March 2020
News from the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology
Building community as we respond to COVID-19
Russell Hill stands next to boxes of gloves and masks
IMET labs donated more than 120 boxes of gloves and other personal protective equipment to the University of Maryland health providers
IMET has joined the vital national effort to slow the spread of COVID-19, acting in accordance with guidelines set by Governor Hogan and the University System of Maryland. Since March 13, IMET faculty, staff, and students have been working from home. A very limited number of essential personnel is still on site at IMET, as needed, to ensure the safety of our animals in the Aquaculture Research Center and to maintain important cell lines and cultures. Tele-working and tele-learning will continue until further notice. 

At this challenging time, we send our best wishes for your health and hope that we will be able to come together again soon.
Why is it important to have sterile fish?
Jorge Gomezjurado stands with two scientists in front of a large tank in the Aquaculture Research Center
Jorge Gomezjurado recently joined the lab of Dr. Ten-Tsao Wong to support research on sterility in fish, including tilapia, Atlantic salmon, and rainbow trout. While he has only been working on this project for a few months, Gomezjurado is not a newcomer to aquaculture or to IMET. He got his start breeding seahorses for the National Aquarium in IMET’s Aquaculture Research Center in 1999 and has been involved in several other IMET projects since.
Front Cover of IMET 2019 Annual Report
See all we did in 2019!
Did you know that IMET had research collaborations in 21 countries in 2019? And that five students received their degrees? Find out more in our 2019 Annual Report, just released!
Four people converse at a table
Welcome, Betsy O'Neill Collie!
How do you turn an idea into a business? Betsy Collie, IMET's new Business Development Manager, helps Harbor Launch companies answer that question. She works with Nina Lamba and Steve Davey to provide advice and make connections for new companies.
screenshot of 8 students videochatting
Got writer's block?
We often focus on the lab and field work that our students do. But there's also a lot of reading and writing involved in science! Shadaesha Green, a PhD candidate in the Chung Lab, felt isolated when working on research papers and her dissertation. She started a student writing group to help students push past writer's block in a supportive environment - now online!
Shadaesha Green stands by a door with the NOAA logo
IMET students complete NOAA internships
Several IMET students are supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Living Marine Resources Cooperative Science Center program, which requires students to complete a NERTO during their studies. Find out what they did during their time away from IMET.
Suzan Shahrestani stands with others in a pond at a shrimp farm
Minnowtech's Prototype Makes a Splash
Suzan Shahrestani, a graduate of UMCES' Chesapeake Biological Laboratory and a REEF student and fellow, is using her training in sonar-based sampling techniques to help shrimp farmers estimate their yield and better use their resources.
headshot of Kia Ramarui
Kia Ramarui Elected GSA President
Kia Ramarui was elected by her peers as the IMET Graduate Student Association President. She is pursuing her Ph.D. in Dr. Yantao Li's Lab and hopes that leading the GSA will help her gain leadership skills as she advocates for students at IMET.
IMET's Open House is going online!
graphic of IMET Open House advertisement on a computer screen: May 2, 2020; going online; free!
We are disappointed that we won't be able to open our doors on May 2 for our Open House. However, we'll be putting together science talks with our students, kid-friendly science videos, and other resources in the spirit of the Open House. Stay tuned for more details!
Dive Deeper: More News From IMET
Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology
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