2026 Worster Summer Research Fellowship Symposium
Join us on April 29, 2026 at the MSRB auditorium to celebrate our students and get a sneak peek of what they've been working on. Light refreshments will be provided.
The Worster family graciously supports research development in ecology, evolution, and marine biology, through funding of a mentoring program that pairs undergraduates with graduate students for a summer research program. The 10-week program encompasses a hands-on collaborative research project between the undergraduate student and graduate mentor, a presentation of that research at the annual Worster Symposium, and a written summary of the team's progress and accomplishments at the end of the fellowship.
Date & Time
April 29, 2026
11:00am - 1:00pm
Group 1 Presentations
| Time | Speakers | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 11:00am - 11:10pm | Arrivals & Snacks | |
| 11:10am - 11:15am | Stephen Proulx Vice Chair of Curriculum, EEMB |
Opening remarks |
| 11:15am - 11:30am | Siena McKim & Livia Herman | Presentation #1: "Uncurling the kelp; the discovery of a symbiotic ostracod on giant kelp amphipods" |
| 11:30am - 11:45am | Madeleine Ward & Sarah DeLima | Presentation #2: "Ridge-to-Reef Metagenomics: Evaluating eDNA Recovery in Freshwater and Coral Reef Environments" |
| 11:45am - 12:00pm | Kacie Ring & Pratyush Rallapally | Presentation #3 "The impact of invasive species on host-parasite networks" |
:00pm - 12:10pm
Break
Group 2 Presentations
| Time | Speakers | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 12:10pm - 12:25pm | Charlie Braman & Finnegan Menn | Presentation #4: "Quantifying land crab soil bioturbation in atoll forest ecosystems" |
| 12:25pm - 12:40pm | Madison Weise & Dani Michiels | Presentation #5: "Ridge-to-Reef Metagenomics: Evaluating eDNA Recovery in Freshwater and Coral Reef Environments" |
| 12:40pm - 12:55pm | Adelaide Dahl & Nichole Wei | Presentation #6: "Tiles and tiny corals: evaluating benthic communities on recruitment tiles and the link to coral settlement" |
| 12:55pm - 1:00pm | Stephen Proulx Vice Chair of Curriculum, EEMB |
Closing remarks |
