W&M’s Batten School & VIMS hold annual Awards Ceremony
William & Mary’s Batten School & VIMS held its annual Awards Ceremony on Friday, May 9. The event honors students, faculty and staff for years of service to the institution, professional achievements and outstanding student-led research, with trivia and raffle prizes interspersed throughout.
Please join us in congratulating the following award winners:
2024 Special Awards
Special Awards recognize faculty, staff and students at VIMS for going above and beyond in their roles. The awards are chosen based on nominations received by the Awards Committee from the recipients' colleagues and peers.
Please see the photo gallery at the top of the story for pictures of the Special Awards winners.
Outstanding Staff Award for Facilities/Safety/Trades
Lynn Hunter
For over five years, Lynn Hunter has brought dedication, care and consistency to her role in Housekeeping, with a special focus on Andrews Hall. Whether she’s maintaining clean and safe labs, restocking supplies or keeping shared spaces spotless, her attention to detail and pride in her work are unmatched. She often anticipates needs before they’re spoken, stepping in with quiet efficiency and a warm smile. As an essential worker, she has even come in during snow days to ensure the safety of others, showing the kind of dedication that inspires those around her.
Hunter is a quiet leader whose steady presence strengthens our entire community—traits that were recognized in her nominations. We are honored to recognize her exceptional service and contributions to VIMS.
Outstanding Staff Award for Technical Support
Melanie Kolacy
As the lead histology technician in the Shellfish Pathology Lab, Melanie Kolacy oversees a high-volume diagnostic operation that supports both research and industry service. Her precision, innovation and attention to detail ensure every slide she prepares meets the highest scientific standards. Whether working with routine samples or developing new protocols for unique organisms, Kolacy consistently delivers exceptional results.
Kolacy was also recognized for her impact beyond the lab. She frequently takes on unfamiliar tasks, researches new techniques and develops solutions that exceed expectations with professionalism and a collaborative spirit. She also contributes to outreach and advisory work, producing diagnostic data critical to aquaculture and resource management across wide geographic areas. We are proud to have her on the VIMS team.
Outstanding Staff Award for Administrative Support
Karen Hargrave
Karen Hargrave is known for her strategic thinking, attention to detail and ability to anticipate needs before they arise. She navigates the complexities of budget management, grants, reimbursements and travel with calm efficiency, guiding faculty and staff through each process with clarity and care. Her deep knowledge of VIMS and William & Mary fiscal systems makes her an essential resource across units.
Whether assisting researchers with complex grants or helping new administrators learn the ropes, Hargrave brings a calm presence and a deep commitment to the success of those around her. Those who nominated her spoke of her professionalism, warmth and unwavering support for others. We’re proud to honor her outstanding contributions and thank her for all she does.
Inclusive Excellence Award
Nihal Guennouni
As a graduate student leader, Nihal Guennouni has taken on numerous roles that promote belonging and representation. Since 2022, she has served on the Dive-In Steering Committee and now co-leads the Communications Sub-Committee, where she has strengthened internal and external messaging to be more inclusive, accessible and transparent.
Beyond campus, Guennouni’s participation in the 2024 Social Justice Conference reflects her deep commitment to equity and continued learning. She brought those insights back to the Batten School & VIMS, further strengthening our campus. For her leadership, vision and action, we are honored to recognize her as this year’s Inclusive Excellence Award recipient.
Outstanding Professionals and Professional Faculty Administrative Support Award
Sidne Pressey
Sidne Pressey is the definition of an outstanding professional administrator. She began working at her alma mater, W&M, in 2006, and VIMS was fortunate to hire her in 2009 as a senior accounting analyst. Pressey progressed through the ranks and now serves as associate director for budget & financial planning.
Pressey is a model employee. Her pleasant demeanor and professionalism are always a constant, even when she is simultaneously assisting others, juggling competing deadlines and implementing a new enterprise resource planning system such as Workday. We are proud to honor her for her unwavering dedication to the Batten School & VIMS and the VIMS Foundation.
Excellence In Community Engagement Award
Kristen Sharpe
As assistant director of outreach & engagement, Kristen Sharpe is transforming how VIMS connects to the public through her visionary leadership, scientific expertise and boundless energy. She has a rare talent for translating complex science into accessible and engaging content, fostering curiosity and stewardship across diverse audiences.
Sharpe leads over 200 outreach programs each year, reaching more than 20,000 people through hands-on learning experiences, public lectures and K–12 education. For her exceptional leadership, innovative programming and dedication to public engagement, Sharpe exemplifies the spirit of this award. We are proud to honor her many contributions.
Faculty Excellence in Mentoring Award
Grace Chiu
A brilliant statistician, Professor of Marine Science Grace Chiu is renowned for the profound impact she has on her students’ confidence, careers and personal growth. She meets mentees where they are—academically and personally—offering tailored instruction, encouragement and unwavering support.
Chiu’s mentorship goes far beyond technical training. She curates fellowships, conference opportunities and leadership resources that reflect her students’ interests and identities, fostering both academic and personal inclusion. Thanks to her guidance, students have gone on to lead publications, win grants and secure prestigious fellowships. We are proud to recognize Chiu for her unwavering support of our students.
Awards for Excellence
Mike Seebo
A fixture of the Marine Conservation and Community Ecology Labs, Mike Seebo is known as “MikeGyver” for crafting suction pumps from lawn mower engines, building custom GoPro mounts and solving complex fieldwork challenges with creativity and precision. But beyond his technical expertise, Seebo’s greatest impact is felt through his mentorship and generosity.
Seebo’s collaboration spans departments and decades. Students describe him as steady, resourceful and always present—whether helping design experiments, hauling gear at dawn, or staying late to sort crabs. He brings calm leadership, good humor and a deep sense of care that makes everyone feel supported.
For his ingenuity, selflessness and immeasurable contributions to the heart of the Batten School & VIMS, we are proud to honor Seebo with this year’s Excellence Award.
Dana Snyder
From Chesapeake Bay Hall’s earliest planning phases, Dana Snyder worked tirelessly with faculty, lab managers and staff to ensure every need was addressed. He didn’t just manage logistics, he embodied them—moving equipment himself, answering calls at all hours and solving problems before most even noticed them.
Snyder’s attention to detail was matched only by his compassion. He remembered individual concerns, checked in personally and always followed through with a warm demeanor and a can-do attitude. Thanks to Snyder the new CBH isn’t just a state-of-the-art building, it’s a functional, welcoming home for our research and collaboration.
For his tireless efforts, unwavering care and remarkable problem-solving, we are thrilled to recognize Snyder with this Excellence Award.
Outstanding Student Achievement Awards
Each year a committee of faculty and students chooses the best journal articles by VIMS graduate students. Papers are judged for scope of problem, degree of challenge, magnitude of effort, hypothesis formulation and testing and style.
Best Paper by a Master’s Student
Nathan Shunk: Impacts of marine heatwaves on subsurface temperatures and dissolved oxygen in the Chesapeake Bay
Nathan Shunk investigated how marine heatwaves affect subsurface waters in estuaries and, importantly, how these extreme events are linked to hypoxia. To pursue his work, he analyzed a sizable three-decade dataset of observations from several monitoring programs. Shunk showed that the depth penetration of heat anomalies during surface heat waves in Chesapeake Bay is highly dependent on the season due to variable stratification. He also demonstrated that dissolved oxygen concentrations are reduced during heat wave events and that the hypoxic zone expands significantly.
Best Paper by a Ph.D. Student
Alex Marquardt: Oyster reef recovery: Impacts of rotational management and restoration efforts on public fishing grounds
In her paper, Alex Marquardt studied the efficacy of oyster shell replenishment and spatial management practices on public fishing grounds. To pursue this research, Marquardt collected and analyzed long-term landing and replenishment datasets available for the Rappahannock River in Virginia. Her study showed that a 3-year rotation maintains the underlying reef structure, enhances recruitment and increases market sized oyster density. In addition, her study also showed that replenishment practices directly enhanced harvester efficiency, particularly in harvest areas with poor reef condition, and that low levels of shell replenishment provided substantial benefits to oyster reefs and the associated fishery.
John M. and Marilyn Zeigler Student Achievement Award
The John M. and Marilyn Zeigler Student Achievement Award honors John Zeigler, VIMS’ first associate dean of graduate studies, and Mrs. Marilyn Zeigler. The award recognizes students who excel in scholarship, leadership, research initiative, outstanding publications and exceptional thesis or dissertation work.
Julie Gross: Poor-recruitment paradigm
Julie Gross’ doctoral research tackled a long-standing challenge in fisheries science: recruitment variability. Rather than attempting to predict strong recruitment events, she proposed a paradigm shift—focusing on predicting poor recruitment linked to extreme environmental conditions. This “poor-recruitment paradigm” led to publications that have sparked a wave of interest and application in fisheries science.
With leadership extending beyond research, Gross has trained students in fisheries modeling, reviewed for leading journals and mentored undergraduates as well as graduate students. She has also presented at major conferences, earning recognition from peers and professionals worldwide. Gross’ groundbreaking work continues to shape fisheries science in a changing climate. Her integrity, creativity and impact exemplify the legacy of Dr. John Zeigler.
Years of Service Awards
Before recognizing impressive service milestones achieved by faculty and staff, the event was paused to pay tribute to beloved and longtime Director and Chief Information Officer of ITNS Gary Anderson, who passed away unexpectedly weeks ago, mere days after his retirement.
Anderson’s remarkable service to the university spanned nearly five decades, beginning in 1974 in a research lab in Franklin Hall. In addition to being a dedicated staff member, Anderson was also an alum, having earned his Master of Science degree from what was then the School of Marine Science. His student ID from 1977 was shown, which Anderson provided for the ceremony before his passing.
In 1984, Anderson found his professional calling in the Computer Center, where he ultimately became director and CIO of ITNS — a role he held for the past 15 years. Under his leadership, the department supported major infrastructure and A/V upgrades, developed systems critical to research operations and enabled technology for large-scale capital construction projects. Anderson was widely admired for his technical expertise and for fostering a culture of service and excellence.
Anderson was posthumously recognized for his astounding 45 years of service to VIMS.
30 Years of Service
35 Years of Service
40 Years of Service
45 Years of Service
