Currently, I am a junior biology major attending Saint Augustine’s College (SAC) in Raleigh, North Carolina. This is my second internship involved with the Undergraduate Research Experience (URE) at Elizabeth City State University (ECSU).
My first experience was due in large part to Dr. Mark Melton, Head of the Division of Natural Sciences at SAC. At the time, I didn't’t have any plans for the summer of 2007. He encouraged me to take a trip down to Elizabeth City. There, I was able to improve my presentation skills, set up my own webpage, and work along side of talented peers and respected mentors from multiple areas of study.
The most important aspect was the research I conducted. My mentor was Dr. Jinchun Yuan and was apart of the Oceanography Team. Our research involved using measurements of salinity, chlorophyll a, and sea surface temperature. The data was form years of research at Station ALOHA near Hawaii. We were able to come up with a multiple linear regression to predict (pCO₂) for the Pacific Ocean. Data was processed using Microsoft Excel. Our work was based on similar work done around the Mississippi River. We were able to show the relationship with all of the variables. It was an enjoyable experience that gave me a new interest in Oceanography.
Using the knowledge gained, I was able to once again achieve honors at my school. It also earned me the respect of my peers at school and bolstered my confidence. It was key in becoming a trainee of the MARC U* STAR program at my school. The main goal of the program is to bring more under-represented students into the field of biomedical research and to help them earn a Ph.D.
This summer, I conducted research once again with Dr. Yuan.The title of our research was Temporal and Spatial Variations of Sea Surface Temperature and Chlorophyll a in the Coastal Waters of North Carolina. Using data collected from both the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the sea-viewing Wide Field of view Sensor (SeaWiFS) we were able to show the averages of both chlorophyll a and Sea Surface temperature in the waters around North Carolina, including the Albemarle Sound and Chesapeake Bay. I also further improved my presentation skills, and worked with another cast of bright individuals from around the world. The one thing that has remained constant in my life is that the most powerful people have a vast education within their field as well as a strong passion for that field.  From coaches, to professors, to mentors each has done their part to instill that same type of work ethic within me. Their influence has pushed in the right path of achieving my goals.

phillipmoore115@yahoo.com