Honors and Awards

Groundswell of Giving

A recent donation made by 11-year-old Matthew Gray exemplifies the impact of fostering the spirit of philanthropy from a young age. When Gray toured the UC Davis Bodega Marine Laboratory for the first time this past year, he became an instant fan.

Zeke Spooner Receives the 2024 Salisbury Award

The Coastal and Marine Science Institute is pleased to announce the 2024 recipient of the Dennis Salisbury & Patricia K. Salisbury Graduate Award: Zeke Spooner, a PhD student advised by Dr. Sascha Nicklisch and Dr. Christina Pasparakis. Zeke will address microplastic pollution through research to determine the extent to which microplastics have invaded benthic ecosystems across California (CA) and to quantify the toxic chemicals that microplastics carry with them into benthic organisms.

Liyu Mekonnen Receives the 2024 Dr. Susan Lynn Williams Memorial Graduate Award

The Coastal and Marine Science Institute is pleased to announce the 2024 recipient of the Dr. Susan Lynn Williams Memorial Graduate Award: Liyu Mekonnen, a PhD student advised by Dr. Alyssa Griffin. Liyu will address carbon storage in the seagrass meadows of Tomales Bay, specifically quantifying seagrass meadows’ contributions to carbon sequestration through alkalinity production. 

UC Davis DEIJ Leader Fellowships

The UC Davis College of Biological Sciences champions Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ) through the Graduate Student DEIJ Leader Fellowship program. Now in its second year, the program empowers enterprising graduate students committed to enhancing DEIJ within the CBS community by supporting projects aimed at fostering a more inclusive academic environment. 

Among this year’s distinguished recipients of the DEIJ Leader Fellowship are CMSI affiliates Tracie Hayes and Darien Satterfield.

Christina Pasparakis Wins UC Davis Award for Innovation and Creative Vision

Environmental toxicologist Christina Pasparakis, who is an assistant professor based at Bodega Marine Laboratory, is the winner of the 2024 UC Davis Award for Innovation and Creative Vision. 

The prize is funded by Susie and alum Riley Bechtel and supports outstanding non-tenured early career faculty. It comes with a $40,000 research award that Pasparakis plans to use to launch a long-term community-based microplastic monitoring program in the Bodega Marine Reserve.