Neil Richmond Award

Kersten Schnurle, Spring 2025

I am pursuing a UO Biology PhD at OIMB, with an expected graduation date of 2029. I'm hoping my PhD work will clarify and inform local actions that can be taken to conserve kelp forest communities along the Oregon coast. Post-graduation, I hope to continue conducting research and teaching field courses about kelp forests and other fascinating habitats and denizens of temperate coasts.

Kayleigh Rampen, Fall 2025

Hoi! I’m Kayleigh Rampen and this year marks my senior year at the University of Oregon, getting my bachelor’s degree in marine biology! It’s also my final term at UO’s coastal campus, the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology. I’m originally from Los Angeles, California and I’ve loved the ocean, and the wonders it contains, since before I can remember. I grew up visiting aquariums and tidepools, and snorkeling around Catalina Island and Kauai, Hawaii to get a little closer to the ocean’s creatures. Eventually, that passion transformed into a career interest, pushing me towards getting a degree in marine biology.

Since starting my terms at OIMB I’ve also been volunteering as an aquarist at the affiliated aquarium/museum, the Charleston Marine Life Center. While animal husbandry and aquarium work were always considerations for career options within marine biology, working at the CMLC has solidified that aspiration now that I’m a senior. I’m currently working on an internship project through the aquarium, and after graduating I hope to continue to work as an aquarist in an aquarium on the West Coast, giving back to the institutions that inspired me so much.

Aubrey Taradash, Spring 2024

I have a strong interest for marine ecology, both in the intertidal and subtidal, and have made many great memories doing research through tidepooling and SCUBA diving. I also have a great passion for animal husbandry and wildlife conservation and management. I plan on using my degree to continue conducting research, particularly with government agencies that are involved with marine wildlife. Ideally, I'd like to pursue ecological and environmental research in order to inform conservation and management decisions.

Ryan McCarthy, Spring 2023

Nicole Nakata, Fall 2022

Alondra German Castaneda, Spring 2022

Alondra is a senior at the University of Oregon, where she is finishing a bachelor’s degree in marine biology. Alondra's desire to pursue a degree in marine biology has remained constant since the age of 13, when she was fortunate enough to spend a week at the Catalina Island Marine Institute through a field trip organized by her middle school. Once Alondra completes her bachelor’s degree in marine biology, she would like to find a career in marine resource management with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW).

Anna Higgins-Davis, Fall 2021

Anna is a Marine Biology Major finishing her Bachelor of Science degree and plans to graduate of Fall 2021.

After graduating she hopes to get straight into the field of aquarium health care at the Oregon Coast Community College aquarium science program. She has an internship with the Charleston Marine Life Center (CMLC). She has a life-long passion for aquatic animals and hopes to specialize in sharks in the future.