The 13th installment of the Currents, Waves and Turbulence Measurement (CWTM) Workshop concluded with great success, showcasing cutting-edge research and innovations in the field. Among the highlights of the event was the presentation of the Best Student Paper Award, recognizing outstanding contributions from young researchers.  This year, the prestigious award went to Rutgers undergraduate student Brendan Henley for his paper titled “Determining the Seasonality of Oceanic eDNA Source Waters”. The paper, selected from a pool of highly competitive submissions, impressed the judges with its novel approach and significant impact on the intersection of physical and biological oceanography. Brendan’s work focused on determining the distance water could travel in the coastal ocean over a 24-hour period.  The analysis was grouped by season and provides context to the environmental DNA sampling that is taking place off New Jersey as part of the NJDEP  Research and Monitoring Initiative.   The goal of the RMI is to ensure that as New Jersey moves towards a clean energy economy, we also adhere to our mandate to protect and responsibly manage New Jersey’s coastal & marine resources.  Brendan’s coauthors included Josh Kohut, Tim Stolarz and Hugh Roarty from Rutgers as well as Jason Adolf from Monmouth University. In addition to the recognition, Brendan also received a cash prize for the award.  The criteria for judging the award included the quality of the science, the quality of the presentation and the relevance to the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development. The 2024 CWTM conference brought together researchers and practitioners from around the world to exchange ideas, share insights, and advance the field of ocean measurements. With its focus on cutting-edge research and interdisciplinary collaboration, the event served as a platform for shaping the future of oceanographic measurements.   The CWTM Workshop which takes place every four years, has a rich history of providing a dynamic platform for the global ocean community. This event serves as a catalyst for technical information exchange and fosters collaboration among experts passionate about measuring current, waves, and turbulence. Their mission is to advance the field of Current, Wave, and Turbulence Measurement and Applications by showcasing cutting-edge research and innovations. For more information about the conference, please visit the CWTM website https://cwtm2024.org .

Congratulations to Lauren Cook on winning the Mid Atlantic Chapter of the American Fisheries Society’s Best Student Presentation!!

Please join me in congratulating our students here at the International Oceans Meeting sponsored by the Marine Technology Society and the IEEE Oceanic Engineering Society. The student poster competition brings the top students among all the student papers submitted to the workshop to participate in a competition. Rutgers had 3 of the 26 finalists in the competition!!! Yes, I said 3!!!! Becca Horwitz (now working with Daphne and Travis) Courtney Dreyfus (Recent graduate of our masters in ocean observing program) Jackie Veatch (working with me). I am also very excited to report that Jackie Veatch was the winner of the competition.  Her poster, paper, and presentation was selected as the winner among an impressive set of scientific and engineering posters!! Jackie follows last year’s winner Schuyler Nardelli.  Impressive to have Rutgers students win consecutive competitions!! Congratulations!!

Congratulations to Emily Slesinger (and Grace) who received the School of Graduate Studies Distinguished Scholarly Achievement Award. The Distinguished Scholarly Achievement Award is the School of Graduate Studies’ most prestigious honor. Awarded to a student who demonstrates the highest possible level of academic excellence and achievement, this award celebrates extraordinary scholarship and research.

Congrats to RUCOOL Ph.D student Lauren Cook for receiving the Frank Marmin Memorial Scholarship from the International Women’s Fishing Association. The mission of the International Women’s Fishing Association Scholarship Trust is to grant research scholarships to graduate students who are committed to studies of the chemical, physical and biological processes of marine science with emphasis on conservation, preservation, and protection of the marine environment. “It was an incredible honor and extremely generous of the Marmin family — this funding was a huge help in getting my research off the ground for this Spring. I’m hoping I can thank them in person soon,” said Lauren. The International Women’s Fishing Association was established in 1955 to promote women’s fishing in an arena primarily dominated by men. Over the years, it has become one of women’s most prestigious fishing clubs, setting the standards for conservation and promoting angling competition among women. To help further one of its chartered objectives, the field of conservation, the IWFA established the IWFA Scholarship Trust to provide financial aid to marine science graduate students. The IWFA Scholarship Trust was established in 1965 to further one of the IWFA’s chartered objectives – promoting conservation.  The IWFA Scholarship Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization organized for the purpose of providing financial assistance to marine science graduate students. The Scholarship Trust is funded by individual contributions from IWFA members and other private donations.

RUCOOL grad student Joe Gradone was selected to receive the 2022 National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Award.  This fellowship is awarded in recognition of academic excellence and Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) achievements, from over 3,000 applicants.  The award will cover all of his graduate school costs for the next 3 years. The NDSEG Fellowship Program is sponsored by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR), the Army Research Office (ARO), and the Office of Naval Research (ONR) under the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering, OUSD (R&E), and administered by Innovative Technology Solutions JV, LLC (ITS-JV, LLC).

Congratulations to Schuyler Nardelli for Winning the MTS Student Poster Competition. Original Article