DSC Environmental Science student earns prestigious research award

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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 6, 2015) - Angela Boney, a second-year student of Daytona State College's Institute of Marine and Environmental Studies (IMES), has been recognized by the Council on Undergraduate Research's Geoscience Division (GeoCUR) for her outstanding accomplishments in studying ocean plastics associated with Florida's coastlines.

Boney, who is pursuing her associate of arts degree in environmental science, was among 16 college and university students nationwide to earn the GeoCUR Award for Excellence in Student Research in the Geosciences. She spent weeks driving up and down Florida's east and west coasts looking for plastic, collecting it, categorizing it and studying the effect it has on marine life and the coastal environment. Her focus was on plastic debris that has been crushed and broken up by the sun and waves, pea-size plastic resin pellets typically used in manufacturing and polyethylene micro-beads commonly used as exfoliates in face wash and body soaps.

"Angela exhibited extraordinary talent when designing and conducting her research and continues to develop her knowledge and experience with her research topic," said IMES Chair Dr. Debra Woodall, who noted Boney's inventive methods used to chemically analyze the samples she collected throughout the state.

Boney began her project as a student in the IMES Introduction to Oceanography lab; but continued to immerse herself in the research as she advanced through her program of study. She plans to pursue advanced studies upon graduation from Daytona State, with the goal of becoming an environmental chemist. She was named last year's Outstanding Environmental Science Student and Outstanding Chemistry Student at DSC's annual awards convocation.

CUR is an affiliate of the Geological Society of America, a non-profit organization founded in 1888 and dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. It also is a member society of the American Geosciences Institute, whose mission is to increase awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources, resilience to natural hazards and health of the environment.

Boney's chronicle of her research can be found on the IMES blog, which features accounts of independent projects by students enrolled in oceanography labs at Daytona State. IMES offers the two-year Associate of Science in Environmental Science Technology as well as associate of arts university transfer tracks in Marine Science, Marine Biology, Environmental Science and Ocean Engineering.

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