UMaine Graduate Student One of Popular Science’s “Brilliant 10
Contact: Kelly Dorgan (207) 563-3146 x319; David Munson (207) 581-3777
Kelly Dorgan, a UMaine Ph. D. student in oceanography, has been selected by Popular Science magazine to be included in the fifth annual “PopSci’s Brilliant 10” feature for 2006. The article features young researchers who are emerging as leaders in their prospective fields.
Citing both the creativity and reach of her research, Popular Science selected Dorgan from hundreds of potential candidates nominated by university department heads, editors of scientific journals and others. The magazine’s staff contacted more than 1000 individuals over the course of this year’s search.
Working with Professor of Marine Sciences and Oceanography Peter Jumars at UMaine’s Darling Marine Center, Dorgan’s current research examines marine worms and the biomechanics of their movement through bottom sediments. Conducting experiments in which gelatin was used to simulate mud, she and her fellow researchers discovered that the sandworm uses its mouth like a wedge to expand cracks in the mud, rather than pushing through the sediment to create a burrow.
Featured in the February 2005 issue of Nature, Dorgan’s research not only sheds new light on the ecology and behavior of marine worms, but also offers insights into the role of burrowers in the carbon cycle and the movement of pollutants and other substances through muddy sediments.
The 2006 PopSci’s Brilliant 10 article is scheduled for the October issue of Popular Science.