MEES IN THE NEWS

JULY 2025 - MARINE CONSERVATION month

NEWS ARCHIVE

MEES RESEARCH CENTER

the effects of salt water intrustion (SWI) on coastal farmlands

elizabeth fisk (M.S. ‘19)

Elizabeth Fisk (nee De La Reguera) (‘19, M.S.) teaches Upper School science focusing on biology, chemistry, and environmental science at The Park School of Baltimore,  a Pre-K through Grade 12 progressive school in Pikesville, Maryland. Co-advised by Dr. Kate Tully and Dr. Margaret Palmer, Elizabeth earned her Master’s in MEES from the University of Maryland, College Park in December 2019. Elizabeth’s thesis research focused on determining the effects of salt water intrusion (SWI) on coastal farmlands; specifically on the germination of standard crop species like corn, soybean and wheat, and alternative crop species like buckwheat and sunflower as well as the carbon (C) storage potential of salt-intruded farmlands. 
Prior to joining the MEES graduate program, this local Hunt Valley MD native’s interest in soil science started in high school, through an environmental summer research experience program.  After spending two summers studying the results on the soil composition of man-made wetlands in the backwoods of her school, she created a website publishing the results on the school website.  Elizabeth was then accepted to the environmental science undergraduate program at Dickinson College in 2010 and through an NSF STEP award, interned at the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM) working with communities throughout Pennsylvania on monitoring stream water for pollution caused by Marcellus Shale fracking; in addition to working with private organizations and institutions locally on public education in water ecology and management.  The findings from the chemical tests Elizabeth performed were also published on the website and the experience introduced her to water quality issues not only in her hometown, but also state and nationwide.  The following summer, in 2011, under Dr. Michael Holden, Professor and Alfred Victor duPont Chair in Chemistry Emeritus in the Department of Chemistry at Dickinson College,  Elizabeth conducted research focused on making pure aspirin using various ingredients in conjunction with acetylsalicylic acid.  The findings showed that montmorillonite K10, a French clay widely used in various applications (soil additive to hold soil water in drought-prone soils, earthen dams and levee construction, and keeping mud slurry viscous to keep oil drill bits cool) was the most suitable ingredient in making pure aspirin.  Through other summer research opportunities, Elizabeth conducted research with Dr. Jim Tang at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) on understanding how human management practices of urbanized lawns in Falmouth affect nitrous oxide fluxes and at the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies working with Dr. Peter Groffman on studying soil conditions and nitrogen dynamics in compacted subsoil, unremediated soil, and swales. These experiences further solidified Elizabeth’s desire to pursue graduate school study and a career in soil ecology.  After graduating with a Bachelor’s in Environmental Science from Dickinson College in 2014, Elizabeth was offered a research position with Dr. Jim Tang, processing soil samples collected from National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) sites across the United States, testing carbon dioxide fluxes and water release curves from these samples.  In Fall 2017, Elizabeth joined the MEES Master’s graduate program at the University of Maryland College Park under the advisement of Dr. Kate Tully and Dr. Margaret Palmer, studying the effects of saltwater intrusion on coastal farmlands.  Elizabeth’s thesis research demonstrated that agricultural fields exposed to SWI have a high potential to store carbon (C) in soils, and that alternative crops like sorghum and salt-tolerant soybean showed promise in field experiments  Specifically, in coastal farmlands, Elizabeth expected SWI to drive changes in plant species composition and C storage. As soils salinize, standard crops (i.e. corn, soybean, and wheat) can no longer survive and farmers must consider alternatives. Further, transitioning agricultural fields may become C sinks as SWI advances inland and farmlands begin to resemble tidal wetlands. Most standard and alternative crops were intolerant to high levels of osmotic and ionic stress at the germination stage. However, sorghum and salt-tolerant soybean showed promise in field experiments, and showed that agricultural fields exposed to SWI have a high potential to store C in soils. Elizabeth earned her MEES Master’s degree in 2019 and is currently an upper school science teacher at the Park School of Baltimore focusing on biology, chemistry, and environmental science. She is also one of the advisors of the International Student-led Arctic Monitoring and Research (ISAMR) activity. For more information on Elizabeth, please click here.

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Dr. magdalene ngeve

global change impact mitigation: from genes to species

Dr. Magdalene Ngeve is a global change biologist and Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES) with mangrove and submerged aquatic vegetation expertise. Dr. Ngeve is broadly interested in understanding how global change factors affect species and how species are responding to these changes. Dr. Ngeve recently joined the MEES Graduate Program this past June and is enthusiastic about teaching and training the next generation of scientists and critical thinkers.  

Dr. Ngeve’s research primarily focuses on understanding the impacts of global change drivers—such as sea level rise, climate change, pollution, and habitat fragmentation—on the distribution of genetic and species variation across landscapes, and how species are adapting to changes in the environment.  Dr. Ngeve’s previous tenure was at the University of Maryland College Park where,  as both Director of The Masters of Professional Studies in the Applied Entomology Program and as a long term lecturer in the Department of Entomology,  Dr. Ngeve instructed over 1400 students and has advised approximately two hundred; with student’s noting her genuinely kind and approachable nature, her commitment to taking time to explain complex concepts while consistently encouraging students to reach out with questions.  ​Dr. Magdalene Ngeve’s professional journey at Maryland informally began when in April of 2018, she joined the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) as a postdoctoral fellow mentored by longtime MEES Faculty member and MEES course instructor, Dr. Maile Neel in the Department of Entomology.   Magdalene later joined the Department of Entomology as a lecturer, and was a Maryland AGEP PROMISE Academy Fellow.  Magdalene started out by teaching a few Master’s of Professional Studies in Applied Entymology graduate courses like, ENTM720 “Native, Invasive and Exotic Species”, and ENTM 747 “Pollinator Health” before progressing, after completing her postdoctoral program in 2021; and transitioning into a full time lecturer position teaching undergraduate and graduate level Biology courses like BSCI 160 - “Principles of Ecology and Evolution” and BSCI 103  - “The World of Biology”. 

During her time at College Park, Dr. Ngeve continued studying how different global change phenomena alter landscapes and the distribution of genetivariation in species.  Dr. Negev obtained both her doctoral degree and Master’s degree in Biology from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in Belgium, where she studied as a two-time recipient of the BUG-International Relations and Mobility Office graduate scholarship.  Magdalene earned her Bachelor's degree in Zoology from her native country of Cameroon at the University of Buea. 

Dr. Ngeve is deeply interested in how stakeholder voices can be incorporated into the conservation, management, and restoration of degraded ecosystems, and aims to merge local ecological knowledge with modern scientific methods to help mitigate biodiversity loss and improve conservation outcomes. For more on Dr. Ngeve, please click here.

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MEES RESEARCH CENTER

sedimentation characteristic dynamics on living shorelines (Chesapeake Bay)

anji cooper (‘24, E&O)

Anji Cooper (‘24, E&O) just completed her first year as a Master's student at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science (UMCES).  She is set to begin her first year as a MEES doctoral student under the advisement of Dr. Cindy Palinkas this Fall 2025. Anji’s thesis research aimed at developing conceptual and empirical models to predict the evolution of sediment characteristics in living shorelines.  

Prior to joining the MEES graduate program, Anji recalls that from a young age, she ‘had always been an explorer, donning goggles during family beach visits to investigate what lay underneath the surface of the waves.  Over time, Anji recounts noticing changes in water quality in areas that she frequented like tide pools and rugged shorelines, in part due to her mother’s, a paleoecologist,  own research on historical changes in water quality by studying sediment cores and their diatom fossils.   Anji credits this exposure to the reality of changing nutrient input and oxygen levels as well as her own observations of the changing beach landscape, to her decision to ultimately pursue studying sustainable practices to prevent land erosion.  Anji graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Delaware, College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science with a Concentration in Marine Science, Spanish Minor, and Certificate in Eco-Entrepreneurship. During her time as an undergraduate she explored various routes of environmental science, from an internship with DAWN: Dashboard for Agricultural Water Use and Nutrient Management to a research assistantship in the University of Delaware's Biotechnology Institute to Maryland Sea Grant's Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU). With DAWN, she worked to create a global virtual classroom linking the University of Maryland and the University of Kathmandu about the Food, Energy, Water (FEW) Nexus as it pertains to agricultural water, which successfully launched in the fall of 2022. As a research assistant, she worked in the lab of Dr. Mi-Ling Li, assisting in research investigating the spatial distribution and bioaccumulation of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the Delaware Bay as well as assessing the transport, transformation, and fate of PFAS in coastal wetlands. During her experience as a REU fellow, she lived at Horn Point Laboratory and worked with Dr. Palinkas on a research project identifying spatiotemporal variability of sedimentation in living shorelines. These combined experiences cemented Anji's interest in marine science and research. She was intrigued by and enjoyed her time and research as an REU, and after first joining the MEES program in Fall 2024 as a Master’s student, is now set to return to continue her work with Dr. Palinkas as a MEES doctoral student this Fall 2025.   Since joining the MEES program, Anji received an award for nearly every year in the program: the prestigious and highly competitive University System of Maryland (USM) Research Assistantship (2023),  the Dean’s Graduate Fellowship (2023), and the 2025 MEES Graduate Student Fund award this past May which will help her travel to present her research this fall at the CERF conference in Richmond, Virginia.  Anji is looking forward to not only presenting, but also to engaging and networking with current researchers; receiving valuable feedback from experts in the field.  Post graduation, Anji aims to pursue a research career in marine science in order to be better equipped to advance scientific knowledge and understanding of human effects on the marine environment.
Anji is also actively engaging with and serving the community in various roles, including being a University of Delaware World Scholar studying two semesters abroad in Madrid Spain, as well as serving in increasing executive roles in the Phi Sigma Phi (PSP) National Honor Fraternity, as Vice President and  Initiate Advisor (2022-2023).  Anji hopes to work at the intersection of education and research, as a collegiate professor, where she aims to inspire and develop future students into scientists and analytical thinkers. For more information on Anji, please click here.

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