in biology with honors.
Prior to attending GSO, she worked for three years as a marine scientist
at Science Applications International Corporation in Newport.
Established in 1985 to support and promote the activities of the URI
Graduate School of Oceanography, Friends of Oceanography informs and educates
the membership and the general public about the scientific, technological,
and environmental research that takes place at GSO. The organization sponsors
public lectures, open houses, marine-related mini-courses, science cruises
on Narragansett Bay, and an annual auction. The Friends office is located
in the Coastal Institute building on URI's Narragansett Bay Campus. For
information about Friends of Oceanography, call 874-6602.
Visit the URI Graduate School of Oceanography website:
www.gso.uri.edu
Contact: Lisa Cugini, 874-6642, lcugini@gso.uri.edu
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