Boat selfie of smiling person in sun hat and sunglasses wearing an orange life jacket
Image courtesy of Darrielle Williams

Darrielle Williams Receives a Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship

  • by Jessica Lee

Congratulations to Darrielle Williams, a Ph.D. student in Integrative Pathobiology at the University of California, Davis, working under the mentorship of Dr. Karen Shapiro. Darrielle was recently awarded a Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship through the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

About the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship:

NOAA's Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program provides support for master's and doctoral degrees in oceanography, marine biology, and maritime archaeology—these may include but are not limited to ocean and/or coastal: engineering, social science, marine education, marine stewardship, cultural anthropology, and resource management disciplines.

Read more about the scholarship

About Darrielle:

Darrielle Williams is pursuing her Ph.D. in Integrative Pathobiology at the University of California, Davis, under the mentorship of Dr. Karen Shapiro. Her dissertation research seeks to address novel questions about how environmental and anthropogenic forces, including microplastics, habitat type, precipitation, and more, may influence the transport behavior and survival of fecal parasites (Sarcocystis neurona and Toxoplasma gondii) from land to sea. To characterize parasite and microplastic pollution, Darrielle is conducting a three-year environmental surveillance effort in Estero and Monterey Bays using molecular and chemical techniques on water and invertebrate samples. This work will be key to mitigating health risks to keystone species such as the Southern Sea Otter, which is threatened by parasites, and to informing decision-making on water quality and ecosystem resilience in Morro Bay State Marine Reserve and NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

Darrielle completed her B.S. in Animal, Poultry, and Veterinary Science at Tuskegee University. During her training in animal science, she interned under the NOAA Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions, where she fostered her interests in microplastics research under the tutelage of Dr. Jennifer Lynch. In this experience, she reviewed current literature standards for quantifying harm from plastic ingestion through toxicological assessment. Additionally, she served as an intern in the NOAA Ocean Explorer's program with the University of Southern Mississippi in Dr. Leila Hamdan's lab, combining microbiology, oceanography, and archeology in the search for the SS Norlindo. Her training at Tuskegee and experiences through these programs have culminated in a keen interest in marine disease ecology, anthropogenic pollutants on marine ecosystems, and marine animal health and conservation.

Because her path to marine science and research has been shaped by the advocacy and enthusiastic mentorship of passionate educators, Darrielle is committed to making education exciting and accessible for future generations. During her dissertation period, she served as a teaching scientist for an outreach program run through Sacramento's Museum of Science and Curiosity, which enabled foster youth to explore science, technology, engineering, and math. She has also worked as a teaching assistant for the UC Davis McNair Program, mentoring undergraduate students beginning their research journeys. Outreach will remain a central part of Darrielle's career, encouraging aspiring young scientists, providing resources, and offering mentorship to overcome barriers.