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:
Read our most recent Quinquennial Report (2018-2022) for the latest happenings in the Center!
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. |
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| Katie (BA '06) is a Coastal Studies Program alum ('04 & '06) and has been an adjunct professor for the Coastal Studies program since 2013. Katie joined the team in 2021 as the CCWS Academic Program Coordinator for the Sustainability Major and Coastal Studies Program. Email: huy@hood.edu Phone: 301-696-3318 Office: Hodson Science & Technology Center, Room 308F Office Hours: By Appointment. |
 | Catherine has been at Hood for 3 years, serving as a Field and Lab technician on many environmental service contracts, 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. |
 | Jen manages the upkeep of the many greenhouses and gardens with FFSN. Email: jc32@hood.edu Phone: n/a Office: Gardens/Greenhouses! 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. |
_0.jpg) | 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. |
" 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."
Brooke Gooding discusses how the Coastal Studies Semester helped unfold her career ahead of her.
Angel Boardley ’24 is a current pre-medical biology student in the 4PLUS dual B.A./M.S. program. Currently, she is completing an internship with KamTek, Inc., and she was recently named Intern of the Month by the Maryland Technology Internship Program. In this Q&A, Boardley discusses her background and goals for a career in biotech.
CCWS student worker assisting in YSI measurements in Lake Merle, New Market, MD.
Coastal students during their second week of travel, Wachapreague, VA.
Coastal semester '21 students study Culler Lake and its surrounding wetlands for their lab practicum.
Algal and Cyanobacterial Identification under our lab microscope.
Summer student intern, Lauren Herr, collects ticks for a tick research project.
FREDERICK, Maryland — The Hood College Coastal and Watershed Studies (Hood-CCWS) Program is partnering with the Potomac Riverkeeper Network (PRKN)…
FREDERICK, Maryland—Today, Hood College’s Frederick Food Security Network (FFSN) joined with Frederick based non-profit SilvoCulture and the Islamic Society of…
FREDERICK, Maryland—Hood College’s Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies has been awarded a cooperative agreement with the National Park Service…
FREDERICK, Maryland—Hood College has been awarded nearly $79,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to monitor water quality in the…
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