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By Space Coast Daily // May 17, 2024
BREVARD COUNTY • MELBOURNE, FLORIDA – Rising seniors Brice Smith and Dylan Gore are recipients of Florida Tech’s 2024-25 Dr. Kerry Bruce Clark Endowed Scholarships in Marine Biology.
The scholarship goes to students majoring in marine biology whose dedication and high academic achievement give promise of an outstanding career in the field.
Clark was a member of the Florida Tech biological sciences faculty from 1971 until he died in 1999.
A full professor, he was named a 1996 Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science in honor of his work documenting rare species of sea slugs. His research on mollusks, marine ecology, physiological ecology, and biodiversity was widely published in scientific journals.
“It’s a privilege to be awarded this scholarship because it was created to honor Kerry Clark and his interests,” Gore said. “Knowing that what I’ve done would have made him proud is an honor I can’t begin to fathom.”
The selection committee recognized Gore’s research in Toby Daly-Engel’s Shark Conservation Lab and at the University of North Florida, where she studied scalloped hammerhead sharks.
Her love for marine life began with a childhood fascination with mermaids, she wrote in her scholarship submission. By middle school, Gore was determined to become a marine biologist.
Now she wants to pursue a master’s degree and continue studying molecular ecology.
“What keeps me on this track is seeing how passionate researchers are about their research and what it can be used for, along with how it can help the environment,” Gore wrote. “I also enjoy hearing about different types of research that I didn’t know existed as well as hearing little kids excitedly rambling about their favorite marine animal.”
Smith was recognized for research on the native Florida apple snail in Rich Aronson’s Marine Paleoecology Lab. He plans to complete a master’s degree in marine biology after graduation and hopes to work with marine invertebrates, specifically the Cephalopoda, Nudibranchia, Porifera, and Cnidaria phyla. He also wants to study these organisms at the doctoral level, where he can eventually guide students like himself.
“The organisms that make up our ocean, specifically the deep-sea extremophiles, are tremendously interesting to me. I want to understand the organisms in our ocean, especially the variety of marine invertebrates present in our reefs,” Smith said. “I want to be a marine biologist to study these invertebrates, to understand their distributions and the effects that anthropogenic impacts, such as climate change, have on them.”
As with Gore, Smith said receiving an honor named for Clark deepens the significance.
“It means a lot to be a recipient of the Kerry Clark scholarship. I believe marine biology is an underrepresented yet necessary field,” Smith said. “It is beautiful that this scholarship is able to support and recognize marine biology students in the name of Dr. Kerry Clark.”
In their free time, both Gore and Smith participate in activities involving their passions for marine biology. Smith said when he’s not at the lab, he’s around campus and in nature looking for rare creatures to photograph.
“Not only does it get me some great shots, but it furthers my knowledge of taxonomy and strengthens my identification skills,” Smith said, adding that he also integrates photography into his research.
Gore served as treasurer of Florida Tech’s Freediving Club and the Society for Women in Marine Science. She’s currently the treasurer for the Marine Biological Society, where she helped plan a trip to the Turtle Hospital and Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys.
Both students also credited their success to curiosity and the drive to keep learning.
“I stop by my professors’ office hours as often as I can, do not shy away from asking questions in their classes, ask my TAs and professors to check my work and give me advice and interact with them outside of the classroom by doing activities related to my major,” Smith said.
“My success has mostly been from being eager to learn new things, being willing to learn and correct my mistakes, and making connections with people,” Gore said. “Stubbornness probably played a big part, too.”
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