CSUN Professor to Study Coral Reef

Cal State Northridge biology professor Robert Carpenter has won a Fulbright grant to conduct research on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Beginning in January, Carpenter will spend three months studying the relationship between algae and herbivores and their impact on the world’s largest coral reef.

Carpenter intends to share his research on the reef’s diverse biological and chemical systems with Australian scientists who are studying ways to best manage the natural barrier.

“This is a great opportunity to go someplace different, learn new things and to come back to the classroom recharged and revitalized,” Carpenter said of the program, which will pay all of his expenses.

Carpenter is one of 1,600 award recipients in the U.S. who will travel abroad during the 1997-98 academic year.

Established by former Arkansas Sen. J. William Fulbright, the program is designed to increase understanding between American scholars and foreign academics.

Fulbright grants are awarded each year to American students, teachers and scholars to study, teach and conduct research around the world.

Individuals are selected on the basis of academic and professional qualifications and their willingness to share ideas with people of diverse cultures.

Before joining the CSUN faculty nine years ago, Carpenter was director of research for the National Undersea Research Program in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, and held a postdoctoral position at the Smithsonian Institution.

He earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Michigan, a master’s degree at the University of the Pacific and a doctorate at the University of Georgia.