An assistant professor at Hampton University has won a prestigious science award for his groundbreaking research on the ocean’s increasing acidity and its impact on fish’s sensory systems.
Dr. Andrij Horodysky, who works in Hampton’s Marine and Environmental Science department, will get a $700,000 Faculty Early Career Development award over five years from the National Science Foundation (NSF).
Since the Industrial Revolution, the ocean has been gradually becoming more acidic– 30 percent more acidic, to be exact. That’s because it absorbs higher levels of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Dr. Horodysky wants to find out how that acidification is affecting fish, specifically their sensory loss and changes to their auditory systems, in the face of changes in ocean pH and temperature. In his research, he’ll continue to work with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and Virginia Seafood Agricultural Research and Extension Center.
NSF’s award is offered to “the nation’s most promising young faculty who “exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education and the integration of education and research. ” Dr. Horodysky is the second Hampton University assistant professor to receive the award.
“Dr. Horodysky has trained numerous students while continuing to embark upon cutting-edge research. I congratulate him for receiving this distinguished and coveted award,” says Dr. Michelle Penn-Marshall, Vice President for Research, Associate Provost and Dean of the Hampton University Graduate College.
-Meg Walburn Viviano
