My name is Francesca LoPresti, a graduate of Macalester College with a BA in Environmental Chemistry with an emphasis in Community and Global Health, and minors in Chemistry and Biology.
I am passionate about understanding the pathways of pollutants in riparian ecosystems and how this may impact the natural resource sovereignty of local communities. By working at the intersection of environmental and social justice, I believe we can create systems for environmental justice within communities disproportionately affected by extractive industries and the climate crisis. Previously, I have worked in the Ecuadorian Amazon where I explored changes in soil quality at comparative distances from gas flares; in Northern Minnesota, I worked with the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to investigate how sulfate contamination from nearby mining operations impacted wild rice– a cultural cornerstone.
For my ACES Woods Hole research project, I am working with Dr. Chris Neill from the Woodwell Climate Research Center. I will be conducting research on cranberry bog restoration in collaboration with state and federal conservation agencies such as the Nantucket Conservation Foundation. Additionally, I will be conducting water quality surveys of local rivers and streams in collaboration with the Buzzards Bay Coalition to gain a deeper understanding of nutrient contamination pathways. I am thrilled for this next chapter with Woodwell, and am committed to returning the knowledge that I gather throughout my journey to local communities in Massachusetts, at home in Richmond, California, and beyond.
My name is Javen Kent, a graduate of Morehouse College with a BS in Biology. My research interest would be in environmental public health, particularly with air pollution in urban areas.I am from Atlanta, Ga. Through my time at WHOI, I hope to gain more research experience and mentorship that can help me in grad school, specifically gaining more wet lab skills.
For my ACES Woods Hole research project, I am working with Dr. Carolyn Tepolt at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). I will be conducting research on parasites and how their interactions with their host has the potential to manipulate the host’s genome.
My name is Alex K. Brown, a graduate of Chowan University in Murfreesboro, North Carolina with a BA in Biology. I am originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, but then I moved to the east coast. I am an aspiring marine biologist and I am highly interested in researching/monitoring sharks as well as their environments, but to understand sharks better you must understand their environment first.
For my ACES Woods Hole research project, I am working with Dr. Elizabeth Sibert from the Paleo-Fishes Lab at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. I am using this opportunity to look at core samples from within a blue hole. A blue hole is a large vertical marine tunnel that sinks below the ocean floor surface. I will collect teeth, scales, and other microfossils from the sediment within the blue hole core samples through a series of washing, sieving, and picking through the sediment manually. Using these techniques I will be able to analyze and assess in some ways how environmental change has affected our oceans life as well as the marine organisms that are within it.
My name is Sam Downs, a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a B.S. in Marine Science with a concentration in Biological Oceanography. I’m from Pomaria, South Carolina. I have an interest in researching marine ecology and I’m hoping to focus on population ecology of sharks, phytoplankton or food fish.
For my ACES Woods Hole research project, I am working with Dr. Jennifer Watts and Dr. Taniya RodChowdhury from the Soil and Carbon labs at Woodwell Climate Research Center. I am conducting research on carbon content in wetland soils that have been collected throughout the state of Massachusetts. This is to look at the effects of climate change and how to find solutions to promoting healthier soil programs.
My name is Lamia Lopez, a graduate of Spelman College with a B.S. in Environmental Science.
My studies focused on environmental science, sustainability, anthropology, environmental justice, and conservation. During my undergraduate matriculation, I spent time studying abroad in Suva, Fiji, and enjoyed my visit to the Daku village where I learned about the complexities of community relocation in the Southern Pacific region.
I grew up in Haddonfield, New Jersey, and spent a lot of my childhood outdoors. My deep love, appreciation for, and relationship with nature inspire my work, and I am especially interested in learning about our environment through an Indigenous lens. I am also qualified in Fine Arts, which has cultivated my unique perspective that I bring to my research.
For my ACES Woods Hole research project, I am working with Dr. Sue Natali and Tiffany Windholz from the Permafrost Pathways Initiative at Woodwell Climate Research Center. I will be conducting research on Arctic warming and its impact on Indigenous peoples. I work with the Permafrost Pathways adaptation team, which partners with tribal liaisons in Alaskan communities to support data collection and ArcGIS mapping in response to the severe impacts of climate change.
My name is Sierra Brown, a graduate of Hartwick College with a BA in Biology. I am interested in conservation biology, from research and fieldwork to rehabilitation. Through my bachelor’s degree, I developed a background useful for this field, including coursework in marine biology, ecology, island biogeography, and multiple research expeditions. My most intriguing experience is surveying an estuary in Australia for seagrass and benthic fauna biomass, gaining field skills. Also, my undergrad research and senior thesis enabled me to work with scientists from diverse backgrounds to sample subsurface microbes and culture them for identification, building lab skills.
For my ACES Woods Hole research project, I am working with Dr. Ann Tarrant from the Tarrant Lab at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. I will be conducting research on lipases, including bioinformatic computer analysis and characterization of their functions. Also, I am aiding in the collection and culturing of plankton samples, and the analysis of their biomass and taxonomic composition.