UNCRS Category: Natural Sciences

RUNC: Kamya Bates

a young girl sits in a lab with a tray of seagrass in front of her

Kamya Bates studies one of the coast’s most valuable resources: seagrass.

Casting Lines, Catching Data

young woman on the beach at sunset with anglers fishing behind her

Sally Dowd blends scientific data with angler observations to protect ocean predators, the ecosystems they support, and the communities that depend on them.

Where the Seagrass Grows

two young women look at seed samples in a wooden sifter

Heather Bruck and Nadya Gutierrez study how shrinking seagrass meadows could threaten the future of vital underwater ecosystems.

The Shellfish Sleuth

a young man holds a handful of oysters

Colin Eimers is investigating why so many N.C. oysters die off each year — and how to stop it before farmers lose entire harvests.

Marine Crossroads

young woman holding a fishing net over her shoulder looks out at the water

Alexis Longmire is exploring how manmade coastal barriers affect predator movement, seagrass, and the future of waterfront communities.

Flooded Futures

two women stand under a bridge in Bolin Creek

Flood researchers Antonia Sebastian and Miyuki Hino are reshaping how the Southeast prepares for storms.

Stars in Their Eyes

Manuel and Megan Maeso under the starry sky of the full dome theater at Morehead Planetarium

Newlyweds and postdoctoral researchers Manuel and Megan Maeso look forward to a future filled with companionship, empathy, and science.

Eye-Opening Innovations

Wei You stands in a chemistry lab, and his reflection is mirrored on the shiny concrete floor.

Chemist Wei You’s second startup company is using polymers to create drug delivery systems for eye diseases.

Building Living Machines

Ronit Freeman

Ronit Freeman uses nature’s building blocks to create innovative technologies, from synthetic cells to treatments that could transform health care.