News

Caitlin Crossett, PhD served as a graduate research assistant for the Vermont EPSCoR BREE research team and successfully defended her PhD dissertation in March 2022. Starting in Fall 2023, she will take the next step in her career progression, as she moves on to become an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina Asheville in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences. Dr. Crossett will begin her new academic post in the Fall 2023 semester.

Vermont EPSCoR hosted a remote Alan Alda Communicating Science Workshop on January 11th and 12th, 2023. This workshop marked the ninth consecutive year in which Vermont EPSCoR has partnered with the Alan Alda Communicating Science Center at Stonybrook University to deliver an opportunity for scientists to hone their communication skills.

Last year, in the middle of a warm, humid summer, in the Jericho Research Forest, associate professor in UVM’s College of Engineering and Mathematical and Sciences (CEMS) Arne Bomblies and his team of researchers were waiting for snow. Starting in April, Bomblies and his team began installing a series of snow sensors and meteorological instruments throughout the state, from the top of Mount Mansfield to the shores of Lake Champlain.

Vermont EPSCoR and the Vermont STEM Fair will provide the venue for high school students to showcase research and sponsor VT STEM Fair finalists at the 2023 International Science and Engineering Fair.

Lesley-Ann Dupigny-Giroux, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Geography and Geosciences at the University of Vermont and the Vermont state climatologist, has been appointed to serve on the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (BASC) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. She is the first Vermont-based scientist to receive this prestigious invitation.

Vermont EPSCoR and the UVM Extension 4-H program are joining forces in an effort to encourage and engage more Vermont youth activity in STEM areas. 4-H reaches youths aged 5 to 18 all across Vermont.

VT EPSCoR was well represented at the recent 27th National NSF EPSCoR Conference hosted by Maine EPSCoR in Portland, ME on November 13 – 16, 2022. The conference focused around the theme, “Translating Needs to Outcomes”. Dr. Kirk Dombrowski, Vice President for Research at the University of Vermont; State Director, Arne Bomblies; Associate Director, Christopher Koliba; Manager, Cyberinfrastructure and Partnerships, Patrick Clemins; and Assistant Director and Project Administrator, Lillian Gamache participated in the three-day meeting. The conference had over 400 attendees including those from all EPSCoR states and jurisdictions.

University of Vermont students Krizzia Soto-Villanueva, PhD candidate in Food Systems, and Zenllaze Gomez-Merlo, undergraduate in Engineering, attended the 2022 Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) National Diversity in STEM (NDiSTEM) Conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico with support from VT EPSCoR. The UVM chapter was recognized with one of two Chapter of the Year awards in recognition of its accomplishments including offering professional development workshops, panel discussions, and community activities. The UVM SACNAS chapter was represented by 12 student members at the national conference. It was the first in-person conference to be held since 2019 due to restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vermont EPSCoR was proud to sponsor the 2022 Vermont Works for Women - Women Can Do career exploration conference. Over 260 high school students from 12 counties attended the conference which was held at the Vermont Technical College in Randolph.Students spent the day exploring STEM and trades careers through hands-on activities and getting to know Vermont professionals, employers, and organizations.

Scientists are ringing alarm bells about a significant new threat to U.S. water quality: as winters warm due to climate change, they are unleashing large amounts of nutrient pollution into lakes, rivers, and streams. The first-of-its-kind national study finds that previously frozen winter nutrient pollution—unlocked by rising winter temperatures and rainfall—is putting water quality at risk in 40% of the contiguous U.S., including over 40 states.

Two Vermont Assistant Professors are the beneficiaries of the US Department of Energy's (DOE) plan to award $21 million in funding for 29 new projects through DOE EPSCoR Lab Partnerships. The two recipients are Jihong Ma, PhD of the University of Vermont (UVM) for her project "Multi‐scale Study of Self‐Healing Polymers to Enhance Carbon Dioxide Removal" and Ben Cotts of Middlebury College for his project "Elucidating Transient Localized Disorder of Semiconductor Nanocrystals."

Joining efforts to help strengthen diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) of the Vermont Science and Technology (S&T) ecosystem, Vermont EPSCoR has established new partnerships with the Vermont Professionals of Color Network (VT PoC) and the Vermont Women’s Investor Network (VT WIN) to help expand existing networks.

Women Can Do is Vermont Works for Women's annual career exploration conference for high school girls and gender-expansive youth. Students are invited to Vermont Technical College in Randolph, VT for a day of hands-on exploration of STEM and trades careers, and networking with VT professionals, employers, and organizations to learn about secondary education and career opportunities in the state. After a hiatus due to the pandemic, Women Can Do is returning in-person on October 6th, 2022, serving 250 high school youth. VT EPSCoR support will be used to support curriculum development and on-site curriculum delivery.

A new article by Huanping Huang titled "When I hit obstacles on my academic journey, I learned to keep trying and embrace the unexpected" has been published in Science magazine. Huanping Huang was a BREE GRA and member of the Climate Team.

This hour, we’re looking at the health of Lake Champlain with a panel of Vermont scientists. We'll discuss cyanobacteria—also known as blue-green algae—blooms, invasive species and other potential environmental problems. Guest include: Asim Zia, professor of public policy and computer science in the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics, and in the Department of Computer Science, University of Vermont, Matthew Vaughan, chief scientist, Lake Champlain Basin Program and J. Ellen Marsden, professor, Wildlife & Fisheries Biology Program, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont.

University of Vermont researchers say that if progress is to be made in cleaning up Lake Champlain, state and federal regulators must factor in climate change. Darren Perron spoke with Asim Zia, a UVM professor of public policy and the lead author of the article.

New findings indicate that state and federal regulators hoping to improve water quality in Lake Champlain will need to adjust their policies to address warming temperatures that trigger toxic blue-green algae blooms, according to a research team based at The University of Vermont.

A Burlington company that makes propulsion systems for satellites is expanding to the United Kingdom, while it grows its business in Vermont. Benchmark Space Systems makes products that propel small satellites in space using hydrogen peroxide, which the company says is cleaner than other satellite propellants. The company started five years ago with just a few employees. Today it has 75, about half of which are at its headquarters in Vermont, according to CEO and co-founder Ryan McDevitt.

Vermont EPSCoR's CWDD served as a sponsor of the Vermont STEM Fair, which occurred from March 24-26, 2022. The fair was held virtually this year but held special significance for members of the CWDD, as one of the award winners, Bridget O'Keefe, received mentoring from Vermont EPSCoR.

The University of Vermont (UVM) in collaboration with 28 universities and institutions—is poised to advance its status as a prominent institution in hydrological research.