News

The National Research Mentoring Network (NRMN) has officially named Veronica Sosa-Gonzalez, Coordinator of the Center for Workforce Development and Diversity (CWDD), a Certified Facilitator in recognition of her commitment and skill as a facilitator. This places her in a select group committed to disseminating evidence-based training while contributing to the mission of creating an inclusive scientific workforce.

On May 18, 2018, the CWDD's Senior Research Technician Janel Roberge traveled to Woodstock, VT to take part in the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park's annual BioBlitz event. Acting as the Aquatic Macroinvertebrate Specialist, Janel led a group of roughly thirty 2nd grade students from the Prosper Valley School, Reading Elementary School, and Woodstock Elementary School through a macroinvertebrate investigation session.Students used microscopes (a first for many of them) and tallied up how many taxa of aquatic insect they found in a stream. Students then used this information to help determine whether or not said stream was healthy.

The VT EPSCoR Policy and Technical Advisory Committee (PTAC) Spring Meeting was held on May 24, 2018. The biannual meetings offer a space for policy makers, decision makers, researchers, federal agency representatives, town and local officials from around the state and region to convene and take an active role in interactive sessions surrounding the Lake Champlain Basin.

Vermont EPSCoR researcher Alan Betts, PhD attended the 2018 Global Energy and Water Exchanges (GEWEX) Open Science Conference in Canmore, Alberta, Canada from May 6th through May 11th, 2018. The theme of this year’s conference was "Extremes and Water on the Edge."

Colchester, VT - June 6, 2018 - Vermont PBS had a great night at the New England Emmy Awards, bringing home two of the coveted statuettes- one for environmental programming for Saving our Waters and a second in the interstitial category for MLT375: Cite Memoire.

Saving Our Waters tackles the urgent need to protect our waterways from pollution and climate change through the lens of the Lake Champlain Basin. It explores the intersection of environmental science and behavioral science necessary to make lasting changes that allow the lake to thrive. Producer Vince Franke was the award recipient for Saving Our Waters. Major funding for this production was provided by Vermont EPSCoR.

2018 was an incredible year for our acceleration program and pitch competition. It was truly a privilege to work with the extremely talented and diverse group of entrepreneurs in our cohort. We had eight startups from eight different towns with eight very different products and services! This made for a unique learning environment with lots of complementary skills and experiences. The enthusiasm and dedication that each entrepreneur brought to the program elevated the level of acceleration for everyone in the cohort.

The owners of Mamava received their 2018 Vermont Small Business Person of the Year awards during a ceremony in Washington D.C. on Monday.

Sascha Mayer and Christine Dodson of Mamava were recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration for employment growth, financial success, expansion and community involvement. The Burlington-based company designs and manufactures free-standing lactation suites for nursing mothers.

On Thursday LaunchVT announced the eight Vermont startups that will be participating in its 2018 cohort. This is the sixth cohort of startups to come through LaunchVT’s early stage acceleration program and pitch competition. Over the past five years LaunchVT has provided mentorship and over $400,000 in cash and in-kind services to accelerate 35 Vermont startups.

Digging a hole in most major cities - for new construction or infrastructure repair – is no minor undertaking.

With a dozen or more separate utilities required to inspect the ground under the dig site for a welter of obstructions like water, sewer and gas pipes, electric lines and electric generators - some so old they don’t appear on city maps – the permitting process can take 18 months or more.

Transformational new technology being developed jointly by the University of Vermont and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga could reduce the inspection process to an afternoon’s work.

MONTPELIER, Vt. -- The owners of a Burlington company were named the 2018 Vermont Small Business Persons of the Year.

Sascha Mayer and Christine Dodson of Mamava are being recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration for employment growth, financial success, expansion and community involvement. Mamava designs and manufactures free-standing lactation suites for nursing mothers.

The 10th annual Vermont EPSCoR Student Research Symposium was held on Tuesday March 20, 2018 at the University of Vermont's Davis Center. The Symposium showcased the work of student researchers in the Basin Resilience to Extreme Events (BREE) program. Over 60 high school students and teachers attended from schools throughout Vermont, Boston, South Carolina and Puerto Rico. New this year was a presentation from VT PBS on Saving Our Waters Curriculum guides for high school and middle school classrooms.

VT EPSCoR is very happy to welcome Veronica Sosa-Gonzalez, Ph.D., as the Coordinator of the VT EPSCoR Center for Workforce Development & Diversity at Saint Michael’s College (CWDD).

I had just finished my safety talk to some middle school students when I heard a bloodcurdling scream. In many years handling aquatic insects and other small water creatures, I have never been wounded. Crayfish have once or twice gotten hold of me but never drawn blood. So I was quite surprised to hear through the minor chaos that a student had actually been bitten.

CWDD Coordinator Veronica Sosa-Gonzalez, Ph.D. traveled to Puerto Rico in January 2018 where she spoke to students interested in internship opportunities with Vermont EPSCoR. Veronica spoke with students at the University of Puerto Rico, Universidad del Este, Universidad del Turabo, and Universidad Metropolitana. Approximately 150 students interested in STEM opportunities attended.

Three Vermont EPSCoR graduate research assistants (GRAs) were invited judges for a local science and engineering fair held at Milton Middle School in Milton, VT on February 8, 2018. Wilton Burns, Caitlin Crossett, and Brittany Lancellotti acted as judges for science and engineering projects at the event.

Julia Perdrial is an assistant professor of geochemistry at the University of Vermont. As an environmental bio-geochemist and mineralogist, she takes a strong interdisciplinary approach to study low temperature environmental terrestrial and aquatic processes by combining experimental and field approaches.

The Winter 2018 VT EPSCoR Magazine is now available.

While driving down from Isle La Motte in early December, my son and I noticed a fine skim of ice floating down the Alburg Passage. As it collided with the Route 2 bridge supports, it broke into rectangular fragments. I wondered if what I was seeing was typical, or a symptom of changing climate? But a single observation tells you only about the current weather, and says nothing about climate trends.

Although many climate predictions suggest
that the frequency and intensity of large storm
events might increase in the coming decades, few
studies document the full impact of such events along
their path.

Please join me in making a gift to the newly created Merit Award Fund for special recognition of graduate students and postdocs who embody the multi-disciplinary commitment to research and mentoring excellence that the VT EPSCoR program has built upon since its inception in Vermont in 1985. Judith Van Houten will match up to the first $2,500 in gifts to help kick off this important fund.