Honors Program

��ý Biology Student Studies Coral at Woods Hole

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 14:05:43 +0000

��ý Biology Student Studies Coral at Woods Hole BBENSON@bridgew.edu Thu, 03/05/2026 - 09:05

Olivia Quintin partners with renowned research institution for internship, thesis

March 5, 2026

Brian Benson, G'23

Olivia Quintin, ’26, is fascinated by coral. To explore her passion further, she forged a research partnership between ��ý and one of the world’s most prestigious oceanographic research institutions.

Eager to chart her own path, Olivia contacted the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution about an internship. The biology major landed the position with key financial support from ��ý State.

“It’s been cool that I’ve been able to build my own opportunities,” said Olivia, who is from Fairhaven and is minoring in biochemistry. “��ý provides the resources to set yourself up for success.”

For her WHOI internship, which ��ý’s Bartlett Internship Program funded, Olivia analyzed 1,600 photos of coral living on ships and airplanes that sank near Palau in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. She helped WHOI biologist Dr. Kirstin Meyer-Kaiser compare corals on the shipwrecks’ man-made surfaces with those on natural reef structures.

Their work showed unique communities of coral based on the composition of the wrecks – such as steel or aluminum – and the horizontal or vertical orientation of wreck surfaces.

As her internship wrapped up, Olivia approached Meyer-Kaiser about pursuing an honors thesis. During a meeting with ��ý biological sciences professor Caitlin Fisher-Reid, the trio decided to search for a more cost effective and efficient way to genetically identify corals. Olivia is working to sequence a specific portion of a genome rather than the entire genome, a process that would facilitate identifying coral that can best withstand the effects of climate change.

That’s important because coral plays a critical role in ocean biodiversity, partly by forming physical reefs that provide habitat for fish and other marine life.

“There’s something special about coral itself,” Olivia said. “It is so essential in maintaining marine ecosystems.”

Olivia’s thesis blends her knack for hands-on lab work with Meyer-Kaiser's expertise in coral and Dr. Fisher-Reid's knowledge of genetics. It is unique to find this perfect blend of expertise, said Meyer-Kaiser.

Fisher-Reid and Meyer-Kaiser are impressed by Olivia’s research skills and motivation.

“She has really solid lab skills from her work with Caitlin,” Meyer-Kaiser said. “I also want her to take away the process of thinking like a scientist and being able to identify a problem and see a way to address it and then go for it. She has really embraced that.”

Meyer-Kaiser also praised the availability of ��ý funds, which made this experience possible amid federal cutbacks in science funding.

“It’s really easy to encourage my students to seek out these opportunities because I know that ��ý will support them when they get them,” added Fisher-Reid.

For Olivia, receiving funding through ��ý helped create a meaningful college experience that provides the foundation for a career in research.

“It was really nice to know I could pursue my academic interest while supporting myself financially,” she said. “It was really motivating.”

Do you have a ��ý story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

It’s been cool that I’ve been able to build my own opportunities. ��ý provides the resources to set yourself up for success.

Olivia Quintin, '26

Tags

Undergraduate Research

Honors Program

Internships

Photos by Carly McMahon, '24, G'26

Soaring to New Heights

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 19:44:22 +0000

Soaring to New Heights BBENSON@bridgew.edu Wed, 08/20/2025 - 15:44

Math major earns NASA grant, aims to break new ground in photonics

August 21, 2025

Brian Benson, G'23

Evaneida Fortes, ’26, G’27, has always enjoyed math because it allows her to flex her brainpower. As a ��ý student, she realized how far her love of numbers could actually take her.

This summer, Evaneida is contributing to the development of devices that could one day be used by astronauts in space.

“This is an opportunity that I’m very grateful for,” said the first-generation math major who grew up in Cabo Verde and Fall River. “��ý has allowed me to go for it and achieve things I never thought I would have achieved.”

With funding from the NASA Space Grant program, Evaneida is applying mathematical optimization and data analysis skills from her undergraduate courses to the design of integrated photonic devices. The devices would utilize particles of light called photons to help monitor astronaut health and study exoplanets, which are planets located outside our solar system.

Evaneida collaborates with Dr. Samuel Serna, an assistant professor of physics, photonics and optical engineering, and his students to understand how her computer-based modeling could play out in the real world. As she refines design algorithms to develop feasible concepts, Evaneida works with MIT material scientists to understand the extreme environments in which these devices must operate.

“I like problem solving and I like to be challenged,” she said. “Math can be applied in many different fields. I’m having so much fun doing that in this research.”

While Evaneida’s project is confined to a computer, she hopes to see the designs eventually built, potentially in collaboration with MIT scientists. The research also improves her coding and troubleshooting abilities, skills that will be invaluable as she eyes a career in data analysis.

Evaneida is also taking part in ��ý’s 4+1 program, through which she can complete her bachelor’s degree while beginning her master’s degree in math. This allows students to count some courses toward both degrees and save time and money.

Outside of the classroom, Evaneida is a resident assistant for the honors living learning community, a position through which she mentors fellow honors students and introduces them to opportunities at ��ý that she has found so valuable.

“��ý State has helped me grow as a person,” she said. “It has helped me grow academically. It has made me feel a sense of belonging and that I can do anything I desire to do.”

Do you have a ��ý story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

This is an opportunity that I’m very grateful for. ��ý has allowed me to go for it and achieve things I never thought I would have achieved.

Evaneida Fortes, ’26, G’27

Tags

Undergraduate Research

Photonics

Honors Program

Student Spotlight

Graphic by Charlie Peters, G'20

Higher Calling

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Thu, 16 Nov 2023 13:57:52 +0000

Higher Calling BBENSON@bridgew.edu Thu, 11/16/2023 - 08:57

Peer leader focused on giving back

November 16, 2023

Brian Benson, G'23

As a first-generation student and an immigrant from Trinidad, Cindy Mack, ’23, ’24, has seen firsthand the power of public higher education to transform lives. Now, he’s doing his part, representing his peers as a member of the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education.

“I can’t repay ��ý for what it’s done for not just my academic but personal wellbeing,” said Cindy, who earned a degree in criminal justice and is pursuing a second bachelor’s in political science. “This is how I can say ‘thank you’ and give back.”

Cindy has long been involved in representing his peers. As a Massasoit Community College student, he successfully advocated for a change in state law to allow part-time students to serve in student positions on their institutions’ boards of trustees.

And, as a member and now chairperson of the statewide Student Advisory Council, Cindy pushed for expanded use of Open Educational Resources (OER) instead of expensive textbooks. Students attending public universities and colleges in the state saved $7.6 million in one recent year because of OER.

“I know ��ý is heavily invested in OER,” said Cindy, who was recently sworn in as a voting member of the Board of Higher Education. “I’m very proud of that because it’s what is giving me opportunities to learn and not have to be burdened by the cost of textbooks.”

Cindy, who moved to the U.S. 22 years ago, didn’t think American higher education was in his future. But his brother urged him to enroll in classes at Massasoit, which led him to ��ý.

“It’s a personal journey,” Cindy said. “It’s a humbling opportunity to achieve the things I have been able to achieve with the support of Massasoit and ��ý. … Going back to school saved me from having a mental breakdown. It gave me a purpose.”

Soon after starting at ��ý, Cindy learned three family members were murdered in Trinidad. Thinking he would need to take a leave of absence, Cindy instead discovered flexible faculty willing to help him in the face of tragedy.

For his honors thesis, Cindy produced a documentary exploring the LGBTQIA+ community in the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, where same-sex intimacy was historically a criminal act and transphobia and homophobia remain pervasive. He received funding from ��ý to travel to his home country and conduct interviews.

“As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community, it’s hard to be here and see that where you’re from it’s a criminal offense,” Cindy said. “It’s a human rights issue.”

Cindy appreciated the encouragement of many faculty including thesis advisor Emily Brissette and part-time faculty member James Moore, who helped with the technical aspects of making the documentary. The Honors Program embraced an unconventional thesis format.

This unwavering support, Cindy said, is emblematic of his ��ý experience and motivates him to serve at the state level.

“��ý has been there for me since the first semester,” he said.

Do you have a ��ý story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I can’t repay ��ý for what it’s done for not just my academic but personal wellbeing. This is how I can say ‘thank you’ and give back.

Cindy Mack, ’23, ’24

Tags

Student Spotlight

LGBTQIA+

Honors Program

First Gen

Language Research

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Fri, 26 May 2023 16:43:42 +0000

Language Research BBENSON@bridgew.edu Fri, 05/26/2023 - 12:43

Recent graduate's thesis helps him teach Spanish to high schoolers

May 30, 2023

Brian Benson, G'23

It didn’t take long for Jake Murray, ’23, to recognize the professional relevance of his undergraduate research. In fact, he had yet to even cross the commencement stage.

The ��ý Spanish and secondary education major studied two distinct ways of describing past actions in Spanish that are challenging for students to grasp.

“I literally taught the difference in a Spanish class,” he said, recounting an experience student-teaching at Taunton High School. “What the research told me, I could see in front of me.”

That research on the preterit and imperfect verb tenses, which was part of his honors thesis, represents a passion for the Spanish language that he developed as a student. Jake started learning Spanish in eighth grade and initially disliked it. As his language skills advanced, he became enthralled by Spanish literature, music, and art.

For his thesis, Jake relied on sources in English and Spanish. He studied the historical Latin roots of the two verb tenses, linguistic differences, cultural impacts in the Spanish speaking world and strategies for teaching students.

The project’s interdisciplinary nature impressed Dr. José Lara, an assistant professor of Spanish who co-mentored Jake.

“This was a thesis that was research based and also applicable to the classroom,” Lara said. “He argued for a more wholistic understanding of these tenses and the importance of understanding them for students and educators alike.”

Lara and Dr. Melissa Tobey LaBelle, an assistant professor of secondary education and educational leadership, recommended sources and even commented as Jake drafted his thesis.

“They were crucial to my success,” he said. “We were discovering this knowledge together.”

Research was rewarding in itself because of the freedom it offered, Jake said.

“It is your idea, your interests, what you want to know more about,” he said. “This was the first time in my college career that professors were like, ‘It’s up to you.’ Though overwhelming at first, it was really empowering.”

Now Jake is preparing to continue studying Spanish in graduate school at Universidad de Alcalá in Spain. He will also teach English while abroad.

He then plans to return to the U.S. to teach Spanish – a career that he knows he is prepared for thanks to his ��ý research and education.

“I have this great privilege,” he said of becoming a Spanish educator who is not a native speaker. “I can not only share my passion with students but put myself in their shoes.”

Do you have a ��ý story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

It is your idea, your interests, what you want to know more about. This was the first time in my college career that professors were like, ‘It’s up to you.’ Though overwhelming at first, it was really empowering.

Jake Murray, ’23, on participating in undergraduate research

Tags

Undergraduate Research

Honors Program

Shared Lessons

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 18:00:21 +0000

Shared Lessons BBENSON@bridgew.edu Fri, 04/21/2023 - 14:00

Alumna and current undergraduate collaborate on salamander project

April 27, 2023

Brian Benson, G'23

United by a love of salamanders and a passion for teaching, student Grace Leopold, ’24, and science teacher Julia Whalen, ’20, G’24, are teaming up to study the tiny amphibians and their predators.

Grace, a biology and secondary education major, created clay salamanders she placed in the Great Hill woods on ��ý’s campus. She hopes predators will seek out the “claymanders” and leave their bite marks in the clay. Cameras will also record what happens.

Julia, who teaches at Carver Middle High School, is leading the same project with her students.

“It lets them see school is something more than reading from a book and doing worksheets,” said Julia, who studied the same fields as Grace as a ��ý undergraduate and is now pursuing a master’s degree in physical science.

Grace and Julia praised Dr. Caitlin Fisher-Reid, an associate professor of biological sciences, for encouraging them to participate in undergraduate research. Fisher-Reid’s lab studies eastern red-backed salamanders through the Salamander Population and Adaptation Research Collaboration Network (SPARCnet), which includes researchers from as far away as Indiana and Virginia who aim to understand how environmental changes affect salamanders.

In addition to Grace’s project with claymanders, ��ý and Carver students track and measure living salamanders to better understand a species whose presence indicates a healthy forest.

A salamander made of clay

“I enjoy science I can look at and see with my eyes,” said Grace, who joined the lab after Julia graduated. “I love the people in the research lab. We’re always hanging out outside of the lab. And Caitlin is such a good mentor. I feel like I just hit the jackpot.”

Julia can relate. She said a mix of lab experience and education classes helped her excel as a teacher.

While she didn’t plan to continue salamander research after college, Julia realized it is a perfect topic for students enrolled in Carver’s environmental and agricultural sciences pathway.

“They really enjoy getting outside and working with the salamanders,” said Julia, who received the 2022 Joann Blum Inspiration in Environmental Education Award from the Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers.

The woods next to her school are an ideal classroom. That habitat features mostly pine trees, which differs from the mixed forest on ��ý’s campus and mostly deciduous trees at other Massachusetts SPARCnet sites, Fisher-Reid said.

“It’s awesome,” she said of Julia incorporating the research into her teaching. “I didn’t really think any of my students would do that. I’m happy when they get jobs. To have a student take an entire project and say, ‘I can do it with younger students,’ is a teacher’s dream.”

Grace is excited to have data from Carver claymanders because it will help her draw better conclusions for her honors thesis about the salamander predators project. She even visited Julia’s classroom and worked with her students.

“The most rewarding thing is being able to collaborate with Julia,” Grace said. “To learn from someone who has gone through exactly what I’m going through is super helpful.”

Do you have a ��ý story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I enjoy science I can look at and see with my eyes. I love the people in the research lab. We’re always hanging out outside of the lab. And Caitlin is such a good mentor. I feel like I just hit the jackpot.

Grace Leopold, ’24

Tags

Undergraduate Research

Honors Program

Going Ape For Research

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Fri, 16 Dec 2022 18:48:23 +0000

Going Ape For Research BBENSON@bridgew.edu Fri, 12/16/2022 - 13:48

Recent graduate studying primates

December 22, 2022

Brian Benson

Mia Sarkisian, ’19, first developed an interest in orangutans when she read a story about them as a child. But she didn’t find a way to turn her passion into an integral part of her professional life until she came to ��ý.

At ��ý, Sarkisian met anthropology Professor Ellen Ingmanson, a biological anthropologist whose research focuses on primates, including orangutans and other types of apes.

“I didn’t know anthropology was even a path for primate research,” said Sarkisian, who majored in anthropology and biology. “She took me under her wing and showed me how to do research and collect data.”

Sarkisian is now a graduate student in the primate behavior and ecology program at Central Washington University. She aspires to earn a doctoral degree and potentially become a professor, a career path that would allow her to teach while continuing the type of research she first explored as an honors student at ��ý.

“I would love to be a professor,” Sarkisian said. “I had amazing professors help me get where I am.”

With support from ��ý’s Adrian Tinsley Program, Sarkisian traveled to the Smithsonian Zoo in Washington, D.C., to study how a baby orangutan behaves and how its mother treats the baby. That work formed the basis for her honors thesis.

Behavioral research is important because orangutans are endangered due to deforestation, poaching and other factors. Research helps humans support orphaned orangutans with the goal of preparing them to live in the wild, Sarkisian said.

“We learn from research what they need to know to survive,” she said.

Sarkisian also completed an internship at the Smithsonian Zoo exploring how orangutans and gorillas communicate.

On the ��ý campus, she gained laboratory skills studying salamanders with Dr. Caitlin Fisher-Reid. Meanwhile, Dr. Ingmanson offered projects and directed studies designed to meet Sarkisian's career aspirations.

Sarkisian’s persistence and dedication are admirable and useful in a field where the research process is slow and requires significant time spent observing primates, Ingmanson said.

“She asked questions and wanted to understand it and came back to find out more,” Ingmanson recalled. “It’s that curiosity, that need to know. It really is a need.”

Sarkisian’s biology and anthropology foundation built as a Bear was instrumental in preparing her for graduate school and helping her understand the biological and human factors affecting primates.

“��ý was super important to me,” she said. “They gave me the educational and financial resources to do this.”

Do you have a ��ý story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

I had amazing professors help me get where I am.

Mia Sarkisian, ’19

Tags

Alumni Profile

Honors Program

Undergraduate Research

Staging Change

BBENSON@bridgew.edu — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 13:41:49 +0000

Staging Change BBENSON@bridgew.edu Tue, 11/15/2022 - 08:41

Theater production highlights climate-related topics

November 15, 2022

Brian Benson

Many theatrical performances are known for their lavish sets and costumes that often end up in the trash when a show closes. But ��ý thespians are taking an environmentally friendly approach.

For Lighting the Way, an upcoming series of short plays about climate change, students are using limited sets and costumes – and making them from existing materials. Even the paint is left over from past productions while props are made of waste cardboard. And the program is just one page with a digital supplement.

“We’re in an artistic practice that has historically not been kind to the Earth,” said Kyle Imbeau, ’23, a theatre arts major and women and gender studies minor from Fairhaven. “This is an important thing for us to be reflecting on as artists.”

From Nov. 17 to 20, Kyle and their classmates in Associate Professor Miranda Giurleo’s Laboratory Theatre class will present Lighting the Way in the Rondileau Student Union Auditorium. The students selected 16 plays from an anthology of 49 pieces commissioned for the global theater festival Climate Change Theatre Action 2019. The plays highlight people who are striving for a more sustainable future.

“We had a lot of conversations in class about how we do this in a way that leaves the audience with hope,” Giurleo said. “How do we do this in a way that doesn’t seem to be just for optics?”

The minimalist set challenges students to think differently, but also presents an opportunity to connect with audience members who will be more focused on the actors, said Kaylin DiAntonio, ’24, a theater arts and psychology major from Carver.

“Everything that we do is done with intent,” Kaylin said. “Everything we do has such profound purpose that you can’t help but be drawn in.”

Some plays feature spoken word poetry, a style that connects ZZ McRae’s academic studies in theater and creative writing.

“This course has been able to really mesh both of my passions together, and I’m so happy,” said ZZ, a member of the Class of 2023 from Brockton.

Laboratory Theatre gives students a hands-on experience on stage and behind the scenes similar to the work of a professional theater company.

Lighting the Way marks the seventh show at ��ý for which Kyle is the dramaturg, a position responsible for conducting research and providing context about the play for actors and the audience. Kyle appreciates having these experiences as an undergraduate because they aims to become a professional dramaturg.

Kyle took on the dramaturg responsibilities to fulfill an Honors Program requirement. Fellow honors student Madison Bradbury, ’23, composed several songs for the production.

“I’ve always enjoyed writing music,” said Madison, a theater arts major from East ��ý. “I’ve never had proper mentorship and space to do it. Here, I was given all the mentorship.”

Madison hopes the audience leaves inspired to make a difference in improving the environment.

“Even the smallest thing can help,” Madison said. “I hope this starts a chain reaction.”

Do you have a ��ý story you'd like to share? Email stories@bridgew.edu.

We’re in an artistic practice that has historically not been kind to the Earth. This is an important thing for us to be reflecting on as artists.

Kyle Imbeau, ’23

Tags

Arts

Honors Program

Sustainability

Photos by Artie Universe, '23

Honors Program

������ý Biology Student Studies Coral at Woods Hole

Soaring to New Heights

Higher Calling

Language Research

Shared Lessons

Going Ape For Research

Staging Change

��ý Biology Student Studies Coral at Woods Hole