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Emily A. McDonald, B.S.
Graduate Research Assistant
School: Arnold School of Public Health
Department: Environmental Health Sciences
Degree Program: M.S.
Major Advisor: Dr.
Dwayne E. Porter
Mailing Address:
University of South Carolina
Arnold School of Public Health
Department of ENHS
921
Assembly Street, PHRC 401
Columbia, SC 29208
Office Location:
Public Health Research
Center, 206
(Note: NOT a mail stop – see
above)
Contact Information:
Phone: 803.777.1765
Fax: 803.777.8769
E-mail: emily@inlet.geol.sc.edu
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Education
2007 (Expected)
– M.S., Environmental Health Sciences, University
of South Carolina, Columbia, SC
2006 – B.S., Marine Science,
University of South Carolina - Honors College,
Columbia, SC
Research
My current research
involves longitudinal integration of coastal ocean observing systems in
support of coastal management needs and applications. My Master’s
thesis research is planned to use data from near-shore, coastal and
terrestrial observing systems to improve water quality issues related to
human health. For my South
Carolina Honors
College thesis I
completed a study that sought to improve understanding of the potential
applications of coastal ocean observing systems in coastal zone
management focused in the Southeast region.
Interests
Professionally, I am interested in the use of Integrated
Ocean Observing Systems for Public Health applications, remote sensing,
GIS technologies, spatial and ecological modeling of the coastal area,
fisheries management, coastal management, and improving linkages between
science, management and politics.
Personally,
I’m a self-admitted adrenaline junkie, I love mountain biking, road
biking, SCUBA diving, Yoga, hiking, and rock climbing. I also love random
road trips, traveling, and spend the majority of my Falls watching
college football.
Projects
¨
Long Bay Near-Shore Water Quality
Management – SC Sea
Grant / SCDHEC-OCRM
¨
IOOS Links to Coastal Management – CSO / SECOORA
¨
Land Use-Coastal Ecosystem Study (LU-CES) – NOAA
Biographical
Information
After a visit to Sea World when I was probably
about 4, I decided it was my goal in life to be the girl in the pink
wetsuit who got to jump off Shamu’s nose.
Ever since, I’ve been fascinated with the coastal and marine
environments, spending several spring breaks and summer vacations
learning about dolphins at the Dolphin
Research Center
in Grassy Key, Florida.
This led me to pursue a degree in Marine Science. Warm weather, college
football and an incredible Marine
Science Program brought me to South Carolina,
where I earned a B.S. in Marine Science, with a focus in Coastal Policy
and Management from the University
of South Carolina,
and the South Carolina Honor’s College in 2006.
During the summer of 2005 I worked as an
intern at SC-DHEC’s Office of Ocean &
Coastal Resource Management. I was able to assist in the critical area
permitting process and worked on the Long Bay Hypoxia study. I also
assisted in field data collection in tidal creeks and marshes near Charleston, SC
for NOAA’s Ocean & Human Health
Project.
In 2004 I started work as an
undergraduate research assistant with Dr. Dwayne Porter in the Baruch
Institute’s Geographic
Information Processing Lab, and have continued on as a graduate
student. I have worked on a variety of projects involving land use in
Southern Beaufort County, coastal ocean observing systems, coastal zone
management and water quality.
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