Homecoming Schedule

Most on-campus events are scheduled for Watermen's Hall. A program with abstracts will follow as the symposium nears.

Research Symposium

Download the research symposium schedule as a pdf.

Thursday October 8, 2015

(McHugh Auditorium, Watermen’s Hall unless otherwise indicated)

15:00-15:45: Registration (Watermen’s Hall Visitors Center & Lobby)
Posters may be set up in the Hargis Library, Waterman’s Hall
15:45-16:00: Welcome and Opening Remarks

John Wells – VIMS/SMS Dean and Director
School of Marine Science History and Current Status
Linda Schaffner (M.A. ’80, Ph.D. ’87) – Associate Dean of Academic Studies
16:00-17:00: Opening Plenary
Reflections From A (Mostly) Non-Academic Career: Looking Back and Moving Forward”
Opening Plenary Speaker - Paul Sandifer (Ph.D.’72), former Chief Science Advisor, National Ocean Service, and Senior Science Advisor to the NOAA Administrator
17:00-19:00: Evening Reception (Hargis Library and Library Atrium)
Sponsored by VIMS

Friday October 9, 2015

(McHugh Auditorium, Watermen's Hall unless otherwise indicated)

7:30-8:00: Registration and Light Breakfast (Watermen’s Hall Visitors Center & Lobby)
8:00-8:10: Welcome and Opening Remarks

John Wells – VIMS/SMS Dean and Director
Linda Schaffner (M.A. ’80, Ph.D. ’87) – Associate Dean of Academic Studies
8:10-8:45: “Past, Present, and Future of VIMS Research”
Mark Luckenbach – VIMS/SMS Associate Dean of Research and Advisory Services
8:45-10:30: Alumni Presentations – Session 1
(7 talks at 15 minutes each)
- 8:45: Seven Lessons Learned at VIMS, and Back Again
  David Eggleston (M.A. 88, Ph.D. '91), Professor and Director, NC State Center for Marine Sciences and Technology
- 9:00: Reflections on an Interdisciplinary Career in Aquatic Animal Health
  Teresa Lewis (Ph.D. '00), Center Director, USFWS Midwest Fisheries Center
- 9:15: Snorkeling a 323myo Paleozoic Bay: Community Structure and Depositional Environment
  Eileen D. Grogan (Ph.D. '93), Professor, Saint Joseph's University
- 9:30: Minding the Gap: The Role of Science Communication
  Paula Jasinski (M.A. '92), Senior Communication Specialist & President, Chesapeake Environmental Communications
- 9:45: VIMS-Proud
  Sid Mitra (Ph.D. '97), Director, Coastal Resources Management Program, East Carolina University
- 10:00: A Fish out of (Salt) Water: A Marine Scientist Swims Upstream to Decode the Migratory Strategy of the Landlocked Sea Lamprey
  Michael C. Wagner (M.S.'97), Associate Professor, Michigan State University
- 10:15: Ontogeny, Behavior, and Ecology of the Sea Turtle "Lost Years"
  Kate L. Mansfield (Ph.D. '06), Assistant Professor, University of Central Florida
10:30-11:00: Coffee Break (Watermen’s Hall Visitors Center & Lobby)
11:00-12:30: Alumni Presentations – Session 2
(7 talks at 15 minutes each)
- 11:00: From Sandbar Sharks to Sawfish: Application of the VIMS Tripartite Mission
  R. Dean Grubbs (Ph.D. '01), Associate Director of Research, Florida State University Coastal and Marine Laboratory
- 11:15: Dead Zones around the World
  Robert J. Diaz (Ph.D '77), Faculty Emeritus, SMS/VIMS
- 11:30: Tidal Wetlands, Carbon, and Climate Change
  Scott Neubauer (Ph.D. '00), Assistant Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University
- 11:45: Detecting and Understanding Threats to Eelgrass in the Gulf of Maine: The Times, They Are A-Changin’
  Hilary A. Neckles (Ph.D. '90), Coastal Research Ecologist, US Geological Survey
- 12:00: Coastal River Plumes: Collisions and Coalescence
  Katherine L. Farnsworth (M.S. '97, Ph.D. '03), Associate Professor, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
- 12:15: Twelve years of Changes to the Known Cephalopod Fauna of the Western Central Atlantic Ocean
  Michael Vecchione (Ph.D. '79), Director, NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Service National Systematics Laboratory
12:30-14:00 Lunch on your own at VIMS
Creekside Food Truck in Watermen’s Hall Circle (Inside Seating Available in Chesapeake Bay Hall Atrium)

Student & Post-Doc Network Luncheon (Watermen’s Hall – Marine Advisory Services Education Center)
Sponsored by Academic Studies and hosted by GSA Professional Development Committee
14:00-15:45: Alumni Presentations – Session 3
(7 talks at 15 minutes each)
- 14:00: Inspiring a Community to Participate in Restoring the Lynnhaven River’s Water Quality (Virginia Beach, Virginia)
  Laurie Carroll Sorabella (M.S. '02), Executive Director, Oyster Reef Keepers of Virginia
- 14:15: A perspective on highly migratory species in the Gulf of Mexico
  Brett Falterman (M.S. '99), Program Manager, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries
- 14:30: Physical Controls on Hypoxia in Chesapeake Bay
  Malcolm Scully (M.S. '01, Ph.D. '05, Associate Scientist, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
- 14:45: Industrial Chemical Regulation at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: VIMS Preparation for a Career in Environmental Protection and Public Health
  E. Laurence Libelo (Ph.D. '95), Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention, U.S. EPA
- 15:00: Finding Fish (& Fishermen) from Space
  Richard Holmquist (M.S. '01), Director, Sales at DigitalGlobe
- 15:15: Wormcam, a Novel Camera to Understand Benthic Processes
  S. Kersey Sturdivant (Ph.D. '11), Principal Scientist, INSPIRE Environmental
- 15:30: Technology and Innovation - Career Opportunities for VIMS Graduate Students from a Marine Science Entrepreneur’s View
  Charles J. Natale, Jr. (M.A. '82), President & CEO, ESS Group, Inc.
15:45-16:00: Coffee Break (Watermen’s Hall Visitors Center & Lobby)
16:00-16:30 “The Future of VIMS”
John Wells – VIMS/SMS Dean and Director
16:30-17:30: "The Coastal Ocean: My Generation Did the Diagnosis, Your Generation Must Save the Patient"
Closing Plenary Speaker – Don Boesch (Ph.D. ’71), Professor of Marine Science and President of the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
17:30-17:40: Schedule for Saturday’s Events
Dave Malmquist – VIMS Director of Communications
17:45-19:00: Poster Session and Evening Reception (Hargis Library – Inside and Outside)
Oyster Roast sponsored by VIMS

Anniversary Celebration

Download the Saturday schedule as a pdf.

Saturday October 10, 2015

Event	Cost
Kayak Paddle 9:00- 11:30AM Guided Back Creek Kayak Paddle with Chesapeake Experience departs from Back Creek Park, 3000 Goodwin Neck Road, Yorktown. Wear shoes that can get wet, and take water and sun protection. Adults and children ages 9 and up. Reservations required; call 757-259-6859	$45.00 each
Campus Tour 10:30 - 11:30AM A walking tour of VIMS buildings and research facilities begins in the VIMS Visitors Center in Watermen's Hall. Wear comfortable closed-toe shoes. FULL Check with the registration table Thursday or Friday for cancellations/openings.	Free
Schooner Sailing Tour 2:00 - 4:00PM A VIMS-chartered 2-hour York River sailing cruise aboard the schooner Serenity. Departs from Yorktown; parking located across from Riverwalk. FULL Check with the registration table Thursday or Friday for cancellations/openings.	$31.50 each
Beach Fun 1:00 - 4:15PM Schedule 30 minutes of afternoon fun with the Sail and Paddle Club on VIMS’ private beach. Reserved time will give you access to paddle boards, kayaks, and canoes. All ages welcome. Participants must wear water shoes and bring life vests for children (adult vests available). Reserve slots and obtain waiver (required) at the registration table on Thursday or Friday.	Free
Homecoming Pig Roast 6:00 - 11:00PM Hosted by the Graduate Student Association at VIMS, the annual Fall Party and Pig Roast is the place to be on Saturday night. Advance tickets (Adults) $15. Guests under 21 are free. Purchase tickets at the registration table on Thursday or Friday. Tickets will be $20 at the gate.	$15-20 Adults Under 21 Free

You can register for the symposium and anniversary celebration online.