NEWPORT, Ky. (AP) - A partnership between the Newport Aquarium, Thomas More College and the nonprofit WAVE Foundation aims to give marine biology students some hands-on experience.
The Kentucky Enquirer (https://cin.ci/1qeVr4u) reports that students will begin research and learning at the aquarium in the fall.
Thomas More President David A. Armstrong called the collaboration “groundbreaking” in that students will be able to work with aquatic animals in an aquarium that is private, but open to the public.
“It’s the new normal: education, entertainment, business,” said Armstrong. “We have to collaborate in order to grow our programs.”
The school in Crestview Hills is a Catholic liberal arts institution with about 1,600 students.
Aquarium Vice President and Executive Director Eric Rose says the new relationship will strengthen the college and the aquarium.
“There’s been a rich, ongoing relationship,” Rose said. “We’ve been working on various research projects, various biology programs” for years.
Students at Thomas More won’t be the only ones who benefit from the partnership.
Chris Lorentz, TMC professor of biology and director of the Environmental Science Program and Biology Field Station, said he plans to teach a dual-credit course for high school students introducing them to the program.
Lorentz said he’s accomplished that before with help from the WAVE Foundation, which educates the public about aquatic life and conservation. By next year, the classes will be available to high school students from the region.
In addition, the general public will have the opportunity to learn more about the project. A lecture series with national experts will be given next year, according to foundation Director Kathy McDonald.
Armstrong said another benefit to the community is students in the marine biology program might not leave the area, opting instead to stay due to the hands-on experience that the aquarium partnership offers.
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Information from: The Kentucky Enquirer, https://www.nky.com
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