About

beachI have a diverse background in research, teaching, extension, large grant and program development, planning, and program evaluation.

I maintain  SciencePrimer.com. I’ve held adjunct faculty positions at both the University of Rhode Island and Roger Williams University and was the Director of the Rhode Island NSF EPSCoR Academy from 2008 to 2010.

As the Director of the Academy, I oversaw a diverse portfolio of programs and activities to promote science education and improve the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) educational pipeline in Rhode Island. Programing targeted individuals at all levels of educational attainment from pre-college to post-graduate. Supported programs included Graduate Fellowships, Undergraduate Research Fellowships, Entrepreneurial fellowships, enrichment opportunities for middle and high school students, and professional development opportunities for teachers.

I have extensive experience with development of inquiry-based middle and high school curricula through participation in National Science Foundation supported GK-12 and MSP programs.

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Research interests include sustainable food and energy production; bacterial community composition and ecosystem function; adaptation of microorganisms to environmental variability; molecular ecology; and genetic regulation of bacterial enzyme activity. His most recent work focused on the structure and function of microbial communities in septic leach fields and the ecology of members of the bacterial genus Flavobacterium.

Prior to joining RI EPSCoR, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Rhode Island. I studied the genetic basis of virulence of the fish pathogens, Vibrio anguillarum and Flavobacterium columnare. I am a returned Peace Corps Volunteer. I served as an aquaculture extension agent in Gabon, Central Africa. I have a Ph.D. in Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island, and a Master’s degree in Energy and Environmental Analysis from Boston University.