

Department of Biological Sciences
College of Environmental and Life Sciences
University of Rhode Island
Undergraduate Lab Alumni

Kate Leiden
I am from Cleveland, Ohio where I developed an interest in aquatic ecosystems while living next to Lake Erie. My studies lead me to URI where I graduated with a B.S. in Biological Sciences in May 2018. I am interested in how larval stages of marine invertebrates are being impacted by anthropogenic changes in the ocean, which I plan to investigate further in graduate school!

Elliot Vosburgh
I'm a senior Biological Sciences major, graduating in December 2018. My interests in nature include both chemistry and biology; my plan is to use my undergraduate education to form a foundation for future study, which will merge both these subjects. As our own population grows, the scale at which ecosystems are exposed to pollutants also grows: perhaps, one day, I can be a part of a solution to the challenges these interactions pose.

Lauren Richards
I am a senior marine biology major from Harwinton, Connecticut. I also work in Newport, RI at Clean Ocean access and in the Water Quality and Hydrology lab at URI, and with Dr. Wetherbee. Last fall, I studied abroad in Bermuda, sparking my interest in anthropogenic impacts on ecosystems and organisms, such as larval fish or reefs. In the future, I hope to move onto graduate school working to predict the movements of sharks to better understand and protect them from overfishing and human threats.

Emma Ferrante
I’m a senior wildlife conservation biology major marine biology minor
from Lincoln, Rhode Island. This summer, I will be working with the Rhode Island DEM as a park naturalist at Beavertail State Park in Jamestown. Outside of the lab, I’m the president of the URI Marine Science Society and enjoy exploring the hidden beaches of RI. After undergrad, I hope to work on coral reef ecology and public outreach.

Kevin Dyer
I'm a marine biology undergraduate pursing my B.S. here at the University of Rhode Island. I'm originally from New Jersey, home to the highest amount of superfund sites in the country. As such, I know first hand the effects of ocean acidification, and why research into its effects on marine organisms is of such importance. That's me with Jane Goodall on the right.