Hood Students to Compete in National AlgaePrize Research Competition
Hood's new BlazerBloom sustainability team will participate in the Department of Energy's AlgaePrize research competition
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Welcome!
Hood-Center for Coastal & Watershed Studies (Hood-CCWS) studies all aspects of coastal environments. We use science to find solutions for environmental problems in a socially responsible manner. Starting locally and expanding regionally, we work with communities and organizations to improve water quality, while fostering valuable experiential learning for our students. As a center of excellence within Hood College, we strive to connect students with coastal environments, research important issues, and provide local opportunities to make a positive change. Our work is primarily divided into three focus areas:
Hood Biology makes it to the Sweet 15! The Big Dance is on!
A team of Hood students and faculty is one of 15 finalists in a national research competition known as the AlgaePrize. The competition encourages students to pursue innovative ideas for the development, design, and invention of technologies within the commercial algae value chain. The AlgaePrize is cosponsored by the US Department of Energy and the Algae Foundation. The Sweet 15 is made up of schools from throughout the country, including the University of Connecticut, UC-San Diego, and the University of Hawaii, to name a few. Our team will be conducting a year-long research project to investigate the use of magnetotectic bacteria in algal harvesting and concentration. This competition extends well beyond March Madness. In fact, it will not culminate until April 2025 at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado where all 15 teams will present their research findings for the judges. Keep up with our progress as we begin hands-on experiments in Hood's laboratories this month.
Read our most recent Quinquennial Report (2018-2022) for the latest happenings in the Center!
Follow us on Facebook (Center for Coastal & Watershed Studies) and Instagram (@hoodcoastalstudies) for current happenings!
Vision
Our past and future come together in coastal environments. In keeping with the best of Hood’s liberal arts tradition, our aim is to provide a framework for multi-disciplinary learning and research by students and faculty with the goal of understanding the genesis, complexities, and possible solutions to environmental and social issues that impact the coastlines and watersheds of our region, nation, and world. Simultaneously, we prepare our students to use state-of-the-art technologies and practices that can lead them into productive careers and lives of service within our communities.
Learn more on his Faculty Bio Page. Email: dferrier@hood.edu Phone: 301-696-3660 Office: Hodson Science & Technology Center, Room 308E Office Hours: By Appointment. |
Catherine has been at Hood for 4.5 years, serving as a Field and Lab Technician on many environmental service contracts, as well as Lab Instructor, with a BS in Environmental Science (Washington College, '19). Email: gaudlip@hood.edu Phone: 301-696-3652 Office: Hodson Science & Technology, Room 308F Office Hours: By Appointment. |
| Haroun has been with Hood for 6 months as the FFSN Manager. He has had much experience in food systems operations, from gardening systems to food distributions throughout communities. He is coordinating local community partner collaboration, garden production, and food distribution in the Frederick area. Email: hallack@hood.edu Phone: Office: Hodson Science & Technology, Room 308F Office Hours: By Appointment. |
Barry assists with the Coastal Studies Semester, teaching the ENSP 307 Chesapeake Bay course. Email: burch@hood.edu Office Hours: By Appointment |
Learn more on his Faculty Bio Page. Email: annis@hood.edu Phone: 301-696-3662 Office: Hodson Science and Technology Center, Room 149 Office Hours: By Appointment |
Learn more on his Faculty Bio Page. Email: kindahl@hood.edu Phone: 301-696-3659 Office: Hodson Science & Technology Center, Room 156 Office Hours: By Appointment. |
Emily Southgate was formerly a Research Associate Professor at Rutgers University, where she did research at the intersection of ecology and history. She has worked extensively with the National Park Service in their cultural parks, providing historical ecological background to guide management of their natural resources. She was a visiting scholar at Harvard University, where, together with colleagues, she integrated data from palynological research in the northeastern United States to arrive at a composite picture of changing forest composition over the last 500 years. Her book, “People and the Land Through Time. Linking Ecology and History” (Yale Univ. Press, 2019) has inspired both ecologists and environmental historians to incorporate each others’ fields in their research. She is also active in the environmental community in Virginia, serving on the Board of the Virginia Native Plant Society and as a “citizen scientist” sampling stream macroinvertebrates, birds for the Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas, and grassland vegetation. Email: ewbsouthgate@gmail.com Phone: n/a Office: n/a Office Hours: By Appointment. |
Email: sellner@hood.edu Phone: n/a Office: n/a Office Hours: By Appointment. |
Hood's new BlazerBloom sustainability team will participate in the Department of Energy's AlgaePrize research competition
Christian Ficarra spent the summer months staying on campus to complete a 6-credit internship with the Center for Coastal & Watershed Studies, where he dove into the Environmental Services branch. His primary project focused on a small lake in the Catoctin Mountains, ThorpeWood, to determine suitable conditions for different types of fish hatcheries.
" Anyone who is going back and forth about their major… trust your gut and don’t be afraid to try new things and open up to people… you never know where they can take you."
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Hood College is honored to have received the 2022 “Most Valuable Partner” FRED Award from the Frederick County Office of…
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