Student Blogs & Vignettes

Rebecca Riccardi

ABOUT MY RESEARCH

I am pursuing a master’s degree working in the lab of Dr. Mark Luther. I am interested in a variety of topics within the concentration of physical oceanography, including ocean and estuarine circulation. I am eager to start a career in which I can utilize physical concepts to research issues such as climate change, sea level rise, and the impact of events on the coastal environment.

I earned a B.A. in biology with a concentration in organismal and evolutionary biology and a minor in marine biology from the University of Tampa in December, 2021. My undergraduate research was focused on the influence of short-term, physical events on mangrove prevalence in Cedar Key, Florida.

WHY USF CMS?

I chose to attend the USF College of Marine Science because of the quality of the faculty and education, as well as the resources available for graduate research. In addition to becoming a professor, a career goal of mine is to work for NOAA, so it is incredibly valuable that many faculty have connections to NOAA and other important agencies. I am grateful to have the opportunity work under Dr. Mark Luther and have him as a mentor. To top it all off, I love the cities of the Tampa Bay area and it is an amazing place to study the marine world.