News - Fall 2010
Do you have what it takes to be a superb GEMS100 Section Leader?
November 30, 2010
Section Leaders receive either three graded credits OR a $450 stipend at the end of the semester. Learn more by attending the information December 10 at 2:00 in the Gemstone Suite.
Applications are due January 25 by noon. View the job description for more info
Questions? Contact Caitlin White at cwhite14@umd.edu
2011 Gems Camp Planning Committee
October 15, 2010
Apply to be a member of the Gems Camp Planning Committee.
This is an amazing opportunity to:
- Expand your creativity
- Become a leader
- Be part of a team
- Earn 1 credit
Applications and job descriptions are available online or through the Gemstone office.
Click here for more information
Applications must be submitted by 4 p.m. on Friday, October 29
Become A GEMS 104 Section Leader!
October 5, 2010
This opportunity is available to any sophomore, junior, or senior Gemstone student who is enthusiastic about the GEMS 104 experience. Please contact Caitlin White at cwhite14@umd.edu with any questions.
NOAA CSCOR Awards $880,000 Grant to Expand Gemstone Team BREATHE Research by the MMIC
September 30, 2010
Undergraduate research team BREATHE, Bay Revitalization Efforts Against the Hypoxic Environment, has spent three years developing a local soil/flocculant mixture that can effectively control a Microcystis aeruginosa harmful algal bloom. These blooms frequently occur in the upper tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay during the summer months, and through their decomposition contribute to the formation of dead zones.
The promising results with clay flocculation and algal cell removal, submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) restoration, and the low cost of implementation, led to the expansion of this project by a new research team, Mitigation of Microcystis in the Chesapeake (MMIC), led by Dr. Allen Place and aided by Dr. Kevin Sellner, Team BREATHE's mentor. Using preliminary results from BREATHE, the MMIC research group applied and received funding through the government's new PCM HAB program.
The PCM HAB grant was funded by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) as part of the government's initiative to prevent and control harmful algal blooms. The end goal of both BREATHE and the MMIC project is to develop a rapid-response method that the government can use to control a Microcystis bloom. Members of the Gemstone Team BREATHE were invited to present their results at a technical advisory conference for the newly awarded PCM HAB grant by NOAA CSCOR (Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research).
The grant supports expansion of the Gemstone team's project by awarding $880,000 to the MMIC research group. The conference took place in the Presidents Board Room of the Institute for Marine and Environmental Technology (IMET)in Baltimore, MD on September 23, 2010 and included many leading harmful algal bloom researchers. Representing the team at the conference were Natalya Savranskaya-Gallo, Rebecca Certner, and Alexander Gibbons.
Become A GEMS 102 Section Leader!
September 29, 2010
Return your completed application by Friday, October 15th by 5 PM to Courtenay Barrett, Graduate Assistant for Team Development. Sign up for an interview-Schedule is posted outside of Courtenay's door.
