URIs_MOMENTUM_Research_and_Innovation_Magazine_Spring_2026_M

“I am able to do solution based research on marine fishing gear waste, so that we may upcycle it into construction bricks.” - Joalys Rivera Castro

Joalys Rivera Castro

Reimels, a marine biology major, knows that whales capture a large percentage of plastics in water flowing through their mouths. Eager to discover the impacts of plastics on whales, Reimels received funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program, specifically from the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program that supports URI’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF). This initiative offers students stipends and a chance to participate in real-world research. Organizers welcome students during the summer to join the URI Plastics: Land to Sea research initiative to explore and develop methods to manage locally generated plastic waste, focusing on reducing its impact on coastal communities. There’s no shortage of interest—more than 160 students from across the United States applied for the 10-week program that linked them with professors in

Rowan Bixler

Page 30 | The University of Rhode Island { MOMENTUM: ANNUAL REVIEW OF URI’S RESEARCH IMPACT }