Ben Moran COS'18
Benjamin Moran, a Northeastern University marine biology student, has won an Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The Hollings Scholarship supports students interested in oceanic and atmospheric science, research, technology, and education by providing two years of funding, as well as a 10-week, full-time internship with a NOAA scientist as a mentor.
Moran, a member of the University Scholars Program, came to Northeastern with a passion for marine biology, even though he grew up far from the ocean in Ohio. Upon his arrival, he immersed himself in research, joining a team that was working to assemble a de novo central nervous system transcriptome of the brown ghost knifefish. Next, he won a Scholars Independent Research Fellowship for a project on the expression of the bloodthirsty gene in zebrafish. His interest in exploring the intersection of marine science and public policy led to another research experience in which he examined the socioeconomic impacts of failed fisheries. He is now on co-op at the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, where he will continue engaging in cutting-edge marine science research. Moran plans to obtain a Ph.D. in biological oceanography and continue researching fundamental questions about the oceans.
Moran also received an honorable mention in this year’s Goldwater Scholarship competition.