Program Components
Marine Lab Research
The 91ÉçÇø¸£Àû Marine Lab part of the program involves two components: course work and directed research with a faculty mentor.
- Scholars will enroll in courses based on their specific interests; these courses will provide depth of knowledge and experience in a specific area of marine science and conservation.
- Scholars will be expected to be an active part of their faculty mentor's lab group. Scholars will carry out scientific research at the 91ÉçÇø¸£Àû Marine Lab as a research independent study with their faculty mentor. We expect that each project will culminate with an honors thesis and ultimately result in a publication.
Scholars will spend at least one semester at the Marine Lab campus, although we encourage scholars to spend as much time as they would like at the Marine Lab campus.
Funding Opportunities
Rachel Carson Scholars will be eligible to apply for:
- Research funding (up to $2,500)
- Conference funding to participate in a professional scientific meeting (up to $1,500)
- Travel course funding (up to $1,500; funds can be used for research funding if not used for travel course)
Professional Development
During the fall semester of their senior year back in Durham, Rachel Carson Scholars will join the Scholars in Marine Medicine and the Repass-Rodgers Scholars in bi-weekly seminars, professional development workshops, and networking events. Scholars will benefit from workshops on writing skills, science communication, graduate education, and career opportunities. Senior scholars will also be involved with mentoring the new class of scholars in Durham to prepare them for their Rachel Carson Scholar Program experience and research at the 91ÉçÇø¸£Àû Marine Lab.
Graduation with Distinction
In the spring semester of their senior year in Durham, scholars will write up their research projects as an honors thesis for Graduation with Distinction. The ultimate goal is for publication of their research results in a peer-reviewed journal. Scholars will participate in writing workshops during the semester and will also share their research results by presenting to other scholars.
Participation Timeline
Sample timeline for Rachel Carson Scholars accepted in their sophomore year:
- October of sophomore fall: apply
- Sophomore spring or later: courses and research at the marine lab (at least one semester of research)
- Senior fall: professional development in Durham (CVs, networking, graduate school, etc.)
- Senior spring: write honors thesis for Graduation with Distinction
Meet the Scholars
Current Scholars
Class of 2026 |
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Jacob Frietze |
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Samantha George |
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Lizzy Glazer |
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Ruth Havener |
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Ariane Lemaire |
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Kira Lichtenfeld |
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Tessa Nyhan |
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Maya Reilly |
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Dhruv Rungta |
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Thomas Tan |
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Class of 2027 |
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Katie Brandler |
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Nina Castro Alves |
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Caspar Dicke |
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Annabelle Dyer |
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Priya Goel |
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Ava Kocher |
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Ellery Lei |
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David Mann |
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Anna Ochs |
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Tate Oliva |
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Abigail Perry |
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Georgia Rabin |
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Naomi Scott |
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Mikaela Voinov |
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Class of 2028 |
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Renée Dunford |
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Victoria Justiniano |
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Max Niu |
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Siri Oehler |
Alumni
Class of 2025 |
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Maya Brookens Major: Biology Cohort: 2022 Advisor: Dr. Juliet Wong Project: Sea urchin (Lytechinus variegatus) population at the northern range edge is fatally vulnerable to 1°C above the current peak temperature |
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Logan Evans |
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Cat Gamard Major: Biology Cohort: 2023 Advisor: Dr. Andy Read Project: Investigating new methodology for diagnosing brucellosis in stranded cetaceans in the western North Atlantic |
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Molly Honecker Major: Marine Science & Conservation Cohort: 2023 Advisor: Dr. Tom Schultz Project: Investigating population structure and local adaptation of eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) across geographic scales in North Carolina |
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Erika Kraabel |
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Ava Leaphart Major: Environmental Sciences Cohort: 2022 Advisor: Dr. Tom Schultz Project: Mitochondrial sequence data reveal genetic distinctions among T. truncatus, T. erebennus, and a novel dolphin population |
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Sara Norton Major: Biology; Marine Science & Conservation Cohort: 2022 Advisor: Dr. Juliet Wong Project: Investigating the effectiveness and water quality impacts of eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) restoration in Pamlico Sound |
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Porter Major: Environmental Science & Policy; International Comparative Studies Cohort: 2023 Advisor: Dr. Lisa Campbell Project: In the wake of disaster: The Federal Emergency Management Agency and environmental justice in natural disaster recovery |
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Sasha Provost Major: Marine Science & Conservation Cohort: 2021 Advisor: Dr. Andy Read Project: Analysis of stakeholder perspectives regarding potential floating offshore wind project implementation in North Carolina |
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Emma Sardy Major: Biology Cohort: 2023 Advisor: Dr. Andy Read and Dr. Tom Schultz Project: Using environmental DNA to detect cetaceans |
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Aaron Siegle Major: Environmental Science & Policy Cohort: 2022 Advisor: Dr. Tibor Vegh Project: Combatting the coastal squeeze: A new planning paradigm to conserve disappearing marshes |
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Ari Solomon Major: Marine Sciences & Conservation Cohort: 2023 Advisor: Dr. Andy Read Project: Chatty cheetahs? Analysis of foraging behavior of short-finned pilot whales |
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Henry Sun Major: Biology; Marine Science & Conservation Cohort: 2022 Advisor: Dr. David Johnston Project: Generative diffusion models for dataset augmentation and cetacean detection |
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Luca Tjossem Major: Economics; Biology Cohort: 2023 Advisor: Dr. John Virdin Project: From fishing to tourism: Socio-economic and environmental impacts on coastal communities in the Global South |
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Hall Welborn Major: Environmental Science Cohort: 2022 Advisor: Dr. Grant Murray Project: Living shorelines: Marine contractors’ perspectives, motivations, and influences |
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Class of 2024 |
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Zoe Ali |
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Chloe Beittel |
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Erika Berlik Major: Marine Science & Conservation; Biology Cohort: 2022 Advisor: Dr. Brian Silliman Project: Coexisting foundation species shape reef fish community and trophic structure at an ecotone |
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Nhu Bui Major: English; Environmental Sciences & Policy Cohort: 2021 Advisor: Dr. Silliman Project: All hands on deck: The effects of biological partnerships on turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum) restoration success |
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Christian Campbell |
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Ariel Chukwuma |
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Danny Collins |
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Misaki Foster Major: Marine Science & Conservation Cohort: 2022 Advisor: Dr. Cindy Van Dover Project: The distribution of echinoderms at North Atlantic seamounts |
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Catalina Lopez |
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Ali Pagliery |
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Olivia Polemeni Major: Biology; Marine Science & Conservation Cohort: 2021 Advisor: Dr. Brian Silliman Project: Reef distribution and niche partitioning of deep-sea coral ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico |
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Tanok Ramirez Major: Environmental Science Cohort: 2021 Advisor: Dr. Daniel Rittschof Project: Snails & smells: Littoraria irrorata are more likely to ingest polystyrene leachate when combined with positively associated environmental scents |
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Abby Saks Major: Biology; Environmental Science & Policy Cohort: 2021 Advisor: Dr. Dan Richter |
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Jilly Senk Major: Environmental Sciences & Policy Cohort: 2021 Advisor: Dr. Tom Schultz Project: Quantification and characterization of microplastic particles within the sediment of Duke Marine Lab’s oyster aquafarm |
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Marley Dooling Major: Biology; Environmental Sciences & Policy Graduation Year: 2024 |
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Class of 2023 |
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Arianna Agostini Major: Environmental Science & Policy Cohort: 2020 Advisor: Dr. Brian Silliman Project: Mutualist vs competitor: Exploring the context dependency of seagrass–bivalve interactions across a stress gradient |
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Elizabeth Bock Major: Environmental Sciences Cohort: 2020 Advisor: Dr. Andrew Read Project: Effects of sociability on the reproductive success of wild bottlenose dolphins following a marine heatwave |
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Brendan Cantwell Major: Earth & Ocean Sciences Cohort: 2020 Advisor: Dr. Meagan Dunphy-Daly |
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Grace Chung Major: Biology, Environmental Sciences Cohort: 2021 Advisor: Dr. S. N. Patek Project: Temperature effects on cavitation bubble dynamics of Alpheus heterochaelis |
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Madison Griffin Major: Biology Cohort: 2020 Advisor: Dr. Meagan Dunphy-Daly |
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Grace Jennings Majors: Environmental Science & Policy, Sociology Cohort: 2020 Advisor: Dr. David Gill Project: Life of storms: Analyzing the social impacts of hurricanes in the U.S. Virgin Islands through the scientific literature |
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Nick Kaney Major: Biology Cohort: 2021 Advisor: Dr. Doug Nowacek and Dr. Rob Schick Project: Behavioral impacts of extended viewership on Florida manatees (T. m. latirostris) by ecotourist watercraft |
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Lauren Miller Major: Environmental Science Cohort: 2019 Advisor: Dr. Andy Read Project: Group membership and location influence estimates of behavioral aerobic dive limits in short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) |
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Madena Mustafa Major: Environmental Science and Policy Cohort: 2020 Advisor: Dr. David Gill Project: The effects of climate change on coral-dependent communities: A review of the scientific literature and interview responses from the Caribbean |
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Magdalena Phillips |
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Lydia Sellers Major: Environmental Science and Policy Cohort: 2021 Advisor: Dr. Meagan Dunphy-Daly Project: A case study for using co-creation and authentic community engagement to improve a documentary on an environmental issue |
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Emma Shuppert Major: Marine Science & Conservation Cohort: 2021 Advisor: Dr. Andrew Read Project: Quantifying microplastic concentration in Sargassum patches: Call for new methodology to understand plastic exposure to juvenile sea turtles |
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Class of 2022 |
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Dana Adcock Major: Environmental Science & Policy Cohort: 2020 Advisor: Dr. Andy Read Project: A juvenile humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) produces song fragments on a winter feeding ground |
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Catherine Brenner |
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Erin Gleason Cohort: 2018 |
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India Haber Major: Environmental Sciences Cohort: 2018 Advisor: Dr. Doug Nowacek Project: Assessing the role of eavesdropping behavior in intraspecific competition among bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) |
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Sophie Hanson Major: Biology Cohort: 2020 Advisor: Dr. Andy Read Project: Connecting populations across ocean basins: Genomics of short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) in the western North Atlantic |
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Anna He Major: Biology, Earth & Ocean Sciences Cohort: 2019 Advisor: Dr. Brian Silliman Project: Small-scale fragmentation increases surface temperature of oyster habitats |
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Max Hofstetter |
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Zach Horowitz Major: Environmental Science & Policy Cohort: 2019 Advisor: Dr. Thomas Schultz Project: Quantification of microplastic accumulation patterns within the 91ÉçÇø¸£Àû Marine Laboratory oyster farm |
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David Hugo Major: Environmental Sciences; Biology Cohort: 2018 Advisor: Dr. Dan Rittschof Project: The dangers of going with the flow: Using autonomous transmitters to document downstream passage conditions and risk of fish injury at dams |
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Kellie Johnson Major: Environmental Science Cohort: 2020 Advisor: Dr. Cindy Van Dover Project: Faunal associations and ecotone analysis of a Blake Ridge cold seep |
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Chandler Katz |
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Kenneth Lau Majors: Environmental Science & Policy, Philosophy Cohort: 2018 Advisor: Dr. Dave Johnston Project: Assessing recreational fishing effort with satellite imagery |
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Maddie Paris Major: Biology, Environmental Sciences & Policy Cohort: 2018 Advisor: Dr. Brian Silliman Project: Understanding variance in marsh predator disturbance patterns in Pacific estuaries |
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Jwalin Patel Major: Economics; Environmental Science & Policy Cohort: 2018 Advisor: Dr. Jeffery Vincent Project: Impact of a local input and non-timber benefits on rates of return to forest restoration in India and China |
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Ryan Rogers |
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Avery Taylor |
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Megan Wang Major: Economics Cohort: 2019 Advisor: Dr. Xavier Basurto |
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Class of 2021 |
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Danielle Brown Major: Environmental Sciences Cohort: 2018 Advisor: Dr. Rebecca Vidra Project: Disparities in potable water access in Puerto Rico post-Hurricane MarÃa: A water management case study |
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Kendall Jefferys Major: Environmental Science & Policy; English Cohort: 20 Advisor: Dr. David Gill Project: The role of governance and social context in shaping MPA food security impacts |
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Marley Kaplan Major: Biology; Environmental Science & Policy Cohort: 2019 Advisor: Dr. David Gill Project: Understanding change in economic well-being within marine protected area coastal communities: The case study of the Bird’s Head seascape in West Papua, Indonesia |
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Katie Knotek Major: Environmental Sciences; Biology Cohort: 2018 Advisor: Dr. Andy Read and Danielle Waples Project: Movement patterns of short-finned pilot whales: A comparison of photo-identification catalogues from Cape Hatteras and the Bahamas and implications for species management and protection |
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Sarah Kwartler Major: Biology Cohort: 2018 Advisor: Dr. Jason Somarelli Project: Investigating invertebrate and enzymatic bioremediation of plastic waste |
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Melissa Marchese |
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Cliff Sheehan Major: Environmental Sciences Cohort: 2018 Advisor: Dr. Dave Johnston Project: Detecting, counting, and classifying pinnipeds in drone imagery using a convolutional neural network |
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Cassie Shriver Major: Mechanical Engineering Cohort: 2019 Advisor: Dr. Dan Rittschof Project: Material preferences in Diopatra cuprea tube construction |
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Chris Teufel Major: Biology, Computer Science Cohort: 2017 Advisor: Dr. Tom Schultz |
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Jessica Wang Major: Environmental Sciences Cohort: 2018 Advisor: Dr. Andy Read Project: Reproductive patterns of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Potomac River–Chesapeake Bay |
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Jessica Zhao |
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2020 Graduates |
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Molly Albright Major: Biology Cohort: 2018 Advisor: Dr. Andy Read Project: Looking skin deep: Assessing skin lesion presence in short-finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus) |
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Melissa Baldino Major: Biology, Environmental Science Cohort: 2018 Advisor: Dr. Dan Rittschof Project: Estimating the carbon offsetting potential of shellfish aquaculture |
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Alexandra DiGiacomo Major: Biology Cohort: 2017 Advisor: Dr. David Johnston Project: Coastal shark abundance and spatial dynamics respond to small-scale environmental fluctuations of the Rachel Carson Reserve estuary in Beaufort, North Carolina |
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Maddie Go Major: Biology Cohort: 2017 Advisor: Dr. Dan Rittschof Project: Responses of mud snails to plastic leachates |
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Andrea Kolarova Major: Environmental Science Cohort: 2018 Advisor: Dr. Stuart Pimm Project: Sooty tern (Onychoprion fuscatus) stress and survivorship in the Dry Tortugas |
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Virginia Pan Majors: Electrical & Computer Engineering Cohort: 2017 Advisor: Dr. Doug Nowacek Project: Detecting and classifying short-finned pilot whale acoustics with deep learning |
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Nicholas Peoples Majors: Environmental Science Cohort: 2017 Advisor: Dr. Stuart Pimm Project: Morphological diversity of Lake Victoria haplochromine cichlids: Understanding drivers of diversification using a geometric morphometric approach |
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Katie Ridgway Major: Political Science Cohort: 2017 Advisor: Dr. Megan Mullin Project: Local responses to offshore exploration and development along the Atlantic |
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Emma Schmaltz Major: Environmental Science Cohort: 2017 Advisors: Drs. Jason Somarelli and Meagan Dunphy-Daly Project: Can marine mammals point the way to understanding responses to environmental hypoxia? |
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D'amy Steward Major: Biology, Environmental Science Cohort: 2017 Advisor: Dr. Silliman Project: Quantifying spatial distributions and benthic footprints of artificial reefs on the southeastern U.S.A. continental shelf |
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Well Witoonchart Major: Biology Cohort: 2017 Advisor: Dr. Dan Rittschof Project: Identifying what makes plastic taste appealing to corals |
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Junette Yu Major: Neuroscience, Linguistics Cohort: 2017 Advisor: Dr. Dan Rittschof |
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2019 Graduates |
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Rachel Cohn Major: Biology, Environmental Science & Policy Cohort: 2017 Advisors: Drs. Brian Silliman and Douglas Nowacek Project: Acoustic disturbance of snapping shrimp (Alpheus heterochaelis) densities to boat noise |
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Annie Harshbarger Major: Environmental Sciences, Biology Cohort: 2017 Advisor: Dr. David Johnston Project: The use of drones to study the feral horses of eastern North Carolina |
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Briana Kleiner |
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Levi Rhoades Major: Environmental Science Cohort: 2018 Advisor: Dr. Zackary Johnson Project: Algae growth rates and yield analysis with light and temperature condition variance |
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Trevyn Toone Majors: Biology, Earth & Ocean Sciences Cohort: 2017 Advisor: Dr. Cindy Van Dover Project: Trophic relationships at deep-sea Barbados seeps |
2018 Graduates |
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Clara Bird |
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Ashley Blawas Major: Biomedical Engineering Cohort: 2017 Advisor: Dr. Douglas Nowacek Project: Identifying patterns in flow-volume curves for use as a diagnostic tool for respiratory health of bottlenose dolphins |
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Carmen Hoyt Major: Biology, Earth & Ocean Sciences Cohort: 2017 Advisors: Dr. Meagan Dunphy-Daly Project: A shortage of sharks: Quantifying biodiversity changes in a community of sharks in Onslow Bay, N.C. |
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Sam Kelly Major: Mechanical Engineering Cohort: 2017 Advisor: Dr. David Johnston Project: Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) ecological barcode scanning, megafauna motion tag |
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Stephanie Prufer Major: Biology, Environmental Science & Policy Cohort: 2017 Advisor: Dr. Brian Silliman Project: Positive interactions enhance salt marsh restoration in regions of high abiotic stress |
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Hannah Robinson Major: Biology Cohort: 2017 Advisor: Dr. Brian Silliman Project: Preliminary assessment of river otter (Lontra canadensis) utilizing marine habitats in coastal North Carolina |
How to Apply
Each fall, the 91ÉçÇø¸£Àû Marine Lab will select Rachel Carson Scholars for the upcoming academic year.
First-years, sophomores, and juniors are eligible to apply. Scholars will be announced in December.
Deadline
October 17, 2025 by 11:59 PM
Application
The application process includes submitting the following items as one PDF document with the file name LastName_FirstName_GradYear_RCApplication:
- Statement. Prepare a one-page (12-pt font, 1-inch margins) statement describing how you will benefit from the Rachel Carson Scholars Program and how this program will help you reach your academic and career goals. The application statement should include research ideas and your preference of Marine Lab faculty with whom to carry out research. It is beneficial to reach out to faculty who you are interested in working with prior to writing your application statement.
- Resume. Your resume should be one page and include relevant experience, coursework, and your GPA.
All application materials should be emailed to the Rachel Carson Scholars Program at rcscholars@duke.edu by the deadline. Applications with statements or resumes not meeting the formatting standards listed above will not be considered. Semi-finalists will be selected from the pool of applicants for interviews with the Program Director or may be asked to provide additional information.
questions?
Have questions about the Rachel Carson Scholars Program or how to apply?
Visit our for answers to common application queries.
If you would like to learn more about the program or the application process, join our informal drop-in information session:
- Date: Wednesday, October 8th
- Time: 12:00—2:00 PM
- Location: Brodhead Center (WU), Room 241
- Format: Drop in at any time. No registration required.
The Program Director Dr. Meagan Dunphy-Daly and Program Coordinator Erin Voigt, as well as current scholars, will be there to answer any questions you have.
You are welcome to reach out with any questions by emailing rcscholars@duke.edu.
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