Heather Bruck, who participated in the National Student Exchange (NSE) program when she attended the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) during the Spring 2022 semester, has been awarded the Bette Worley Student Achievement Award. 

The award recognizes students who demonstrate the best use of their study away exchange participation and includes a stipend of $500. 

Bruck, a third-year biology major at the University of South Carolina-Columbia, chose UVI’s Orville E. Kean Campus on St. Thomas to pursue her research interests and delve more deeply into her marine science minor.  

While at UVI, Bruck had the opportunity to assist a graduate student with research focused on seagrass distribution and the impacts of invertebrate populations. She recorded species of seagrass, conducted transect surveys to count invertebrates, and collected invertebrate samples around the island of St. Thomas. 

Dahlia Stridiron-Felix serves as the NSE Coordinator at UVI’s campus on St. Thomas. “For collegiate exchange students, especially those pursuing marine studies, UVI is an ideal choice. Students can learn from accomplished faculty, gain valuable hands-on experience, broaden their research activities, and enjoy an unrivaled setting full of natural resources and beauty,” she stated. 

More information is available in a news release on the Media Section of the UVI Website-www.uvi.edu/ - and from this direct link