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  Three researchers were honored recently at the URI Annual Recognition Luncheon for Outstanding Research, Outreach and Intellectual Property.
By RUDI HEMPE
CELS News Editor & Reporter
Dr. Niall G. Howlett and Dr. Laura A. Meyerson were cited for their research and Heather H. Faubert was cited for her outreach activities.
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Dr. Niall G. Howlett, an assistant professor in Cell and Molecular Biology was recognized for developing a series of lunchtime research symposiums where researchers would present their work to students and interested faculty. The citation read “The purpose of these symposiums was to encourage and promote interdisciplinary research collaborations. Drawing as many as 60 people to each symposium, they have been a tremendous success. By the end of this academic year, over a dozen of these seminars will have been held with 17 more planned for next year. Dr. Howlett has also found time for his own research, including a recently submitted proposal “siRNA Screen for the Identification of Candidate Breast Cancer Susceptibility Genes.”
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Heather H. Faubert, a research assistant in Plant Sciences, was credited with being “an integral part of URI’s commitment to serve the commercial agricultural producers of Rhode Island. In addition to running the university’s Plant Protection Clinic, she provides integrated pest management services to the state’s commercial fruit growers and partners with the USDA to assist farmers with their pest management plans. Her work scouting for apple and sweet corn pests has enabled many growers to limit the amount and frequency of pesticide application, reducing the growers’ financial and environmental inputs. She also has been instrumental in educating growers about the cultural controls and practices that can make them more sustainable.”
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Dr. Laura A. Meyerson, an assistant professor in Natural Resources Science, was cited for earning a “national reputation as an expert on invasive plant species. Her field research investigates the effects and interactions of plants with ecosystems at the molecular, community and ecosystem levels, particularly with respect to invasive species, using as one of her primary models the common reed. The common reed is one of the most successful plant invaders in fresh and brackish marsh systems in North America. Since arriving at the university in 2005 she has published seven peer-reviewed journal articles, co-edited a book and assisted on three book chapters. All of her research has been published in impact journals and is widely cited.”
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