Students

If you are a student interested in conducting research with our lab, please explore our pages and see what our current students are working on. We currently have students conducting one-semester DIS projects to Masters students working on capstone or thesis projects.

Doctoral Students

Claire Brovold

Claire is a PhD student in Applied Coastal and Ocean Sciences. She previously received her M.S. in Geology from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and her B.A. in Geology and Environmental Science from Adrian College (Michigan). Her MS research focused on the effects of salt-induced faulting on coastal land loss in Louisiana. Her research on the Louisiana Coast led her to UNCW to continue her interests in coastal wetland research. Claire's dissertation work focuses on past, present, and future carbon sequestration along the Cape Fear River.

M. Bryan Held

Bryan has a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Southern Oregon University. He also has an M.S. in Applied Biological Sciences from Missouri University of Science and Technology. He is a licensed sUAS pilot and proficient GIS analyst. His previous work includes wildfire effects on streams and the effects on humans that work in wildfire prevention. His passion for the environment and the curiosity to analyze the accelerated climate change effects on the environment led him to UNCW to pursue his PhD in Applied Coastal and Ocean Sciences.

Master Students

Rachel Funkhouser

Rachel is a Master’s student in Environmental Science. She is an Old Dominion University graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marine Biology. Her undergraduate research included surveying grazing habits of sea urchins in Belize, and an independent project observing underwater soundscapes across degraded seagrass, hard-bottom, and coral reef environments in the Florida Keys. After graduating, Rachel commissioned in the United States Navy and served active duty for five years as a Surface Warfare Officer. She is now a full-time student focusing on conservation management and is working as a volunteer lab assistant in the lab.

Brylie King

Brylie is Master's student in Marine Science. She is a recent UNCW Honors graduate with a Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Science and Marine Biology. Brylie's undergraduate research with Dr. Devon Eulie focused on monitoring water quality at the U.S.S. Battleship North Carolina and surrounding areas. She plans to continue her water quality research for her Master's Thesis expanding her data and timeline.

Lauren Robinson

Lauren is a M.S in Environmental Science student. She earned her B.S. in Environmental Science from The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, where her undergraduate research examined algal composition and percent cover in relation to ocean temperature variation in the Galápagos Islands. Lauren is interested in coastal conservation management, with a focus on ecological processes in coastal and estuarine systems.

Mackenzie Taggart

Mackenzie is a Northern California native pursuing a Masters in Marine Science. She holds a Bachelors in Earth Science with a minor in Soil Science from California Polytechnic State University. Mackenzie has a deep appreciation for the North Carolina coastline gained through her work with the North Carolina Coastal Federation, Marine Fisheries, and the Coastal Reserve. Her experience with coastal restoration includes collaboration on construction and monitoring of living shorelines (vegetative and oyster reef) and development of a watershed restoration plan to combat sea level rise. Mackenzie’s research will focus on Blue Carbon dynamics within estuaries which she hopes will influence current and emerging environmental policies to protect estuaries as vital carbon sinks.

Undergraduate

Lexi McCormick

Lexi is an undergraduate student at UNCW pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Science, with a minor in Political Science. Currently, she is working as a volunteer lab assistant in Dr. Eulie’s CES lab. She is passionate about environmental conservation and climate change mitigation and hopes to pursue graduate studies to earn her PhD in the future.

Layna West

Layna is an undergraduate student at UNCW pursuing a degree in Environmental Science and a minor in Clinical Research. She is currently conducting undergraduate research in Dr. Eulie’s water lab. She has a strong interest in rising sea levels due to climate change, Layna aims to explore strategies for mitigating coastal flooding and development. She is excited to gain hands-on experience in water quality monitoring, living shorelines, and enhancing coastal resilience.

Ried Wilson

Reid is an undergraduate in the Environmental Science program at UNCW. His studies are focused on water quality and access, and he plans to pursue a conservation career after graduating. Reid is interested in climate change impacts and is excited to continue developing related laboratory skills through the CES lab.