PRINCESS ANNE, MD – (July 18, 2019) – The coveted Wilson H. Elkins Professorship has been awarded to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore to support the work of Dr. Paulinus Chigbu, professor in the Department of Natural Sciences and director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center (LMRCSC) at UMES. The $70,000 award will allow Chigbu to continue conducting pertinent research involving local waterways, while simultaneously allowing him to support students and their academic endeavors.
“This funding will allow for us to continue our research on the trophic and population dynamics of fish in the Maryland Coastal Bays,” stated Dr. Chigbu. “In addition, the monetary award will aid in the continued support of the Geosciences Bridge Program.”
Of the 16 scholarship applicants, Chigbu is one of three recipients. The review committee was impressed by the professor’s plans to continue his research which focuses on the environmental factors that influence fish recruitment and trophic dynamics. Dr. Chigbu’s efforts to continue the recruitment and the expansion of the Geosciences Bridge Program was a factor in the committee’s final review process, as well.
The Geosciences Bridge Program is supported by NSF and the NOAA Educational Partnership Program. The six-week internship program focuses on recruiting rising college freshmen and providing them with educational opportunities that focus on preparing them for a career in marine and atmospheric sciences, as well as GIS/Remote Sensing.
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Tanesha Hankerson, communications and outreach specialist, Department of Natural Sciences, 410-651-6196, tmhankerson@umes.edu.
