Graduate Students Recognized as GoMRI Scholars for Oil Spill Research

Several students from the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, Kellie Hoppe, Ellen Knapke, and visiting student Zucheng Wang, have been recognized by the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) as GoMRI Scholars. The GoMRI Scholar program was created to commend graduate students whose research has made contributions to improving understanding about the damage, response, and recovery following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

One of the GoMRI Legacy Goals is to build intellectual capacity and improve fundamental understanding of the dynamics of petroleum pollution and related stressors for future events. Research Board Chair Rita Colwell said that “the GoMRI Scholars Program is a very important honor which provides a unique recognition of and builds community for the next generation of ocean science professionals with particular emphasis in the Gulf of Mexico.”

Candidates for this program must be graduate students who have participated in a GoMRI-funded project for at least one year, whose work is primarily funded by GoMRI, and who are working on a dissertation or thesis based on GoMRI-funded science. As of March 2014, Directors for the eight Research Consortia have selected 137 students as GoMRI Scholars.

Congratulations Kellie, Ellen and Zucheng!

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The Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GoMRI) is a 10-year independent research program established to study the effect, and the potential associated impact, of hydrocarbon releases on the environment and public health, as well as to develop improved spill mitigation, oil detection, characterization and remediation technologies. An independent and academic 20-member Research Board makes the funding and research direction decisions to ensure the intellectual quality, effectiveness and academic independence of the GoMRI research. All research data, findings and publications will be made publicly available. The program was established through a $500 million financial commitment from BP. For more information, visit http://gulfresearchinitiative.org/.