Program "Up Close"     University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences Maryland Sea Grant Promoting environmental science literacy and linking non-scientific audiences to science research

The Environmental Science Education Program (ESEP) bridges this gap between the research community and pre-college students, teachers and the general public. Our mission is to promote environmental science literacy particularly within the context of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed and link non-scientific audiences to science research.

The ESEP offers exciting and innovative education and outreach programs and products that build directly on science research at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) and Maryland Sea Grant (MDSG). Our ESEP products provide an avenue to exciting environmental research tools, data and results. Through our ESEP programs, teachers, students and citizens work side-by-side with scientists, explore authentic scientific datasets, and learn state-of-the-art research tools and techniques.

Our experienced team of UMCES and MDSG science education specialists guide the ESEP, bringing a wealth of experience in science education and knowledge of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed. Working closely with resident scientists, they lead ESEP programs and develop ESEP products at our four research facilities that span the entire state of Maryland from the western mountains to the shores of Chesapeake Bay. Our team collaborates on several joint programs including the Teacher Research Fellowship Program, which immerses 6-12th grade teachers in Chesapeake research at our research facilities and helps them develop associated classroom applications.

ESEP Team Members

Mr. J. Adam Frederick (frederic@mdsg.umd.edu) is an education specialist with Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program within the University System of Maryland. In his seventh year with Sea Grant, he serves as co-director of the SciTech Education Program at the Center of Marine Biotechnology, which serves 3rd to 12th grade students and teachers. He received his B.S. in Biology/Education from Slippery Rock University, PA and a M.S. in Environmental Biology from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland.

Ms. Donna Lloyd (lloyd@hpl.umces.edu) is the environmental education specialist at the Horn Point Laboratory (HPL) Environmental Education (EE) Center. She oversees programs at the EE Center including school field trips and K-12 student summer programs. Donna received a B.S. in biology at Millersville University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Laura Murray (murray@hpl.umces.edu) is a research associate professor and leads environmental science education programs at the Horn Point Laboratory (HPL). As a scientist and an educator, she links science education to HPL's world-class research. She received a B.S. in Marine Science, a M.S. in Science Education from the University of West Florida and a Ph.D. in Wetlands Ecology from the College of William and Mary.

Dr. Cathlyn Stylinski (cat@al.umces.edu) is an assistant professor and directs the Appalachian Laboratory Environmental Science Education (ALESE) program. This program targets teacher professional development with a current focus on geographic information systems (GIS) and stream ecology. Cat holds a B.S. in video and film production, a M.S. in biology from San Diego State University and a Ph.D. in ecology from University of California Davis.

Ms. Jacqueline U. Takacs (takacs@cbl.umces.edu) is a marine specialist with Maryland Sea Grant Extension Program within the University System of Maryland. Based at the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL), she trains teachers and citizens on environmental issues of the Chesapeake Bay and provides technical assistance for aquaculture and pond management programs. She received a B.S. in Life Sciences (Marine Biology) and a M.S. in Marine, Environmental and Estuarine Sciences from the University of Maryland.

ESEP Facilities

The Appalachian Laboratory (AL) is nestled in the mountains of western Maryland on the campus of Frostburg State University. Using its state-of-the-art research and teaching facilities, AL faculty engaged in environmental science research on freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems with a primary focus on the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Research areas include wetland and stream ecology; restoration ecology; landscape ecology, geographic information systems and remote sensing; conservation biology; biogeochemistry; and behavioral ecology.

The Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL) is located on the western shore of Maryland on Solomons Island. Its mid-Bay position at the mouth of the Patuxent River places it within easy reach of the diverse aquatic and terrestrial habitats of one of the world's largest estuarine ecosystems. Faculty at the Laboratory conduct research in ecosystem studies, fisheries science, environmental chemistry, geochemistry and toxicology.

The Horn Point Laboratory (HPL) is located on the banks of the Choptank River, a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Laboratory faculty engage in research on the biology, chemistry, physics, and ecology of organisms and ecosystems from wetlands and estuarine waters of the Chesapeake Bay to the continental shelf and open waters of the world's oceans. Areas of research include oceanography; plankton dynamics; marine macrophyte and wetland ecology; systems ecology; nutrient dynamics and eutrophication; physiological ecology of benthic invertebrates; benthic-pelagic interactions; and aquaculture.

The Center of Marine Biotechnology (COMB), part of the University of Maryland Biotechnology Institute, occupies 171,000-square-feet of the Columbus Center at Baltimore's Inner Harbor. Committed to research, education, and economic development, COMB applies research in molecular biology and molecular genetics to aquaculture and fisheries; marine microbial products and processes; and marine pollution and bioremediation. Researchers search for improved methods of aquaculture and fisheries production; develop new marine-based compounds and pharmaceuticals, medical diagnostic test methods, and industrial applications of microbial products; and implement novel techniques for environmental cleanup and biofilm prevention.

Maryland Sea Grant (MDSG) is based at University of Maryland College Park and is part of a network of 30 university-based Sea Grant programs around the country. With funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the State of Maryland, MDSG supports innovative marine research and education with a focus on the Chesapeake Bay. MDSG supports research targeting practical problems and serves as a gateway to relevant and reliable scientific information, so that citizens can make informed choices about marine resources.

http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/Extension/msgsnn/msgsnn06_1/index.html