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 LMRCSC and the Department of Natural Sciences are researching the effects the environment has on what fish eat,” stated Dr. Chigbu. “This funding will allow for us to continue observing the increases and decreases of the fish population in the Maryland lagoons and the coastal oceans.”
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. In addition, 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.
The Geosciences Bridge Program is supported by the LMRCSC. The annual program focuses on recruiting rising college freshmen and providing them with a six-week internship that centers on educating students who plan to pursue a career in the natural and atmospheric sciences.
The $70,000 in funding from the Wilson H. Elkins Professorship will allow Chigbu to continue conducting pertinent research involving local waterways while also allowing him to support students in underrepresented communities.
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Tanesha Hankerson, Agricultural Communications and Media Associate, School of Agricultural & Natural Sciences AgCom Office, 410-651-6196, tmhankerson@umes.edu
