SALOMONS, MD (May 25, 2022)—Chesapeake Biological Laboratory Senior Faculty Research Assistant Casey Hodgkin received the University of Maryland Environmental Science Center President’s Award for Outstanding Research Support to recognize going beyond the standards of research responsibilities to include unique roles of leadership, mentorship and on duty. She has been integral to various projects and technical support roles during her 13 years at UMCES’ Chesapeake Biological Laboratory.

“Casey Hodgkin’s outstanding contributions to research and mentorship exemplify excellence in supporting scientific research,” said the president of the University of Maryland Environmental Science Center. Peter Goodwin. “Faculty research assistants are essential to our research enterprise and contribute to the graduate experience at UMCES. She has played impressive leadership roles in both contributing to research and mentoring colleagues and students in the scientific process.

As head of Dr. Jeremy Testa’s laboratory, she mastered a wide range of field approaches, laboratory analyzes and quantitative data analysis techniques, and she never failed to deliver high quality work. quality in all these places. She has attention to detail and organizational skills that help research groups run efficiently and set the tone and example for other technicians and students. She goes out of her way to help faculty, staff and students.

“Casey has been an exceptional mentor. She guided me in learning many field and laboratory methods, such as performing sediment incubations and instrumentation analyzes essential to my research,” said Ph.D. student Drew Hobbs. “Throughout it all, Casey demonstrated a level of professionalism and patience that continues to help me grow as a young researcher. His sense of vigor creates a fun and exciting environment in which to work.

Hodgkins’ contributions to research efforts have been extensive. Since 2014, she has been on 34 cruises aboard the R/V Rachel Carson, serving as both an assistant to non-UMCES groups (e.g. Nature Conservancy, Montgomery County Community College) and senior scientist at the supporting research efforts to understand ocean acidification, sedimentary processes in response to nutrient loading changes, and other dynamic processes in the Patuxent River ecosystem. It has a unique role as manager of the Dock Watch Programleading a collaborative effort to measure the chemical, routine physical and biological properties of the Patuxent River as an extension of a data set dating back to 1938.

A unique aspect of his contributions is his generosity in sharing his experiences and skills in mentoring junior FRAs and students. Hodgkins worked firsthand with students and interns teaching them laboratory and field methods, including maintenance and sample collection for the dockside monitoring program, teaching them the importance of laboratory safety and supervising those less experienced in the rigor and care involved in the scientific enterprise. She used her many hours of operating small boats (over 900!) to lead training days for students and FRAs, an effort she independently imagined, planned and executed.

“Casey is an incredible FRA. Since I started as a student, Casey has motivated me to step out of my comfort zone, think outside the box, become resourceful, and think quickly to overcome mishaps in the lab and in the field. His input and training in the field and in the lab undoubtedly helped me and my research to get to where it is today, three years after my graduate degree,” said Ph. D. pupil Isabelle Sanchez-Viruet.

She has made substantial contributions to technical reports and peer-reviewed publications when not in the field. She was the lead author of technical reports for the Calvert County Monitoring Program and a key contributor to reports for the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and the Maryland Department of Environment, where she also participated. presentations to agency staff. She not only played a central role in research efforts, but also took on the additional task of communicating research to funding agencies.

“Casey is an exceptional colleague and a leader in all aspects of our group’s research. His skills and support help us think big as we contemplate new research,” said Jeremy Testa, associate professor in the UMCES Chesapeake Biology Laboratory.

Located where the Patuxent River meets the Chesapeake Bay, the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory is the oldest publicly funded marine laboratory on the East Coast. Founded in 1925, it has been a national leader in the fields of fisheries, estuarine ecology, environmental chemistry and toxicology for over 90 years. Our scientists conduct research from the Chesapeake Bay and around the world. Whether advising state and national agencies on sustainable fisheries management, breaking new ground in understanding how chemicals move between atmosphere, sediment and water, or renowned work on the dynamics of nutrients and the food web, the laboratory develops new scientific approaches to solve the main environmental problems. problems facing our world.