Andrew Massaro, '11

Major and Minor

Biology major with a minor in chemistry

Honors Thesis
"From the Florida Keys to the Great Barrier Reef: exploring the feeding ecology of tropical marine sponges"

Beckman Mentor
Malcolm Hill, Ph.D.

Post-Grad Plans
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine

Awards
  • 2011 Alpha Phi Omega Distinguished Service Key
  • 2011 Omicron Delta Kappa Salutes Award
  • 2011 Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society
  • 2011 Tri Beta Biology Honor Society
  • 2011 Gamma Sigma Epsilon Chemistry Honor Society
  • 2010 Beckman Scholar
  • 2010 Golden Key Honor Society
  • 2010 International Forum Undergraduate Research Award finalist
  • 2009 Stuart Clough Organic Chemistry Award
  • 2009 Robert F. Smart Award in Biology (declined)
  • 2008 Alpha Phi Omega Outstanding Service Award
  • 2008 Howard Hughes Medical Institute – University of Richmond Research Fellow
  • 2008 Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society
Publications
  1. "Correlation between pumping rates and choanocyte chamber density and the effects of climate change in a tropical marine sponge." Andrew J. Massaro, Jeremy B. Weisz, Malcolm S. Hill, and Nicole S. Webster. In preparation for submission to Marine Ecology Progress Series.
  2. "Benefits to partners in a two-sponge symbiosis." Blake Ramsby, Andrew Massaro, Emily Marshall, Thomas Wilcox, and Malcolm Hill. In preparation for submission to Hydrobiologia.
  3. "Zooxanthellar symbionts shape host sponge trophic status through translocation of carbon,” Jeremy B. Weisz, Andrew J. Massaro, Blake D. Ramsby, and Malcolm S. Hill, Biological Bulletin, 2010, 219, 189-197.
Scientific Presentations
  1. “A Great Barrier to Flow on the Great Barrier Reef.” World Sponge Conference, Girona, Spain, September 2010, Andrew J. Massaro, Jeremy B. Weisz, Malcolm S. Hill, and Nicole S. Webster (also presented at the HHMI Research Symposium, University of Richmond, September 2010)
  2. “Selective filtration in the tropical marine sponge Rhopaloeides odorabile: impacts of elevated seawater temperature on feeding behavior.” International Benthic Ecology Meeting, UNC Wilmington, Wilmington, NC, March 2010, Andrew J. Massaro, Jeremy B. Weisz, Malcolm S. Hill, and Nicole S. Webster
  3. “Impacts of symbiotic zooxanthellae on feeding in tropical Clionaid sponges.” 2009 Arts and Sciences Research Symposium, University of Richmond, April 2009, Andrew J. Massaro, Jeremy B. Weisz, and Malcolm S. Hill

Read a feature story on Andrew's summer research project.