Newsletter-April 2020
The latest news & opportunities from RI C-AIM
Realigning 2020 SURF
Because of the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, RI C-AIM will be taking a more "individualized" approach while implementing our 2020 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) .

Although we are committed to providing our SURF awardees with the most rewarding experience possible, the situations facing each student, mentor and institution for conducting summer research are unique and fluid. With these circumstances in mind, RI C-AIM is opening discussions with faculty mentors now about the shape of their SURF projects and in the coming weeks will have plans for SURF that are responsive to the needs of all involved.

A decision has not yet been made on when our annual SURF Conference, typically held in July, will be scheduled.

If you have further questions regarding the 2020 RI C-AIM summer program, please contact SURF Coordinator Jim Lemire at jlemire@rwu.edu.

Thank you to the RI C-AIM community for your patience while we navigate these challenging times!
Howard Dooley, Jr.
C-AIM's new project administrator
Howard Dooley, Jr., arrives as RI C-AIM's new project administrator, taking over from Sally J. Beauman, who retired from the position in January. Welcome aboard!

From Howard: I am a life-long educator. In my youth, I worked and volunteered at several community-based organizations that collaborated with Providence's homeless, disadvantaged and immigrant populations. It was a wonderful and fulfilling time. Looking to engage more academic environments with new challenges, I spent 10 years as project manager of the NSF-supported Rhode Island Technology Enhanced Science and Computing Program (RITES+C). The program's mission was to create, support and maintain equity of access and achievement in computational thinking and computer science courses and activities for all secondary public school students in Rhode Island.

After a brief "retirement", I am joining RI C-AIM, a program that dovetails well with my interests, including authentic STEAM experiences for all and creative displays of scientific data. I enjoy working in peer-collaborations that support scientific exploration, engaging new scientists and contributing facts and models to social decision-making. 

In my off-hours, I garden, read and watch science and science fiction. I love and am loved deeply by my partner Nick, our dog Maximus, and my cat Cinnamon.
Student Spotlight
Erin Tully, URI
Former SURF and University of Rhode Island student Erin Tully will pursue a Masters at Oregon State University.  While Tully's work with RI C-AIM Co-PI Dr. Bethany Jenkins focused on diatom communities in Narragansett Bay , she will now research ocean acidification and marine invertebrates.

Congrats and good luck, Erin!
Above: Tully sorts through water samples in Dr. Bethany Jenkins Lab during her summer 2018 SURF research.
Upcoming Opportunities
Countering Misinformation in a Crisis: Making Sense of Science during COVID-19
Tuesday, May 5, 1 p.m.

Professionals in the academic and journalist communities have described the spread of COVID-19-related misinformation as an “infodemic.” Webinar speakers will discuss how to understand these uncertainties and actively counter misinformation.

This webinar is from a four-part series organized by URI’s Metcalf Institute and the News Literacy Project entitled, "COVID-19 in Context: News Coverage and News Literacy in Uncertain Times."
Virtual Venture Café:
C onnectivity in a Post COVID World
Thursday, May 7, 3-6 p.m.

This virtual conference, hosted by Venture Café & District Hall Providence, Connect Greater Newport and the State of Rhode Island's Office of Innovation, will explore how internet connectivity across Rhode Island impacts business, education, medicine, and innovation, and what we can do to improve connectivity for all Rhode Islanders.

A link to the virtual event will be shared via email upon registering.
The News
Image by Alexa Sterling
The Breakdown, RI C-AIM's new student newsletter
In support of our student community, we have created The Breakdown , a newsletter chock with resources for strengthening research and professional connections across RI C-AIM. Our student liaison, Dr. Patricia Thibodeau , kicks off our inaugural edition!
Stevick takes post-doc in Paris
After four years researching oyster microbiomes under Dr. Marta Gomez-Chiarri , Dr. Rebecca Stevick finished her Ph.D and is now studying microbial communities in zebrafish at the Pasteur Institute in Paris, France. Read more about her move abroad from URI Today!
Warming in Narragansett Bay
RI C-AIM's Dr. Jeremy Collie & Nina Santos (right), an M.S. candidate at URI's Graduate School of Oceanography, spoke with ecoRI News about how weekly fish trawls evidence warming in Narragansett Bay. Santos also touches upon how COVID-19 is affecting continuous research on the bay. Check it out! (Image courtesy URI GSO )
Don't Forget
NSF Deadlines: Be sure to consult upcoming funding/project due dates for faculty and students alike from the National Science Foundation through their web portal .
Grad Student & Post-Doc Assistance: If you are a graduate student working on RI C-AIM research, be sure to contact our liaison Patricia Thibodeau for questions about programming and opportunities.
C-AIM Newsletter Archive: Looking for info from a past C-AIM newsletter? Check out our archived newsletter page !