Lead North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies
Unit at the University of Rhode Island
Narragansett, RI — February 18, 2002 — After a national search, the National Park Service has chosen Dr. Charles Roman of East Greenwich to lead the North Atlantic Coast Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit (NAC-CESU) as senior scientist and research coordinator. Roman, who previously worked for the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) at the University of Rhode Island, assumed his duties for CESU at URI, the host institution, on January 1, 2002.
Following a competitive process, URI was selected as host university of the North Atlantic Coast CESU in 1999. The CESU is part of a national network of programs established to provide research, technical assistance and education to federal land management agencies. In addition to the National Park Service, the USGS and US Environmental Protection Agency serve as federal partners in the North Atlantic Coast CESU. The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Rutgers University, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst are existing University partners.
“This is wonderful news for the CESU and the University,” said Coastal Institute Director Peter August. “Charley has been a leader in developing the national CESU vision and has been a key partner in forging a mission and plan for the North Atlantic Coast CESU. He has superb knowledge of the environmental issues facing federal coastal properties in the northeastern United States, especially National Park Service units. He is an accomplished coastal wetland ecologist and has been a productive member of the URI Graduate School of Oceanography academic community for over a decade.”
Roman earned a B.S. in resource development from the University of Rhode Island, an M.A. in botany from Connecticut College, and a Ph.D. in marine studies from the University of Delaware. He serves on editorial boards for several professional journals and on several executive committees, including the New England Estuarine Research Society. He is the author of more than sixty articles and reports pertaining to his research on coastal ecosystems and has coedited a book on estuaries.
Contact: Lisa Cugini, 401-874-6642, lcugini@gso.uri.edu