A Rising Tide of Budding Scientists at the Marine Science Center

At Northeastern’s Marine Science Center (MSC) in Nahant, Massachusetts, students and faculty examine the mysteries of the ocean, from studying evolutionary and coastal marine ecology to documenting the impact of climate change. Support from the Halverstadt Family Summer Internship Program is enabling a wave of undergraduates to hone their research skills, while inspiring them to pursue careers in the field.

During a co-op in Associate Professor Jennifer Bowen’s lab, Catherine Hexter, S’22, studied narG, a gene responsible for the reduction of nitrate, a commonly used fertilizer. But at the end of her co-op, Hexter still had questions she wanted to answer—and support from the Halverstadt Family Summer Internship Program enabled her to see her research through to fruition.

“This internship combined with the time I have spent working at the MSC confirmed my desire to go to graduate school and pursue a PhD in the same field,” says Hexter. “The mentorship I received was integral in my decision.”

Without her internship, Hexter would not have had time to advance her project and write a report of her findings. Now, “There is no doubt in my mind she will get this manuscript published before she graduates,” says Associate Professor Bowen. “It is safe to say that the opportunity provided by this internship was truly transformative for this young scholar, and my lab has benefited tremendously from having her.”