DURHAM, N.C. -- A new cohort of five Duke University undergraduate students has been selected for the Repass-Rodgers Scholars Program, which provides participants with faculty-mentored research experiences in marine conservation technology.

“We have a stellar group joining the program. They come from a variety of departments in the Pratt School of Engineering, and they also come with an exciting diversity of project ideas,” said program director Doug Nowacek, who is also the Randolph K. Repass and Sally-Christine Rodgers University Distinguished Professor of Conservation Technology in Environment and Engineering at Duke’s Nicholas School of the Environment.

Established in 2020 with support from the Repass-Rodgers family, the program now includes 14 scholars. Students work on Duke’s main campus in Durham and at the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort to address marine conservation problems through technological and engineering solutions.

This year’s cohort will also benefit from the use of the Ocean Engineering Collaboratory, a new facility at the Marine Lab, designed specifically for marine engineering and technology development.

“It’s exciting and important to me to see a robust program where the students learn from their mentors as well as from their peers,” said Nowacek.

Scholars receive up to $2,500 in funding for technology development, up to $1,500 to attend a professional scientific conference, and up to $1,500 to participate in a Marine Lab signature travel course.

The new scholars are:

• Zohar Almani - first year undeclared major   
• Katherine Bair - sophomore biomedical engineering major
• Beatrice (Bea) Hardacre - first-year undeclared major
• Hope Hauck - first-year undeclared major   
• Gabriel LaCount - sophomore environmental engineering major