Sustainable Oceans and Coastal Futures

Transcript

Let’s hear from Thomas, a senior marine biology major and business management, double major, who’s working to make aquaculture farming more accessible to local businesses. Roger’s coastal location and expertise in areas like marine science, law, aquaculture, engineering, architecture, and wind energy gives them the unique position to make a positive impact on the economy and communities. Over to you, Thomas.

– Thanks, Alex. Hey, everyone. When I first started looking for a college I knew I wanted to find a program that prioritized hands-on learning and real world experience. Luckily, Roger Williams University provided me with just that. Many of my courses have utilized RWU’s location to give me hands-on experience in the field. A few of my courses have used our research vessel. The Invincible Spirit, to gather samples from our own backyard to use in our lab work. Using that data, we practice data interpretation and writing papers. During my time here at RWU, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a few different research projects. Two summers ago, I researched marine viruses using samples taken from RWU’s learning platform. I got experience working in a lab and sharing research with scientists from other universities. Currently, I’m working on an internship researching the impacts of biological growth on shellfish aquaculture here. During this project, I had the opportunity to work with farms across Rhode Island. I got hands-on insight into both the biology and business of the aquaculture industry. Additionally, I had an opportunity to work on RWU Shellfish Farm and Hatchery. As an environmentally conscious university we’ve increased our focus on growing the blue economy. The intersection between marine science and industry has never been more exciting and RWU has given me the hands-on experience to excel in my future career. And with that, let’s throw it back to you, Alex.

– Smart move, Thomas, with that double major choice. I’m so impressed with the experience and research you’ve been involved in which is not the norm in undergraduate programs. It’s awesome to have students like you who are ready to tackle big issues and lead the way in developing new solutions. Take care.