NSU Student First Recipient of Coral Reef Conservation Endowed Student Support Fund

Funds Targeted to Help Students Studying Coral Reefs and Marine Sciences

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

FORT LAUDERDALE/DAVIE, Fla. – Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is pleased to announce that one of its students is the first-ever beneficiary of the WAMAS Coral Reef Conservation Endowed Student Support Fund. The Washington D.C. Area Marine Aquarist Society, Inc. (WAMAS) donated $25,750 to provide support to NSU graduate students enrolled in NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography. 

Alyson Kuba

“I am very grateful to receive the WAMAS scholarship and will be using this to help cover tuition costs,” said Alyson Kuba, the NSU student receiving the scholarship. “Generous groups like WAMAS help students like me continue research in critical fields of science.”

Alyson is currently finishing her master’s degree in marine biology, and she plans on continuing her studies toward a doctorate in coral research. She said that as a child, she wasn’t drawn to dolphins or sharks or turtles – rather, there was something about corals and coral reefs that piqued her interest.

Her studies focus on the effect climate change has on coral reproduction. Specifically, she said she is assessing “the transgenerational effects of coral bleaching on larval dynamics in order to determine how climate change – particularly ocean warming – influences the recovery and connectivity of coral populations.”

With this award, Alyson will be able to continue studying what she loves.

“This donation comes directly from the proceeds of our hosting the Marine Aquarium Conference of North America in 2015 and is consistent with our shared interests in conservation and education,” said Tom Land, WAMAS President. “We are very pleased and excited to be able to offer meaningful support to NSU and to future students who will benefit from this fund.”

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About Nova Southeastern University (NSU): Located in beautiful Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University (NSU) is a dynamic research institution dedicated to providing high-quality educational programs at the undergraduate, graduate, and first-professional degree levels. A private, not-for-profit institution, NSU has campuses in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Jacksonville, Miami, Miramar, Orlando, Palm Beach, and Tampa, Florida, as well as San Juan, Puerto Rico, while maintaining a presence online globally. For more than 50 years, NSU has been awarding degrees in a wide range of fields, while fostering groundbreaking research and an impactful commitment to community. Classified as a research university with “high research activity” by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, NSU is 1 of only 50 universities nationwide to also be awarded Carnegie’s Community Engagement Classification, and is also the largest private, not-for-profit institution in the United States that meets the U.S. Department of Education’s criteria as a Hispanic-serving Institution. Please visit www.nova.edu for more information about NSU and realizingpotential.nova.edu for more information on the largest fundraising campaign in NSU history.

About NSU’s Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography: The college provides high-quality undergraduate (bachelor’s degree) and graduate (master’s and doctoral degrees and certificates) education programs in a broad range of disciplines, including marine sciences, mathematics, biophysics, and chemistry. Researchers carry out innovative basic and applied research programs in coral reef biology, ecology, and geology; fish biology, ecology, and conservation; shark and billfish ecology; fisheries science; deep-sea organismal biology and ecology; invertebrate and vertebrate genomics, genetics, molecular ecology, and evolution; microbiology; biodiversity; observation and modeling of large-scale ocean circulation, coastal dynamics, and ocean atmosphere coupling; benthic habitat mapping; biodiversity; histology; and calcification. The college’s newest building is the state-of-the-art Guy Harvey Oceanographic Center, an 86,000-square-foot structure filled with laboratories; offices; seminar rooms; an auditorium; and indoor and outdoor running sea water facilities. Please visit cnso.nova.edu for more information.

About WAMAS: A non-profit educational society committed to promoting interest in and enjoyment of all aspects of the marine aquarium hobby by educating the public on the creation and maintenance of a marine ecosystem. It provides resources to the saltwater aquarium enthusiasts in the Washington D.C., Virginia, and Maryland area by sponsoring meetings, educational seminars, lectures, online discussions, publications, websites, exhibits, and other means, as a social avenue to connect with other local hobbyists in our area. WAMAS supports education, research and conservation efforts improving marine and coral reef environments. Please visit www.wamas.org for more information.

December 16, 2016

Joe Donzelli | Office of Public Affairs
954-262-2159 (office) | 954-661-4571 (cell)
jdonzelli@nova.edu | www.nova.edu