Jonelle Basso

Originating from the beautiful twin island republic of Trinidad and Tobago, I always held a keen interest in marine life and science, and completed my BSc. in Environmental Biology with honors from the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Jamaica. During my undergraduate years I was President of the Trinidad and Tobago Students Association, and was actively involved in a variety of extra-curricular activities such as track and field, volleyball, and soccer.

I enrolled as a graduate student in the University of South Florida (USF) Environmental Science and Policy program at the College of Arts and Sciences, completing thesis research geared toward using bivalves as bioindicators of specific persistent organic pollutants in Tampa Bay, Fl. I then conducted research and was part of an excellent team at the USF College of Marine Science. I attained the skills required to work aboard research vessels, as well as in the marine microbiology laboratory. I’ve also been a Microbiology lab adjunct instructor for some years, and it is indeed rewarding and exciting to see students learn, enjoy, and become scientifically empowered by the course!

I am currently a graduate student at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, where I am pursuing my PhD in Microbiology. My research focuses on the interaction between viruses and bacteria in the oceans.

It is a personal obligation to contribute my wealth of knowledge to my community, and I hope to positively impact the lives of those budding in science.