SIMCoast Highlights of Summer 2026

The SIMCoast team concluded their first summer filled with fieldwork, student research experiences, and community engagement. Join the team in reflecting and celebrating some of their summer accomplishments. 

Rhode Island Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) Program

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  Plastic pavers designed by Tianyu Zhang. Tianyu is a student at the Rhode Island School of Design wh

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  Judith LaRose presents her social science research, conducted with fellow SIMCoast SURF student Eliz

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  Marcus Rapuso sharing his microplastics characterization research done as part of his summer work at

SIMCoast funded five undergraduate research experiences this summer as a part of the Rhode Island Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. An additional fourteen undergraduates participated in summer programing and conducted SIMCoast research across Brown University, Roger Williams University, Rhode Island College, and the University of Rhode Island. In partnership with other summer research programs, including RI-NEST, the NSF Plastics REU, and NIH INBRE, students participated in professional development workshops, peer networking opportunities, and facility tours (that includes boat trips!) in addition to their research projects. Over the course of the 10-week program, students gained hands-on research experience while being introduced to transdisciplinary, use-inspired approaches for addressing coastal science and marine debris challenges. The students shared their results and experiences at the RI Summer Research Symposium (RI-SuRS) with their peers, families, and mentors.

Research Theme 1 Facilities Tours

Research Theme 1 (RT1) team members gathered at Roger Williams University and the University of Rhode Island for facility tours showcasing the laboratories, instrumentation, and core research facilities supporting SIMCoast. The tours gave students and researchers an opportunity to learn about ongoing work across institutions, highlight new research capabilities, and strengthen collaboration among RT1 team members. Each visit concluded with dedicated time for research updates, discussion, and networking as the team continues to build cross-institutional partnerships heading into year two of the project.

Rhode Island Bioplastics Symposium

The University of Rhode Island hosted the Rhode Island Bioplastics Symposium, bringing together researchers, policymakers, industry representatives, composting and recycling professionals, students, and community members to discuss the opportunities and challenges surrounding bioplastics in Rhode Island. The symposium highlighted major outcomes from the URI Bioplastics Taskforce project and featured presentations on biodegradability, waste management infrastructure, policy, and circular economy strategies from experts representing academia, government, and industry.

Right to left: Kayla Mladinich Poole (SIMCoast Project Coordinator), Rob Guillemin (Pollution Prevention Coordinator, EPA Region 1), Alyson Brunelli (Environmental Scientist, RI DEM), Vinka Craver (SIMCoast Co-PI, URI), Logan Beattie (Sustainability Specialist, Xanterra Travel Collection)

The event also provided opportunities for networking and breakout discussions that encouraged collaboration across sectors. Together, these conversations will help inform future decision-making around bioplastics and support continued partnerships focused on sustainable materials management in Rhode Island.

Materials developed for the Bioplastics Symposium and as a result of it can be found on the Learning Resources page.

Community Engagement Workshops

Youth in Action visited URI’s Bay Campus on July 22, 2026, and had the opportunity to take a tour of the Inner Space Center.

As part of SIMCoast's community engagement efforts, Melva Treviño Peña and Omisha Manglani (URI) partnered with the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council (WRWC) and Youth in Action (YIA) to host community listening sessions focused on plastic pollution, environmental quality, and community priorities. These workshops created space for researchers, community organizations, and youth to share their experiences, discuss local concerns, and identify opportunities for future collaboration. In collaboration with Scott Schnur (RI-NEST, Tribal Partnerships), a second session was held with YIA on July 22, 2026 at Namcook Beach, where URI’s Bay Campus is situated, that combined educational programming, environmental stewardship, and recreational activities, to ground research through place. Discussions have also focused on creating compensation structures that appropriately support community organizations’ labor, including staff time, recruitment efforts, stipends, and space use. These sessions highlighted an opportunity to build ocean science education from the knowledge, experiences, and questions young people already bring to discussions about their environments.

Jess Brown (FLOAT, founder & PhD student in Biological and Environmental Sciences at URI) led a water ritual to share offerings with the ocean, and feel, relate, and learn from the water.

In addition, these conversations will help inform SIMCoast's future community-engaged research and seed grant program by ensuring that funding opportunities reflect community-identified needs and priorities. The workshops also strengthened partnerships with local organizations and laid the foundation for future collaborations, including plastics education, youth engagement, and community-driven research.

Strawberry Thanksgiving

MC Cicenia (URI) sharing SIMCoast work with participants at Strawberry Thanksgiving alongside RI-NEST collaborators, Scott Schnur and Damaris Borden.

SIMCoast and RI-NEST team members volunteered at Strawberry Thanksgiving, hosted by the Tomaquag Museum at Ninigret Park on June 20. Attendees experimented with strawberry DNA, sifted microplastics from sediments and learned more about SIMCoast and RI-NEST efforts.