Guinasso Elected Chair of Council of Principal Investigators Dr. Norman Guinasso, director of the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG) in the College of Geosciences, has been elected chair of the Council of Principal Investigators for 2008-2009. Guinasso is also a research scientist in the Department of Oceanography and program manager for the Texas Automated Buoy System. He was elected to the council in September 2007. The Council of Principal Investigators consists of individuals elected to represent Principal Investigators (PIs) from members of the Texas A&M research community, which includes Texas A&M, HSC, TTI, AgriLife Research, TEES, Texas A&M University at Qatar and Texas A&M University at Galveston. The Council is committed to the continued improvement of the research environment for students, faculty and staff. Specifically, the CPI and the PIs it represents, endeavor to work with administration to provide an effective and efficient research organization, to achieve the goal of being nationally recognized and competitive in research and teaching. Guinasso has been engaged in the study of the oceans for 36 years and has authored over 40 scientific papers and numerous reports in marine chemistry, marine geology, and physical oceanography. He is currently principal investigator for two research studies funded by the U.S. Department of the Interior Minerals Management Service. Guinasso earned his M. S. and Ph.D. degrees in Oceanography from Texas A&M and has been associated with the University in since 1972. created 6/9/2008
GERG team participates in 2008 Relay for Life as a tribute to Dr. Guy Denoux
created 5/13/2008
The MSC OPAS students presented the award for superior achievement in community / student relations during their annual banquet to Debz DeFreitas
created 5/2/2008
Second Meeting of the Coastal Monitoring Program: "Colombia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua - Reducing Pesticide Run-off into the Caribbean Sea" (GEF-REPCar)
created 5/7/2008
AMETEC/APEC Workshop on Analytical Chemistry of [legacy] Agrochemicals in Environmental Safety
created 5/7/2008
Regional Training Course on the Use of Nuclear Techniques to Address the Management Problems of Coastal Zones in the Caribbean Region
created 5/7/2008
Workshop on the Regional Organization for the Protection of the marine Environment (ROPME) Mussel Watch Program
created 6/20/2007
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GERG employees first participated in the Relay for Life in 2000 and have fielded a team every year since that time. Team members conduct various fund raisers throughout the year and all of the money raised is donated to the American Cancer Society. This year, we raised almost $1,800 and were recognized, once again, as a Bronze level team. The event took place from 7 P.M. on Friday, May 2nd, through 7 A.M. on Saturday, May 3rd. Our efforts were dedicated to the memory of Guy Denoux. Guy was a GERG employee for over 20 years. He lost his mother to cancer and has always given generously to the American Cancer Society. Even before he joined the GERG team, he was one of our most benevolent contributors. We believed it was appropriate, therefore, to honor his memory by dedicating this year's Relay for Life to him. Guy lost his battle with leukemia on December 7, 2007. He will be missed.
Each year, the MSC's Opera and Performing Arts Society (OPAS) student committee presents the Connie Wortham award to an individual serving on the Board of Directors in recognition of their exemplary efforts to promote the relationship between the community and student volunteers. The season 35 award was presented to Debz DeFreitas at the student banquet on April 18, 2008. The students expressed their appreciation of her outstanding contribution and dedication to the advancement of the performing arts at Texas A&M University.
Dr. José Sericano, Associate Research Scientist with the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG) at Texas A&M University, was invited as an expert to the Second Meeting of the Coastal Monitoring Program: "Colombia, Costa Rica and Nicaragua - Reducing Pesticide Run-off into the Caribbean Sea" held in Kingston, Jamaica, on 27-28 March, 2008.
The objective of the meeting was to discuss the progress made in developing the Pesticides Coastal Monitoring Program, review the capacity of participating institutions, define the most appropriate sampling techniques, select the matrices, compounds and methods of analysis to be used as well as the quality control standards to be developed, assess monitoring alternatives in the marine environment, and complete the general framework for the Program. Representatives from the research institutes involved in the program (INVEMAR, CIMAR-CICA and CIRA/UNAN), as well as four external experts (Dr. Sericano, Texas A&M University, United States; Dr. Gerardo Gold, CINVESTAV, Mexico; Dr. Carlos Alonso, CEAC, Cuba; Dr. Fernando Ruiz, CIMAB, Cuba) participated at the meeting. The external experts, together with the experts from participating institutions, make up the advisory panel on the coastal monitoring of pesticides. Also participating in the meeting were persons linked to the REPCar Project, through UNEP -RCU/CAR. Dr. Sericano will be responsible for compiling a manual on sampling, analysis and reporting to be used in the three countries and ensure that they are conducted comparable manner and delivering lectures and guiding practical exercises during a training to guarantee the quality of the results to be held at the University of Costa Rica between 30 June and July 4, 2008.
Dr. José Sericano, Associate Research Scientist with the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG) at Texas A&M University, was invited as Instructor, together with Dr. R.F. Addison (Canada), Dr. F. S-C Lee (China), and Dr. N. Kannan (South Korea), in a training course held in Jangmok, South Korea on 15-26 October, 2007 and sponsored by the APEC Marine Environmental Training and Education Center (AMETEC), Korea Ocean Research and Development Institute (KORDI), Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC), and United Nations University (UNU). Ten participants, with qualifications at the M.Sc. level or higher, from Asian countries from Russia to Papua-New Guinea spent, two weeks at the AMETEC South Sea Research Institute in Jangmok training in the analytical chemistry of agrochemical using KORDI's clean laboratory facilities and advanced instrumentation. In addition to several lectures, practical work carried out by the participants included sampling, sample extraction and clean-up, and instrumental analysis, measurement, and calculations.
Dr. José Sericano, Associate Research Scientist with the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG) at Texas A&M University, was invited as a Lecturer during the "Regional Training Course on the Use of Nuclear Techniques to Address the Management Problems of Coastal Zones in the Caribbean Region" held in Cienfuegos, Cuba, on 10-21 September, 2007. The Regional Course, jointly organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Centro de Estudios Ambientales de Cienfuegos (CEAC), aimed to develop and improve capabilities of national and regional capacity to reduce the degradation of the coastal ecosystems of the wider Caribbean region by using nuclear techniques to support integrated coastal zone. This Regional training Course will be complemented by a "Regional Training Course on Quantification of Organic Contaminants in Marine Sediments" to be held at the University of Costa Rica on 7-18 July, 2008. Dr. Sericano will deliver lectures and guide practical exercises during that training event.
A Regional Workshop on ROPME Mussel Watch Program was held in Tehran, in cooperation with the National Focal Point in the I.R.Iran (NFP-I.R.Iran), during 26-29 May 2007. The main objective of the Workshop was to develop a Regional Action Plan through the participation of concerned Experts from the Member States, ROPME designated Consultants, representatives of ROPME and NFP-I.R.Iran to widen the scope of the presently ongoing Pilot Project on Mussel Watch by NFP-I.R.Iran to the entire ROPME Sea Area. The ROPME Mussel Watch Program will launch its sampling program on November 2007 with a second sampling on May 2008. A Second Regional Experts Workshop is scheduled for October 2008. Dr. Jose L. Sericano, Associated Research Scientist with the Geochemical and Environmental Research Group (GERG) at Texas A&M University and invited ROPME Mussel Watch Expert, is pictured with Dr. Hassan Awad, ROPME representative, Dr. Ali Mashinchian, Pilot Project on Mussel Watch by NFP-I.R.Iran, and Dr. Uğur Sunlu, ROPME Consultant.