Featured Awards – April 2019

Please join us in congratulating the following MSU faculty and staff who received awards this month.

Yasemin Besen-Cassino • Sociology
Contemporary Sociology Editorship
American Sociological Association
$21,933
This award will support Dr. Besen-Cassino in the role of Editor for Contemporary Sociology, providing yearly funding for operational costs of the office. As a part of this grant, Dr. Besen-Cassino will review and select manuscripts, as well as selecting and shaping the content of the Journal.

Paul Bologna • Biology
John Gaynor • Biology
Robert Meredith • Biology
Assessment of the Impacts of OCNGS on Gelatinous Zooplankton and Planktonic Community Structure: Year 2
NJ Department of Environmental Protection
$68,992
Dr. Bologna, Dr. Gaynor and Dr. Meredith’s study will continue to assess the distribution of gelatinous zooplankton and potential impacts of Oyster Creek Nuclear Generating Station (OCNGS) on planktonic community structure and provide a Metagenomic Composition assessment of planktonic communities and impacts of OCNGS. They will be supported by undergraduate and graduate students of Montclair State University.

Ying Cui • Earth and Environmental Studies
Development of new high-resolution pCO2 records for quantifying Earth system climate sensitivity
National Science Foundation
$40,533
In collaboration with researchers from University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Dr. Cui will work with both undergraduate and graduate students to study the ancient pCO2 (65 million years ago to today) using a large number of published carbon isotope data from literature. This research is based on the known pCO2 effect on C3-land plant carbon isotope fractionation in order to provide a continuous, high-resolution pCO2 reconstruction of the Cenozoic and to assess the Earth system sensitivity. This study will provide important insight to the future climate change.

Meiyin Wu • Passaic River Institute
Stopping Trash Where It Starts
US Environmental Protection Agency
$9,000
Montclair State University will assist the New York – New Jersey Harbor & Estuary Program in the survey site selection process for 20 sites along the Hackensack River, download GIS map data for the study area, randomly select potential study sites using GIS, apply site selection criteria, add additional survey sites selected by community groups/HEP, and create a GIS map listing all final survey sites.