Southern Miss Gulf Park Campus Graduates Celebrate Journeys of Achievement as Commencement Approaches
Tue, 12/10/2024 - 01:38pm | By: Gabriela Shinskie
“An understanding of the natural world and what’s in it is a source of not only great curiosity but great fulfillment.” – Sir David Attenborough
Patrick Greer
A great love for the ocean and its inhabitants is what inspired University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Gulf Park campus graduates Patrick Greer and Adam Murray to pursue academic journeys in the School of Ocean Science and Engineering (SOSE) and land careers in the Blue Economy. Murray and Greer will graduate this week with fond memories and unforgettable experiences.
Waveland, Miss native Patrick Greer has loved the ocean his whole life. As a transfer to Southern Miss, he knew ocean engineering (OE) would create a dream he longed to achieve. Greer described his time at the university as transformative, with core memories made aboard the R/V Jim Franks and field sampling with his classmates.
“It has been a great experience! The professors push us to be the best we can be,” said Greer.
His achievements speak volumes as he credits many scholarships, such as the Phi Theta Kappa Scholarship, the Ballard and Coats Ocean Engineering Scholarship and the Bostwick Ocean Engineering Scholarship, for providing him with these opportunities. His classes and fieldwork have prepared him for part-time work at USM’s Marine Research Center and the Roger F. Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise, building a promising career path. He recalls his public speaking classes contributing to his confidence in relationships and network settings.
Dr. Gero Nootz, OE assistant professor, spoke highly of Greer’s accomplishments.
“Patrick may be quiet, but his achievements and stellar GPA speak volumes,” said Nootz. “His senior capstone project–a device simulating wave action for a point absorber buoy to convert wave energy into electricity–showcases the power of multidisciplinary ocean engineering. Combining electrical, mechanical and computer engineering, Patrick’s innovative design now proudly stands in our OE lab, inspiring peers and visitors alike.”
Greer will graduate with his bachelor’s degree in ocean engineering.
Adam Murray
A native of northern Virginia, Murray made his way to the Mississippi Gulf Coast to participate as a student researcher in Dr. Kim De Mutsert’s lab at USM’s Gulf Coast Research Laboratory and enrolled in classes without ever touring the campus. Once arriving on the coast, he fell in love with the environment and scenery.
“It has been such a beautiful and rewarding experience being at USM. I’ve fallen in love with the Gulf Coast, and a lot of that has to do with the program, the people, and the culture,” said Murray.
Murray’s time at Southern Miss has been nothing but extraordinary, as he recalled boarding a research vessel for a 10-day trawl NOAA cruise in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico and having the chance to work with the endangered Gulf Sturgeon. He also discovered a newfound interest in Gulf shrimp and its importance to the coastal economy. His research opportunities have allowed him to study the effects of salinity and temperature changes in the Gulf on grass shrimp.
“Working with commercially and ecologically relevant species allows you to interact with the local crabbers and fishers. It’s a rewarding experience. I didn’t initially realize that working with these species would put me in connection with such incredible people,” said Murray.
“One of the most important qualities in a graduate student is perseverance, or what we call grit at USM, and Adam has that in heaps,” said De Mutsert. “There were several instances where he had to change course during his experiments due to high shrimp mortality or other issues, which he did successfully. His work, which included field data analyses in addition to his lab experiments, provides us with new insights into the relationships between fish and shellfish and salinity in an estuarine environment.”
Murray served as vice president of the Marine and Estuarine Graduate Student Association during his time at Southern Miss. His experiences led him to acquire a job before graduation as a research technician in Dr. Zachary Darnell’s blue crab lab and Dr. Kelly Darnell’s seagrass lab. He will graduate with a master’s degree in coastal sciences.