Meet our April-May 2019 STEMSEAS participants!
Instructors
Dr. Leslie “Doc” Sautter has been teaching marine geology at the College of Charleston for over two decades. She earned her Ph.D. in Geology at the University of South Carolina and has a background in paleoceanography as well as coastal research and geoscience education. She is founder and director of the BEnthic Acoustic Mapping and Survey (BEAMS) Program (http://oceanica.cofc.edu/beamsprogram ) which allows undergraduate students to conduct research using state-of-the-art seafloor mapping software. Leslie has been on many expeditions to study the seafloor geology and biota using ROVs and submersibles, and thoroughly enjoys taking students out to sea to provide optimal learning experiences. She continues to assist with development of education programming and web resources.
Dr. Laurel Childress is an Expedition Project Manager and Staff Scientist with the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. She provides scientific expertise, leadership, and advocacy to the implementation of IODP expeditions. In addition to facilitating and sailing on IODP expeditions, she conducts independent research, teaches undergraduate courses, and contributes to the science engagement activities of IODP and Texas A&M University. Her research focuses on biogeochemical cycles, specifically the transport, transformation, and burial of organic carbon. She studies these cycles with a combination of stable isotopic and radiocarbon measurements, biomarkers of terrestrial materials, and geographic information systems.
Trey Gillespie is a senior Geology & Environmental Geosciences major at the College of Charleston in Charleston, SC. His focus is in seafloor mapping as a member of the BEnthic Acoustic Mapping & Survey program. His academic interests include science communication and education, GIS, and oceanographic studies. He is currently generating online resources as part of an independent study to help make scientific research more readily available to the public. He hopes to continue his education through the Masters of Environmental Science program at the CofC.
Sharon Cooper is the co-PI of the STEMSEAS program and the Education/Outreach leader for the International Ocean Discovery Program at Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory/Columbia University. She is active in a whole range of geoscience education-related projects and is super-excited to be sailing on her first STEMSEAS transit. She is the mother of 3 boys and in her spare time writes children’s books and loves to cook, dance, and travel and explore the world.
Students
My name is Baylee Sergent and I am a senior studying at the University of Colorado, Boulder. My love of traveling and the outdoors led me to pursue geology, which I am currently majoring in alongside my minor in business. Over the course of my undergraduate studies in geosciences I developed a great interest in marine sciences while learning about the vulnerability of coastal areas to change in a warming, stormier world in which sea levels are rising. In light of this, I hope to attend graduate school for oceanography or marine policy. I’m unbelievably excited about being a part of the STEMSEAS program and to get a taste of what oceanography will be like in the field.
Hi! My name is Ciera Carter and I am a proud mom of a beautiful baby girl. She motivated me to finally return to school and I am now a student at Mt. San Antonio College majoring in Animal Health Science. In the future I hope to help rescue and rehabilitate marine life back into the wild. I have always had a passion for the ocean, and I am really looking forward to learning more on this STEMSEAS voyage.
Hi everybody! My name is Danah Gissler. I am currently a sophomore at California State University Stanislaus in Turlock, California. I am working on getting a bachelors of science in geology with a physics minor. I work as a student intern at CSU Stanislaus, working with fossils from the Hell Creek Formation in North Dakota. I absolutely adore learning anything and everything about our Earth and space, with particular interest in our beautiful ocean and hope that this trip will help me to narrow down what profession that I want to pursue once I get my degree. In my free time, I listen to NASA podcasts or reread the Harry Potter series.
Isabel Kain is a student at Northeastern University studying physics with minors in mathematics and geology. She discovered her passion for physics, astronomy, and planetary science early, and has developed this passion by pursuing research opportunities. She has conducted research on exoplanets at the MIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, and has committed to research assistantships at NASA and CERN. Isabel is also committed to science communication. She is a writer and editor for NU Sci, Northeastern University’s science magazine, and has given talks to elementary school students about science and astronomy. She also volunteers at the Harvard Museum of Natural History. When the stars align and she has free time, Isabel enjoys fencing, kayaking, and reading sci-fi.
Hi my name is Melissa Martinez. I am 19 years old. I am from Newark, New Jersey. I have lived in North Jersey all my life. Currently, I am majoring in Environmental Studies at Ursinus College in Pennsylvania. I fell in love with the environment in high school and have been passionate about global climate change and oceanography ever since. I hope to land a career in marine biology and specifically protect global coral reefs. I appreciate my family and all my biggest supporters in my life. I have never been out to sea before and I am so excited for this journey with everyone else.
Michaela Robinson is a third year Written Arts major at Bard College. She is interested in nonfiction writing and hopes to pursue a career in scientific and travel journalism. Michaela has previously worked in land conservation and with organic farms. She is excited to combine her love of writing with natural sciences and exploration with StemSeas. In her free time she practices oil painting.
Hello! My name is Mylene Gonzales and I am a sophomore at the College of Charleston in South Carolina. Currently, I am earning my B.S in Marine Biology and minor in Environmental and Sustainability Studies. In my free time, I like to explore the outdoors, grab boba tea, and bike around the peninsula. Coming from a small town in SC, college was a gateway for me to try anything and to better “Know Thyself” as our college motto says. Through the classes I’ve taken at CofC and the Alternative Spring Break trip with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, I finally found that my true passions lie in marine sciences, specifically with plastic pollution in the Philippines (my home country). I’m so excited to be able to explore marine sciences further through STEMSEAS and be able to meet people from around the nation!
Emma Robertson is a junior at the University of Massachusetts Amherst studying Environmental Science and Geography. She’s originally from Los Angeles but also grew up in Melbourne, Australia. At UMass, she’s had the chance to work in a paleoceanography lab and will be a research fellow at Scripps Institution of Oceanography this summer. In her free time, she loves travelling, hiking, and snowboarding. She is thrilled to be sailing with STEMSEAS this summer.
Greetings! My name is Coralee Hall and I’m a non-traditional student in my second year at Georgia State University’s Perimeter College. I plan to transfer to the University of Georgia to pursue a Bachelor of Science in either Fisheries and Wildlife or Geology. My 11-year-old daughter and I live at an arts center in Atlanta, Georgia, where we spend our spare moments studying together, knitting, and tinkering with antique sewing machines. I feel incredibly lucky to be an earthling; this planet and its processes fascinate me to no end. I am excited to participate in this STEM SEAS transit and hope that it will help me to develop my science-related interests and give me a more complete idea of geoscience career possibilities.
