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Teagan Bellitto ’23, a Marine Biology and Environmental Chemistry double major and Sustainability Studies minor, will attend Texas A&M University for a Ph.D. in Chemical Oceanography. Bellitto was awarded a merit fellowship and graduate assistantship in a lab that researches ocean biogeochemistry and how climate change influences ice formation in the Southern Ocean. She will begin her graduate work with a research cruise to Antarctica this fall.  

Four Years of Hands-On Training: “I had a great experience here. I worked in the Wet Lab all four years, primarily with husbandry and general caretaking of the fish and shrimp. I also tested the water quality. The Wet Lab is primarily for undergraduate students. Other schools have similar setups but for graduate students. This is a unique opportunity that sets Roger apart. I practically live in the Marine and Natural Sciences building. It’s solidified the path I want to go down.”  

NASA-Funded Research: “I’m going to Antarctica to track trace metals in icebergs, which is similar to research I’ve done at �����ƽ��. I’m really excited about it. (Stephen) O’Shea has been my research advisor. Last summer, I received funding from the NASA Rhode Island Space Grant Consortium and worked with him on a project comparing Martian soil simulant to sediment from Mount Hope Bay. I learned how intensive research is and that things don’t always go your way. We had to rework samples a few times, and I got familiarized with the instrumentation. It’s definitely useful going forward in a research field.”  

Summer Camp Sealed the Deal: “When I was a sophomore in high school, I attended �����ƽ��’s Marine Biology summer camp to see if I wanted to commit to Marine Biology as a field. We got to go out on the boat, do fieldwork and lab work, and tour the facilities. It affirmed that I love Marine Biology and made me really like Roger and the program.”  

Bellitto, of Oradell, N.J., served as president of the Marine Science club and was a member of the Science Alliance, Society of Women Engineers, and in the Tri Beta Honors Society.  

Every spring, as Commencement nears, �����ƽ�� spotlights members of the graduating class. Suggestions are welcome. Email: stories@rwu.edu