VIMS 2018 Service Awards

The following remarks were read by Dean and Director Dr. John Wells during VIMS' annual Awards Ceremony on May 3, 2019 to honor recipients of the 2018 Service Awards. Citations for the 2018 Student Awards are also available. You can view photos of the award winners, as well as share them on Facebook and Twitter, via the VIMS Flickr page.

Outstanding Employee Awards

The Outstanding Employee awards are chosen by nominations received by the Awards Committee from all faculty, staff, and students at VIMS.

Freeman Volunteer of the Year Award

This award is named for the late Robert Mallory Freeman, a former VIMS Council member and avid supporter. The winner of the Freeman Award for 2018 is Mr. John Harding.

Stein 100
Administrative Support

The winner of the 2018 Outstanding Employee for Administrative Support is Ms. Susan Stein.

Stein 100
Technical Support

The winner of the 2018 Outstanding Employee for Technical Support is Mr. Hunter Walker

Stein 100
Excellence Award

This award recognizes a staff member who continually goes above and beyond their assigned job duties to better the institution. The winner for 2018 is Dr. Sarah Huber.

Barrack 100
Excellence in Mentoring Award

This award recognizes a faculty member who has demonstrated mastery of graduate-student mentoring. The winner for 2018 is Dr. Jan McDowell.

Rochelle Seitz
Diversity & Inclusion Award

This award recognizes a community member who supports the broad range of backgrounds and experiences at VIMS and who works to create and foster a respectful, cooperative, and equitable campus environment. The recipient for 2018 is Dr. Rochelle Seitz.

Rochelle Seitz
Nepal Water Initiative flourishes with multidisciplinary collaboration across W&M

True multidisciplinary collaboration is at the heart of what is now known as the Nepal Water Initiative (NWI), a research effort led by scientists and scholars from the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS), the Global Research Institute (GRI), the Institute for Integrative Conservation (IIC), and the Religious Studies Department.

Rochelle Seitz
Encouraging news for underwater grasses in Chesapeake Bay, despite “mystery” losses around Gunpowder and Middle Rivers

An annual survey led by VIMS researchers mapped 76,462 acres of underwater grasses in the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries in 2022. Their report, published today, documents a 12% increase in submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) in the regions mapped by the team, with lead researcher Dr. Christopher Patrick noting, “For the most part, we had a really encouraging year for SAV throughout the Bay.”