University Partners

In addition to our fellowships and internship program, SERC staff members are actively engaged in educating young scientists and professionals in scientific and management communities.

Our researchers have developed and continue to teach university courses at institutions around the country such as:

• An annual Evening Seminar in Protist Ecology every spring semester for graduate students at the Unversity of Maryland. (Dr.Wayne Coats)
• Field courses in Mangrove Ecology for highschool, college, and graduate students have been developed by Dr. Ilke Feller.
• Mangrove Ecology and Training Program for Belize: Dr. Feller organized and designed course, curriculum and teaching manual for a mangrove/coastal ecology field course in Belize for high school and college teachers, civil servants, and non-governmental organizations' staff members.
• Tropical Marine Ecology Course: Dr. Feller and Catherine Lovelock Co-cordinated this course for the Smitsonian Tropical Research Institute- Organization for Tropical Studies (STRI-OTS). The five-week graduate field course in marine ecology was conducted June 16 through July 18, 2003 in Panama.

A number of our senior staff are also adjunct professors providing instruction and consultation at Universities around the world.

Other Offerings for College-level
The STAR program is a collaborative program between SERC Eduation Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for Student Training In Aquatic Research. College and High school classes use the Smithsonian's forty-two foot research vessel, the R/V Saxatilis, for sampling cruises of between two and four hours through the Rhode River into the Chesapeake Bay. Participants examine the biological and physical aspects of an estuarine system and learn techniques such as water quality sampling and benthic sampling or conduct independent projects.