Megan Schutt

Research Area: Offshore wind energy and boundary layer meteorology

Email: schutt@live.unc.edu

Website: ebbnfloe.tumblr.com

Twitter: @GalesAndGusts

Advisor: Harvey Seim

Megan is a second year Masters student with Harvey Seim at UNC. Her undergraduate degree is in Aerospace Engineering, and she is now part of the wind resource assessment study analyzing the feasibility of offshore wind development in North Carolina. Megan is passionate about renewable energy science and development of all types, and looks forward to the day when fossil fuels will be a relic of the past. In her free time, Megan likes to read science fiction, make soup, and purchase way too many cassette tapes off the internet.

Kelsey Ellis

Research Area:  Phytoplankton Molecular Physiology and Genomics

Email: kels91@live.unc.edu, kelsellis91@gmail.com

Twitter: @ellis_kels

Website: kelseyannellis.wordpress.com

Advisor: Dr. Adrian Marchetti

Kelsey graduated from UNC Chapel Hill in May 2013 with highest honors in Environmental Science and a Marine Science minor. She returned to UNC as a first year graduate student in the Marchetti Lab, researching the genomic basis and physiological effects of vitamin B₁₂ and iron colimitation on bloom-forming marine diatoms. When not exploring the phytoplankton world, Kelsey spends her time backpacking, reading, and watching horror movies.

Serena Hackerott

 Research Area: Coral Reef Ecology

Email: shackero@live.unc.edu, snhackerott@gmail.com

Twitter: @snhackerott

Website: serenahackerott.com; adventuresofserenita.wordpress.com

UNdertheC Alumna

Serena graduated in Dec 2014 with her Master’s in Marine Science from UNC Chapel Hill. She was a student in Dr. John Bruno’s marine ecology lab and studied the effects of invasive lionfish on coral reef ecosystems in Belize.  In addition to her research, developing science communication and outreach skills became a priority to Serena throughout her graduate program. Serena will still blog with UNdertheC from lower latitudes during her new position as Coral Reef Ecology Intern with CIEE Bonaire. You can follow her post-graduate school adventures on her new personal blog: Adventures of Serenita. While not dreaming about traveling the world, Serena enjoys scuba diving, sailing, painting, and trying her hand at underwater photography.

Kathleen Onorevole

Research Area: Coastal Nutrient Cycling

Email: onorevol@live.unc.edu

Twitter: @konorevole

Website: https://konorevole.web.unc.edu/

Advisor: Michael Piehler

Kathleen recently graduated with her MS. She is currently working as a research technician in Dr. Mike Piehler’s lab, located at the UNC Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City, where she did her graduate work. Her research focused on denitrification rates in restored oyster reefs and salt marshes. This project involved both lab and field work in the beautiful coastal ecosystems near Cape Lookout. Kathleen is broadly interested in the ways that scientific research can inform restoration of aquatic habitats. She graduated from Colgate University in 2010 with honors in Environmental Biology. Kathleen’s hobbies include field hockey, sending snail mail, and playing the flute.

JP Rippe

Research Area: Coral physiology and ecology

Email: jpr6mg@live.unc.edu

Advisor: Karl Castillo 

JP is a first year PhD student in Karl Castillo’s coral physiology lab. He graduated in 2013 from the University of Virginia, where he earned a B.S. in Environmental Science and a B.A. in Biology with specialization in Environmental and Biological Conservation. His research at UNC focuses on how the ecology and geographic range of tropical coral reef communities are changing as a result of a warming climate. Outside of his research activities, JP enjoys traveling and exploring new places with his faithful canine companion, playing all kinds of sports, and spending time outdoors.

Evan Amber

Research Area: Microbial ecology and biogeochemistry

Email: eamber1@live.unc.edu

Advisor/Lab: Dr. Andreas Teske, Microbial Ecology Lab

Evan is a first year Ph.D student in the Department of Marine Sciences. He is broadly interested in biodiversity and controls in “extreme environments”, and their applications to ecology, evolution and conservation. Evan currently works on community composition and biogeochemistry of deep sea hydrothermal sediments in the Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California. He graduated with a B.S. in Biology with Summa Cum Laude highest Honors distinction from Binghamton University in December 2014. Evan loves outdoor activities like backpacking and kayaking, is picking up SCUBA, and is a fan of fantasy novels and watching movies.

Rob Lampe

Research Area: Phytoplankton ecology

Website: robhlampe.com
Email: lampe@unc.edu
Instagram: @rhlampe
Advisor/Lab: Adrian Marchetti, PhD

Rob loves marine life. He is a second year graduate student interested in using powerful computers and various ‘omics’ approaches to answer questions about phytoplankton communities. He graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science from North Carolina State University in 2012. Outside of work, Rob tries to go on new adventures, listen to a lot of bluegrass, and brew the perfect cup of coffee.

Colleen Bove

Research Area: Ocean acidification and warming on corals

Email: colbrynn@email.unc.edu

Twitter: @seabove7

Website: colleenbbove.wordpress.com

Advisor: Dr. Karl Castillo

Colleen is in her second year as a Ph.D. student in the Curriculum for the Environment and Ecology working with Dr. Karl Castillo in the Coral Physiology Lab. She is studying the response of Caribbean corals, specifically those from Southern Belize, to ocean acidification and warming stressors. She graduated from UNC Wilmington with a degree in Marine Biology in 2014. After graduating, she worked as a research assistant at UNCW’s Center for Marine Science and later was a lab tech at UNC. When not in the lab, Colleen enjoys traveling to new locations, cheering on her favorite hockey team, and being a foodie.