Biological and Environmental Sciences Colloquium Series

University of Rhode Island

The BES Colloquium Series is the research seminar series for the College of Environmental Sciences at the University of Rhode Island. BES students nominate speakers from across several disciplines including: Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB), Ecology and Ecosystem Science (EES), Environmental and Earth Sciences (EVES), Evolution and Marine Biology (EMB), and Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (SAFS). Invited speakers spend the day at URI visiting with faculty and graduate students.

Spring 2025 Schedule

Time: 3:00 PM Location: CBLS 010

Click the Speaker’s Name and Talk Title for More Info

Date	Specialization	Speaker	Speaker’s Affiliation	Talk Title	Host
Jan 31	All	URI BES Grad Reps	URI	Spring 2025 Welcome Event!	N/A
Feb 7	EMB/EES	Dr. Johanna Harvey	URI	Tending the flock: avian disease ecology and conservation	Dr. Johanna Harvey
Feb 14	EVES	Dr. Patrick Sorensen	URI	Connecting microbial ecology to soil biogeochemistry using multi-omic approaches	Dr. Patrick Sorensen
Feb 21	EES	Dr. Diann Prosser	USGS-EESC	On the wing: The changing dynamics of avian influenza (bird flu)	Dr. Johanna Harvey
Feb 28	EES	Dr. Sarah Kienle	URI	Examining the adaptive capacity of apex predators in a rapidly changing world	Dr. Sarah Kienle
Mar 7	EVES	Dr. Margaret Capooci	NSF	Patterns and Processes Governing CO2 and CH4 Emissions from Tidal Salt Marshes	Michael Norton
Mar 21	EMB	Dr. Lisa Komoroske	UMass Amherst	Integrating across biological levels to understand risk and resilience to environmental change in marine species of conservation concern	Jon Puritz
Mar 28	CMB	Dr. Ahmed Abdelfattah	Brown University	Lighting up the brain: Genetically encoded sensors for voltage imaging	Kate Remy
Apr 4	EVES	Dr. Dhiman R. Mondal	MIT	Improved Space and Polar Geodesy through Advanced Technology and Techniques	Md Al Amin
Apr 11	EMB	Dr. Jennifer Pollack	HRI TAMUCC	Oyster research, restoration, and support for resource management in Texas	Olivia Nieves
Apr 18	SAFS	Dr. Gustavo Oliveira	Clark University	Spaces of Contestation over Water Resources in an Irrigation Frontier in Brazil	Deniz Camli
Apr 25	EMB	Dr. Joan Bernhard	WHOI	The Chloroplast Conundrum: Role of sequestered plastids in benthic foraminifera living far below the photic zone	Madison Geraci

Overview

The M.S. and Ph.D. in Biological and Environmental Sciences (BES) are interdisciplinary, interdepartmental graduate degrees with faculty from multiple departments in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences (CELS), including Biological Sciences; Cell and Molecular Biology; Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Science; Geosciences; Natural Resources Science; Nutrition and Food Sciences; and Plant Sciences; as well as faculty from the Graduate School of Oceanography.