New Students Arrive at VIMS
19 new students arrive to pursue PhD, MS, and professional MA degrees in marine science
The Virginia Institute of Marine Science welcomed 19 new graduate students to its Gloucester Point campus last week, bringing the overall enrollment in William & Mary’s School of Marine Science at VIMS to 96 students.
Carefully selected from this year’s pool of more than 110 applicants, this incoming class includes 7 doctoral students, 10 students in the Master of Science, and 2 students in the Professional Master of Arts in Marine Science program. Geographically, 4 students are Virginia residents, 12 are from out-of-state, and 3 are international.
Over a third of the new students bring professional, workplace experience in the sciences to VIMS. Seven of the new students participated in the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates program, including two of them whose REU placement was at VIMS. This incoming class is coming to VIMS with already more than 20 combined publications in scientific journals or book chapters, as either a first- or co-author.
"This is an exciting cohort of students as they are going to infuse VIMS with a breadth of research, professional, and engagement experience," says John Griffin, VIMS' Assistant Director for Admissions & Student Affairs, "We are excited to see how they enrich the VIMS community and graduate program.”
A passion for teaching, mentoring, and making an impact:
This incoming class has a remarkable drive to support the education and development of the communities they are a part of. Over two-thirds of this incoming class have held roles as either teaching assistants, university mentors or tutors, AmeriCorps mentors or educators, and even as a summer camp director.
Students in this incoming class were engaged in the extracurricular success of their previous institutions. and held prominent roles in their undergraduate and graduate schools as they participated in activities like debate, swimming, diving, band, assorted student clubs and associations, student government, and on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committees.
Griffin adds, "Our new students have invested themselves in scientific stewardship and community engagement and we look forward to seeing the ways in which they grow here at VIMS.”