CofC Graduate Program in Environmental Studies

Congratulations to our EVSS students who attended the SC Sea Grant Research Symposium at the Citadel May 11-12! Pictured here Jackson Barratt Heitmann, Judy Taylor, and Kayla Squiggins. Great work! @scseagrant

We’d like to highlight EVSS Alumni Zach Spencer! Zach is currently working for the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Chief Readiness Support Officer where he is part of a team that uses GIS and data analysis to enable the DHS mission! Great job Zach!

@jetblackzach

Congrats to our 2 EVSS students who attended the CSETAC annual meeting this Thursday and Friday!

Caroline Moore: “Characterization of microplastics in particle capture devices installed in storm drains in Mount Pleasant, SC”

Kayli’s Paterson: “Changes in tire wear particle properties from roadway sources through storm sewer systems”

Congrats to Caroline for winning 2nd place poster in the Graduate/Post-masters/Post-bacc category and a $125 award! Great work!! 👏🏻❤️🔬

Congratulations to Judy Taylor who today successfully defended her thesis, "Where the Seawall Ends: A Participatory and Spatial Analysis Into Potential Impacts of the Proposed Charleston Seawall on the Neck Communities." We had a full in-person room and 28 participants over zoom. To see the community-based presentation of her work, check out this Story Map she created as part of her work: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/850419153fb7414391c692fc3a0a794f

Shoutout to our EVSS Alumni Sam Norton (‘21) who was recently featured on the CofC Podcast and YouTube channel! After completing his masters degree, Sam opened his own business Heron Farms here in Charleston! Heron Farms, the world’s first indoor vertical saltwater farm, produces sea beans (aka sea pickles or Gatorade grass) without any natural sunlight or freshwater. Norton says the sea beans “taste like the ocean” and can be used as a salt substitute when cooking. 🌱🌊👏🏻❤️ You can read the full article and listen to the podcast at today.CofC.edu/2022/03/21/heron-farms-Sam-Norton/

Follow @heronfarms for more photos!

Happy ! Today we are highlighting an EVSS Alumni Cheryl Carmack!

Cheryl currently works as the Staff Scientist and Volunteer Coordinator for Charleston Waterkeeper. While in the EVSS Program, she did an internship with Charleston Waterkeeper in which she developed their first water quality monitoring program. This included writing a quality assurance project plan that was approved by DHEC, getting the laboratory equipped and certified, and getting the program launched and operational. Cheryl was hired by Charleston Waterkeeper upon graduating, after having interned for 2 years during her time in EVSS. Her advice to current students would be to network! You can get involved with Charleston Waterkeeper and view volunteering events by visiting charlestonwaterkeeper.org/volunteer

@cofcalumni @chaswaterkeeper

Shoutout to our 3 EVSS student who presented their research at the 16th annual Graduate Research Poster Session!

Jackson Barrett-Heitmann, “Are Ephemeral Wetlands Hotspots for Avian Biodiversity in Pine Savannah Ecosystems”

Judy Taylor, “Where the Seawall Ends: A Participatory and Spatial Analysis into Potential Impacts of the Proposed Charleston Seawall on Upper Peninsula Environmental Justice Communities”

Kayli Paterson, “From the Streets to the Streams: Tracking Tire Wear Particles from Roadways Through Stormsewer Inlet Devices in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina”

Congratulations to Jackson for winning the Sciences, Math, and Business category and a $500 award! 👏🏻❤️

@cofcgradschool @cofc_messa

Happy Friday! Today we will be highlighting Dr. Matt Nowlin, professor of @cofcmpa and our Concurrent Program!!

🐢🏝

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Marine Turtle Conservation Program is now accepting applications for two technician positions during the 2022 sea turtle nesting season. Check out the SC SNR website for more information, or email [email protected].

This job is also posted on our EVSS website under the job board! @scdnr

Current EVSS student Shelly is working on her thesis regarding sea level rise and flooding policies and education! 🌊📝🎉

is a faculty highlight on Leslie Hart!
Dr Leslie Hart has been a faculty member at CofC for 7 years, and she is also an alumni (‘03) of the EVSS program! Dr. Hart most recently working with EVSS alumni Miranda Dziobak on her thesis, and continues to work on research regarding micro plastics in bottlenose dolphins. 🐬🌊☀️

EVSS Alumni Kelsey McClellan has been working as a coastal management fellow for NOAA in the Saipan Islands! She shares some of her favorite parts about the program and advice for current students! Congrats Kelsey 💕🏝🐠 @kels.mcclellan @noaa

@cofcalumni

Happy 🥳🥳 today we are featuring current EVSS student Kayla Squiggins!! Kayla has been working on her thesis with Dr Vijay Vulava, researching antibiotic resistance presence in storm water throughout Charleston. Pictured above, Kayla is sampling storm water from the city.

We want to invite everyone to our Halloween fundraising event this Saturday October 30th with MESSA!!!!👻🎃 anyone is welcome to come, bring your friends and family!! A portion of the money will go toward messa funds to help with student research!!! We can’t wait to see everyone’s costumes, there will be prizes!! 🥳🧡🍫🍬

Current EVSS student Jackson has been working on his thesis project looking at how disturbances impact avian biodiversity and community composition in ephemeral wetlands. Jackson was awarded a Research Assistantship stipend of $13,200 for 2 semesters to help fund his research 👏🏻🌿🦜

🌳 last weekend some of our students participated in an Adopt-A-Highway cleanup in West Ashley! Thank you @cofc_messa for organizing this event 🪴🛣

Some of students worked on building gardens at the woodlands this week! They turned out great, nice work! 🔨🔧🪚🌳🌱🌷🌼🌸✨❤️

✨ Last Saturday the College of Charleston hosted a Gullah/Geechee afternoon of Artistry outside in our SSMB building courtyard! This event featured Artist Quadré Stuckey, Elder Carlie Towne, De African Spirit Declean, Poetress Georgia Nubia, and Songtress Loraine Singleton. They were selling some really cool jewelry, apparel, and other items at the event as well!

This weeks goes to @cofc_messa On September 18th some of our EVSS students volunteered to help clean up one of the most iconic spots in Charleston at the Joe Riley Waterfront Park! Thank you MESSA for hosting this amazing event & thanks to all our students who came out!

Current EVSS student Kelli Coleman will be defending her thesis on Friday Oct 8th at 10:30am via zoom! Anyone is welcome to join and support her 👏🏻 the zoom link will be sent out next week before the thesis. Congrats Kelli & good luck! We hope to see you all there!

Our program coordinator Lucy Davis was recently featured in the CofC Today newspaper! In the article Lucy talks about her position and responsibilities as the EVSS program coordinator, as well as some of her hobbies and favorite places in Charleston! We are so grateful to have Lucy offer her guidance to students throughout the program! Check out the full article: https://today.cofc.edu/2021/09/16/cofc-faces-to-know-lucy-davis-fs/

This weeks goes to EVSS Alumni Chelsea Acres ‘18! Chelsea was featured in the CofC Today newspaper for her work with rare and endangered species. Chelsea is currently working in Austin, TX with the Texas Parks and Wildlife department as a rare and listed species grant coordinator. She helps organize and review grants, and manages projects for the whole state. Chelsea loves that she gets to directly impact wildlife conservation within the state. Great work, Chelsea!

Welcome back EVSSers! We hope your fall semester is off to a great start! On August 23rd we held our new student orientation at the Stono Preserve and welcomed our Fall 2021 Cohorts! Alumni, faculty, and current students were also in attendance to provide guidance for our new students! Congratulations and we wish you all a successful year!

Now Open: FY 2022 Grant Opportunity for Marine Debris Prevention Projects | OR&R's Marine Debris Program

FY 2022 Grant Opportunity for Marine Debris Prevention Projects!
"NOAA will fund prevention projects that actively engage and educate a target audience (such as students, teachers, industries, etc.) in hands-on programs designed to raise awareness, reduce barriers to marine debris prevention, and encourage and support changes in behaviors to ensure long-term prevention of marine debris."
https://blog.marinedebris.noaa.gov/now-open-fy-2022-grant-opportunity-marine-debris-prevention-projects?fbclid=IwAR2jXiKSy--C6aREdGwLzG8AemHCYULCPvWsFNMsjjmlc8dpEz5lk17UiKE

Now Open: FY 2022 Grant Opportunity for Marine Debris Prevention Projects | OR&R's Marine Debris Program Posted Fri, 09/10/2021 - 10:33 Single-use plastics removed from the Great Lakes (Photo: NOAA).The NOAA Marine Debris Program is proud to announce our FY 2022 Marine Debris Prevention notice of funding opportunity. NOAA will fund prevention projects that actively engage and educate a target audience....

Heading out to the beach for this Field Friday on Nolan Schillerstrom! Nolan, a current student and Coastal Program Associate at Audubon South Carolina, is studying Rufa Red Knot shorebirds to evaluate existing conservation strategies on an island in South Carolina and to test social marketing as a new tool for changing human behaviors on the beach. Signage and education are the primary conservation strategies used to minimize human disturbance, but the species continues to decline. His project, titled “Social Marketing as a Tool to Reduce Human Disturbance to Federally Threatened Rufa Red Knot (Calidris canatus rufa)”, recognizes that community-based social marketing has potential to be a new and more effective tool for shorebird conservation. He is advised by Dr. Melissa Hughes. You can register to watch Nolan’s thesis defense on Tuesday, May 11th using the link in our bio!